Holidays in Chinese: Festival Names & Pinyin, Month by Month
The greetings you will hear at 春节, with their pinyin and meanings.
Chinese New Year GreetingsConvert any lunar date, so you know exactly when 中秋节 or 端午节 falls this year.
Lunar Date ConverterHolidays are some of the most useful words to learn early: they come round every year, they turn up in every conversation about plans and time off, and each one carries a handful of words with it — the food, the greetings, the things people do. This calendar lists each holiday and event under the month it falls in, with its Chinese name, its pinyin and the countries or regions where it is marked. Several Chinese festivals follow the lunar calendar, so they move by up to a month from year to year; those are marked with a moon and show both months they can fall in. For this year's exact date, the Lunar Date Converter works it out.
Readings and meanings come from our own dictionary when the page loads. Where it has no entry, they are adapted from CC-CEDICT and marked †. Tap a name, or any of the smaller words beside it, to hear it.
How holiday names are built: 节, 日 and 夜
Once you know three characters you can recognise most of the names on this page. 节 means a festival or holiday, and it is added to a word to turn it into the name of a day: 感恩 (to be grateful) becomes 感恩节, Thanksgiving, and 母亲 (mother) becomes 母亲节, Mother's Day. The general word for a holiday, 节日, is built from the same character.
日 means day, and it names many of the newer, calendar-style days: 地球日 is Earth Day and 加拿大日 is Canada Day. 夜 means night, so 平安夜, the “peaceful night”, is Christmas Eve.
Some names carry their own date. 七夕, “the seventh evening”, is the seventh night of the seventh lunar month; 双十节, “double ten”, is the tenth day of the tenth month; and 双十一, “double eleven”, is 11/11. 中秋, “mid-autumn”, names its season instead: the full moon in the middle of autumn. The guide to numbers in Chinese culture explains why some numbers are chosen for celebrations.
The calendar, January to June
Pick a place to see only the holidays marked there (worldwide ones always stay), or jump to a month.
January
The first day of the year on the calendar most of the world uses. 新年 is “new year” in general.
The eighth day of the last lunar month; a sweet mixed-grain porridge is eaten and New Year preparations begin.
Australia's national day, in late January, with citizenship ceremonies, fireworks and a public holiday.
Schools and universities break for about a month around the Lunar New Year.
The weeks of mass travel as people go home for the New Year — the largest yearly migration anywhere.
The last night of the lunar year: the family reunion dinner, and staying up to see the year in.
The biggest holiday of the Chinese year. 过年 is the everyday verb: “to celebrate the New Year”.
Nothing in January for this region — try another.
February
Schools and universities break for about a month around the Lunar New Year.
The weeks of mass travel as people go home for the New Year — the largest yearly migration anywhere.
The last night of the lunar year: the family reunion dinner, and staying up to see the year in.
The biggest holiday of the Chinese year. 过年 is the everyday verb: “to celebrate the New Year”.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the last day of the New Year celebrations.
Celebrated widely in Chinese cities too. Qixi, in August, is the traditional Chinese counterpart.
The American football championship game, and one of the most watched broadcasts of the year.
Nothing in February for this region — try another.
March
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the last day of the New Year celebrations.
Many workplaces in China give women a half day off.
植树 means to plant trees.
Ireland's national day, marked with parades and green in many English-speaking cities.
A week off school or university in the spring.
The Friday before Easter; a public holiday in many countries. It moves with Easter.
May in most places; the UK celebrates in March.
Nothing in March for this region — try another.
April
A week off school or university in the spring.
The Friday before Easter; a public holiday in many countries. It moves with Easter.
The first day of April, for pranks. 愚人 means fool.
Families visit and tidy their ancestors' graves. It follows the solar year, so it is always early April.
April in Taiwan; June in mainland China.
A day for the environment, marked around the world. 地球 is the Earth.
A day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, starting with dawn services.
New Year for the Dai people of Yunnan, and Thailand's Songkran: water is thrown for good luck.
China's largest trade fair, held in Guangzhou in two sessions: spring and autumn.
Nothing in April for this region — try another.
May
May in most of the world; the first Monday of September in the US and Canada.
Marks the May Fourth student movement.
May in most places; the UK celebrates in March.
A Canadian long weekend in late May, often called the unofficial start of summer.
Honours the US military dead, on the last Monday of May.
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month: boat races and sticky rice parcels.
Graduation season. 毕业 on its own means “to graduate”.
Nothing in May for this region — try another.
June
April in Taiwan; June in mainland China.
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month: boat races and sticky rice parcels.
Graduation season. 毕业 on its own means “to graduate”.
June in the US, Canada, the UK and mainland China; August in Taiwan; September in Australia.
The national university entrance exam, taken by more than ten million students.
Nothing in June for this region — try another.
The calendar, July to December
July
Canada's national holiday, at the very start of July.
The US national holiday: parades, barbecues and fireworks. 独立 means independent.
Nothing in July for this region — try another.
August
June in the US, Canada, the UK and mainland China; August in Taiwan; September in Australia.
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month, from the legend of the cowherd and the weaver girl.
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, when offerings are made to the departed.
国庆日 is “national day” in general; Singapore marks its own in August.
Nothing in August for this region — try another.
September
May in most of the world; the first Monday of September in the US and Canada.
June in the US, Canada, the UK and mainland China; August in Taiwan; September in Australia.
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, when offerings are made to the departed.
The school year starts in September in these places; in Australia it starts in late January or February.
Students thank their teachers, often with cards and flowers.
The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, under the fullest moon of the year: families gather and eat mooncakes.
Nothing in September for this region — try another.
October
China's largest trade fair, held in Guangzhou in two sessions: spring and autumn.
The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, under the fullest moon of the year: families gather and eat mooncakes.
The start of October, and a week-long holiday that is one of the year's two Golden Weeks.
Named for its date: the tenth day of the tenth month.
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month, when people climb hills and honour the elderly.
The Hindu festival of lights. In Singapore and Malaysia it is usually called 屠妖节.
Nothing in October for this region — try another.
November
The Hindu festival of lights. In Singapore and Malaysia it is usually called 屠妖节.
Named after 11/11, four ones standing alone — now the world's biggest online shopping day.
A day to remember those who died in war. 纪念日 means “day of commemoration”.
Honours everyone who has served in the US military.
The shopping day after US Thanksgiving. 星期五 is Friday.
The eight-day Jewish festival of lights; its date follows the Hebrew calendar.
Nothing in November for this region — try another.
December
The shortest day. Dumplings are the northern custom; sweet rice balls the southern one.
The national graduate-school entrance exam, held each December.
The eight-day Jewish festival of lights; its date follows the Hebrew calendar.
平安 means safe and peaceful, which is why apples (苹果, whose 苹 sounds like 平) are given as gifts that night in China.
A public holiday across much of the world, and a popular shopping season in Chinese cities.
The day after Christmas, now best known for its sales.
跨年 is “to cross into the new year” — the countdown, the fireworks, staying up.
Nothing in December for this region — try another.
Holidays that move through the year
These follow the Islamic calendar, which is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, so they can fall in any month and arrive a little earlier each year. In Singapore and Malaysia they are public holidays.
The month of fasting. The Islamic calendar is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, so it moves through every season.
The festival that ends Ramadan.
The Festival of Sacrifice, about ten weeks after Eid al-Fitr.
Nothing here for this region — try another.
Every holiday word on this page
The holiday names plus the food, customs and general words that go with them, with their dictionary meanings. Add any to your review deck, or take the short quiz below the table.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 元旦 | yuándàn | New Year's Day |
| 新年 | xīnnián | New Year |
| 腊八节 | làbājié | Laba rice porridge festival† |
| 澳大利亚日 | àodàlìyǎrì | Australia Day |
| 寒假 | hánjià | Winter vacation† |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday or vacation† |
| 春运 | chūnyùn | passenger transportation around Chinese New Year† |
| 除夕 | chúxī | New Year's Eve |
| 年夜饭 | niányèfàn | reunion dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve† |
| 守岁 | shǒusuì | to stay up all night on lunar New Year's Eve† |
| 春晚 | chūnwǎn | CCTV New Year's Gala† |
| 春节 | chūnjié | Chinese New Year (spring festival) |
| 农历新年 | nónglìxīnnián | Chinese New Year; Lunar New Year† |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate the Chinese New Year† |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | money wrapped in red as a gift† |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | Dumpling |
| 春联 | chūnlián | Spring Festival rhymes |
| 鞭炮 | biānpào | Firecracker |
| 拜年 | bàinián | Wish a Happy New Year |
| 元宵节 | yuánxiāojié | Lantern festival |
| 汤圆 | tāngyuán | balls of glutinous rice flour† |
| 花灯 | huādēng | colored lantern† |
| 灯笼 | dēnglóng | Lantern† |
| 情人节 | qíngrénjié | St. Valentine's Day |
| 超级碗 | chāojíwǎn | Super Bowl† |
| 妇女节 | fùnǚjié | International Women's Day† |
| 植树节 | zhíshùjié | Arbor Day† |
| 圣帕特里克节 | shèngpàtèlǐkèjié | St Patrick's Day |
| 春假 | chūnjià | spring break† |
| 受难日 | shòunànrì | Good Friday† |
| 复活节 | fùhuójié | Easter |
| 彩蛋 | cǎidàn | painted eggshell; Easter egg† |
| 逾越节 | yúyuèjié | The Passover |
| 愚人节 | yúrénjié | April Fools' Day† |
| 清明节 | qīngmíngjié | Qingming (Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day)† |
| 扫墓 | sǎomù | to sweep a grave† |
| 儿童节 | értóngjié | Children's Day† |
| 地球日 | dìqiúrì | Earth Day |
| 澳新军团日 | àoxīnjūntuánrì | Anzac Day† |
| 泼水节 | pōshuǐjié | Songkran (Thai New Year)† |
| 广交会 | guǎngjiāohuì | Canton Fair† |
| 劳动节 | láodòngjié | Labour Day |
| 黄金周 | huángjīnzhōu | Golden Week† |
| 青年节 | qīngniánjié | Youth Day† |
| 母亲节 | mǔqīnjié | Mother's Day† |
| 维多利亚日 | wéiduōlìyǎrì | Victoria Day |
| 阵亡战士纪念日 | zhènwángzhànshìjìniànrì | Memorial Day (American holiday)† |
| 端午节 | duānwǔjié | Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month)† |
| 粽子 | zòngzi | glutinous rice with a filling, wrapped in leaves† |
| 赛龙舟 | sàilóngzhōu | to race dragon boats† |
| 毕业典礼 | bìyèdiǎnlǐ | graduation ceremony† |
| 父亲节 | fùqīnjié | Father's Day† |
| 高考 | gāokǎo | College entrance examination |
| 加拿大日 | jiānádàrì | Canada Day |
| 独立日 | dúlìrì | Independence Day |
| 暑假 | shǔjià | Summer vacation |
| 七夕 | qīxī | double seven festival; Chinese Valentine's day† |
| 中元节 | zhōngyuánjié | Ghost Festival† |
| 国庆日 | guóqìngrì | national day† |
| 开学 | kāixué | the start of a new term† |
| 教师节 | jiàoshījié | Teachers' Day† |
| 中秋节 | zhōngqiūjié | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| 月饼 | yuèbǐng | mooncake† |
| 赏月 | shǎngyuè | to admire the full moon† |
| 团圆 | tuányuán | Reunite (have a reunion) |
| 国庆节 | guóqìngjié | PRC National Day (October 1st)† |
| 双十节 | shuāngshíjié | Double Tenth; (Taiwan) National Day† |
| 重阳节 | chóngyángjié | Double Ninth or Yang Festival† |
| 感恩节 | gǎn'ēnjié | Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving day) |
| 火鸡 | huǒjī | Turkey |
| 万圣节 | wànshèngjié | Halloween |
| 南瓜灯 | nánguādēng | jack-o'-lantern† |
| 排灯节 | páidēngjié | Diwali (Hindu festival)† |
| 屠妖节 | túyāojié | Deepavali (Hindu festival)† |
| 光棍节 | guānggùnjié | Singles' Day† |
| 双十一 | shuāngshíyī | Singles' Day† |
| 购物节 | gòuwùjié | shopping festival† |
| 纪念日 | jìniànrì | Memorial day (anniversary - day of commemoration) |
| 退伍军人节 | tuìwǔjūnrénjié | Veterans' Day† |
| 黑色星期五 | hēisèxīngqīwǔ | Black Friday† |
| 冬至 | dōngzhì | Winter Solstice† |
| 考研 | kǎoyán | to sit an entrance exam for a graduate program† |
| 光明节 | guāngmíngjié | Hanukkah† |
| 平安夜 | píng'ānyè | Christmas Eve† |
| 圣诞节 | shèngdànjié | Christmas time (Christmas day - Christmas season) |
| 圣诞树 | shèngdànshù | Christmas tree† |
| 圣诞老人 | shèngdànlǎorén | Santa Claus (Santa) |
| 节礼日 | jiélǐrì | Boxing Day† |
| 跨年 | kuànián | to step into the new year† |
| 斋月 | zhāiyuè | Ramadan (month of fasting) |
| 开斋节 | kāizhāijié | Eid al-Fitr, festival that marks the end of Ramadan† |
| 古尔邦节 | gǔ'ěrbāngjié | Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice† |
| 节日 | jiérì | Holiday |
| 假期 | jiàqī | Holiday (vacation) |
| 节假日 | jiéjiàrì | public holiday† |
Quick quiz — 5 words from this page
Frequently Asked Questions
Related guides and tools
- ↗ Chinese New Year Greetings — what to say, and when
- ↗ Lunar Date Converter — this year's date for any lunar festival
- ↗ Numbers in Chinese Culture — lucky and unlucky numbers
- ↗ Chinese Colors & Cultural Meanings — why red means celebration
- ↗ Chinese Food Vocabulary — 80 dishes
- ↗ Weather Words in Chinese — the seasons and small talk
- ↗ Your review deck — practise the words you added
Learnt a few names? Lock them in: the greetings for the biggest holiday of the Chinese year are next.
Next: Chinese New Year Greetings