Chinese Festivities.
Festivals in China truly highlight the colorful nature of traditional Chinese culture. Even in Beijing, where evidence of China’s rich cultural past is getting harder and harder to find, festivals are still fervently celebrated.
The Spring Festival, or Nónglì xīnnián, is China’s longest and most notable celebration. It occurs on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, falling anywhere between the dates of January 21st and February 20th. Popularly considered the equivalent to the Christmas celebration in the west, Spring Festival resembles it in duration, popularity, and its status as most favorable occasion for family reunion. The celebration can be described as a week of family and friend filled days, as well as, late nights kept alive by the sound of brilliant, occasionally frustrating firecrackers.
After you roll your first few Jiaozi, a savory dumpling enjoyed during Spring Festival, with the grandmother of a Chinese friend, one begins to appreciate the value of spending time with loved ones and the distances people will go to do so. Expect to travel with a large crowd of family seekers if you decide to move about the country, and don’t be surprised if there aren’t any available fairs to popular destinations. Many tickets have been bought weeks, even months in advance.
If you happen to arrive in Beijing only a short time before being engulfed in the celebration’s madness, be sure to check out Amazing Beijing’s listings for a dumpling house near you.