Major holidays celebrated in China, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities are marked in bold, with this year’s corresponding Gregorian dates in parenthesis.
Lunar Holidays and Birthdays
| 1st Moon | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Chinese New Year |
| Day 9 | Birthday of the Jade Emperor |
| Day 15 | The Lantern Festival |
| 2nd Moon | |
| Day 2 | Birthday of Tudigong, Lord of the Earth |
| Day 3 | Birthday of Wenchang, God of Literature |
| Day 15 | Birthday of Lao Zi, Founder of Taoism |
| Day 19 | Birthday of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy |
| 3rd Moon | |
| Day 3 | Birthday of Xuantian Shangdi, God of Rain |
| Day 23 | Birthday of Mazu, Goddess of the Sea |
| 4th Moon | |
| Day 8 | Birthday of Siddhartha, Founder of Buddhism |
| Day 14 | Birthday of Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals |
| Day 18 | Birthday of Huato, Patron Saint of Medicine |
| 5th Moon | |
| Day 5 | Dragon Boat Festival |
| 6th Moon | |
| Day 24 | Birthday of Guan Gong, God of Warriors |
| 7th Moon | (Ghost Month) |
| Day 7 | Lover’s Day |
| Day 15 | Hungry Ghost Festival |
| Day 30 | Birthday of Dizang Wang, King of the Underworld |
| 8th Moon | |
| Day 15 | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| Day 16 | Birthday of Sun Wugong, the Monkey King |
| Day 27 | Birthday of Confucius |
| 9th Moon | |
| Day 9 | Double Ninth Day |
| 10th Moon | |
| Day 1 | Sending off the Winter Clothes |
| Day 5 | Birthday of Damo, founder of Chan Buddhism |
| 12th Moon | |
| Day 8 | Celebration of Siddhartha achieving enlightenment |
| Day 23 | Kitchen God reports to the Jade Emperor |
| Solar Holidays and Birthdays | |
| April 4, 5, or 6 | Tomb Sweeping Day |
| September 28 | Teacher’s Day (Taiwan — Confucius’ Birthday) |
| October 1 | National Day (People’s Republic of China) |
| October 10 | National Day (Taiwan — “Double Tenth”) |
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- Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts, by Carol Stepanchuk and Charles Wong
- Red Eggs and Dragon Boats, by Carol Stepanchuk
View a brief introduction to Chinese New Year:
