| If you want to know more about Chinese culture. | | | | Dragon Boat Festival (June) |
| Start from learning its festivals. | | | | It is a festival to show respect to a patriotic scholar - |
| Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year (January | | | | Chu Yuan, who drowned himself to protest against |
| February) | | | | his emperor. Rice dumpling, which is popular during the |
| It is usually in the winter of a year. The exact date | | | | festival, is made of glutinous rice, salted meat with a |
| would follow the one in Lunar Calendar. Entering the | | | | salty egg yolk and wrapped with bamboo leaves. It is |
| New Year month, every family would clean and tidy | | | | believed that these dumplings would scare away any |
| both the inside and the outside of their houses. New | | | | fish which would harm the body of Chu Yuan after |
| Year food would also be prepared. 'Lin Gao', the | | | | him jumping into the sea. However, some believe |
| Chinese cake symbolizing the rise of family every | | | | that dragon boat festival started before the death |
| year, would be a must. New Year couplets would be | | | | of Chu Yuan. The dragon boat has the head and a |
| displayed around house. All families would be busy | | | | tail of a dragon. Since the dragon is the god of the |
| until the New Year's Eve and a big New Year eve's | | | | water world, After the dragon boats sail in the |
| dinner would be served for the gathering to welcome | | | | water, the water will be blessed. It is also a tradition |
| the beginning of a New Year. Children and unmarried | | | | for people to wash their hair and body with the |
| adults would love the occasion because red packets | | | | blessed water on the day so as to be blessed for |
| would be given to them from all married couples and | | | | the coming year. |
| older generations. As a tradition, on the first few | | | | Hungry Ghost Festival (August/September) |
| days of the first lunar month, people would spend | | | | It is the time when the gate of Hell opens and all |
| their time visiting relatives and friends. | | | | ghosts will come to the earth. People would offer |
| Spring Lantern Festival/ Yuen Siu Festival (January | | | | roasted pork, steamed chicken, and fruits to the |
| February) | | | | ghosts. They would also burn paper offerings to the |
| It is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day and it | | | | dead in the streets. It is also said that people should |
| marks the end of the Chinese New Year. Young | | | | not walk or respond to anybody calling them when |
| couples would celebrate on this day. Lanterns of | | | | walking in the street at night. |
| different designs would be hung in different places. | | | | Mid-autumn Festival (September/October) |
| Ching Ming Festival (March/April) | | | | Mooncake is the gift you give to your friends and |
| It is a day when people pay their visits to the graves | | | | relatives at the festival. Apart from that, salted |
| of your ancestors. Joss sticks, incense and paper | | | | sausages and star fruit are other popular gifts. It is |
| offerings would be burnt for the dead people. | | | | the happiest for the children because they would |
| Roasted while piglets, steamed chicken, fruit and | | | | enjoy walking in the streets with their lanterns. |
| wine would be offered to the dead too. Some | | | | 'Wax-boiling' has become very popular but the |
| people tend to bring chrysanthemum instead of | | | | government in Hong Kong has made it forbidden |
| those mentioned above, so remember not to give | | | | after many accidents from burning wax. Of course |
| chrysanthemum to Chinese people. It is said the it is | | | | people would make use of the chance to look at the |
| also a day when the dead wander about above | | | | full moon on the day on their balconies or just at |
| ground and so sometimes people carry willow | | | | home. Traditional mooncakes are made with sweet |
| branches or hang them outside their doors on this | | | | lotus seed paste with one or more egg yolks. Modern |
| day to scare away the ghosts. | | | | mooncakes come in various styles. Tastes like green |
| Birthday of Tin Hau (April/May) | | | | tea, red beans, hams and nuts, or even mooncake |
| It is not a very big festival but a very important one | | | | ice-cream are all available. Just name it and you may |
| for the people living on fishing islands. It is a festival | | | | find it. |
| to show respect to the Goddess of the Sea, Tin Hau | | | | Chung Yeung Festival (September/October) |
| for good catches in the sea and a safe year ahead. | | | | There has been a legend from the East Han Dynasty. |
| Cheung Chau Bun Festival (April/May) | | | | A man was told to leave home and go to a hill top of |
| It is a festival which belongs to the Cheung Chau | | | | the date to avoid a disaster which would kill all lives |
| Island. In the past, people climbed bun towers built | | | | there. So he left home with his family and drank |
| with bamboos which were covered with blessed buns | | | | chrysanthemum wine as he had been told. When he |
| outside. The higher people climbed on it meant the | | | | came back after the day, he found that all livestock |
| more luck they would receive in the year. Since the | | | | were killed. Since then, after almost 2000 years, it is |
| accident happened in 1978, this competition was no | | | | believed that it is a day when people should leave |
| longer allowed. People on the island would keep | | | | home and show their respect to their ancestors on |
| vegetarian for three days during the festival. | | | | the day. |