China Public Holiday Calendar 2009

1. New Year's Day: Jan 1-3, 2009 (THU-SAT)
New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome). In all countries including China using the Gregorian calendar, except for Israel, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the New Year starts.

2. Chinese New Year: January 25-31, 2009 (SUN-SAT)
For millions of Asians, Chinese New Year is more than one special day. Families spend weeks preparing for the big event - cleaning house, painting doors and windows red, and cooking special foods. Celebrations for Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, last a full fifteen days. (Date of Chinese New Year Day: first day of the first Chinese lunar month).

3. Ching Ming - the Tomb Sweeping Festival:  April 4-6, 2009 (SAT-MON)
A gravesite picnic? Why not? The Tomb Sweeping festival is a time for families to honor the memory of their ancestors. Along with "tomb sweeping" - performing standard gravesite maintenance such as removing debris from the gravestones and replacing dead flowers - family members offer gifts of food, fruit and wine to the departed. After a formal ceremony, the food is shared among family members. Another tradition is to burn incense to ward off any evil spirits that may be lurking.

4. International Labour Day: May 1-3, 2009 (FRI-SUN)
Like most countries in the world, Labour Day is celebrated on May 1, and is a public holiday in China. In the 1990s, the Labour Day holiday was extended from 1 day to 3 days. The Chinese government made it a 7 day holiday by moving the prior and upcoming weekends together with these 3 days. The Labour Day holiday was one of the three Golden Weeks in China, allowing millions of Chinese people to travel during this period. But Starting January 1, 2008, China reduced this holiday period down to 1 day, while simultaneously reviving three traditional Chinese holidays: Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

5. Dragon Boat Festival: May 28-30, 2009 (THU-SAT)
There are few sites more spectacular than a fleet of painted dragon boats racing toward the finish line, with a drummer in each boat hammering out the rhythm for the rowers to follow. The Dragon Boat Festival is China’s oldest festival. Find out more about this exciting event and learn how to make Zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves that are an essential feature of any Dragon Boat Festival celebration. (Date: fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month).

6. Mid-Autumn Mooncake Festival:  October 3, 2009 (SAT)
When the autumn harvest moon is at its fullest, the Chinese celebrate by lighting colorful lanterns and enjoying delicious mooncakes. Learn more about the legends behind the festival and try some mooncake recipes. (Date: fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month). The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 3, which is during the National Day holiday of 2009.

7. National Day: October 1-8, 2009 including Mid-Autumn Festival (THU-THU)
The new China was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tian’anmen Square, Beijing. The Central Government passed the resolution and declared that October 1 is the Chinese National Day. The National Day Holiday is a golden week in China. When the anniversary is a multiple of five (e.g. the 50th, 55th, or 60th), large scale official celebrations may be held, including an inspection of troops on Tiananmen Square. The year of 2009 is the 60th anniversary. The Mid-Autumn Festival of 2009 is in the National Day period. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 3, which is during the National Day holiday of 2009, thus they were combined. The October 1 to 8 National Day holiday will be the longest since China introduced the Golden Week holiday in 2000.