Like the United States, China celebrates two sets of holidays, official holidays and traditional holidays. American holidays such as Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Halloween are traditional, but not recognized by our government. Official holidays would be considered to be New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Chinese celebrate holidays in much the same way.

Official Chinese holidays span a wide array of subjects, many of which are different from ours. The only official holiday that China and America have in common is New Year's Day. Although it is an official holiday in China, it is not celebrated to the extent that it is in the rest of the world. This is due to the fact that China celebrates its own New Year, known as the Spring Festival, which coincides with the Chinese calendar.

March 8 is known as International Women's Day in China. This is a day when women get a paid day off from work, while all the men toil away. Tree-Planting Day is celebrated in April, and International Labor Day in May is marked by picnics and parties in parks.

Youth Day is in commemoration of the 1919 youth movement in China, and Children's Day is celebrated in June. Children's Day is a fantastic day for all children in China, as virtually all attractions, museums, parks, and cinemas are free for that one day.

CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Day is celebrated in July, Army's Day in August, and a new holiday, Teacher's Day, is celebrated in September. The final official holiday of the year is National Day, which marks the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese traditional holidays are considered to be more fun, family-oriented, exciting, and they almost always include a culinary tradition. The Lantern Festival is marked by Tang Yuan (sweet rice dumplings), Duan Wu (Dragon Boat Festival) is celebrated by the throwing and eating of bamboo-wrapped rice dumplings.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of a full moon, midway through the eighth month of the Chinese calendar. It is celebrated with wine, fruit, and moon cakes.

Of course, the largest traditional Chinese holiday is the Spring Festival - Chinese New Year. This occurs on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, usually coinciding with our January or February. It is marked by feasts, parades, dragons, and firecrackers. If you travel to China, it is worthwhile to plan your trip around the Spring Festival.