Spring Festival, which is also commonly known as Chinese New Year in many parts of the world, is perhaps the most important and grandiose among the many Chinese traditional festivals.

Falling on the first day of the first lunar month (which can be between late January and early February) of each year, the Spring Festival is celebrated extensively until the 15th day (on which comes another Chinese traditional festival called the Lantern Festival).

People celebrate this Chinese traditional festival in many ways.

Family members do some intensive house cleaning – sweeping and polishing the floor, scrubbing the walls, wiping dust off almost everything in their houses. They then decorate their houses with creatively cut pieces of red paper onto which they write wishes for fortune, happiness, and good health. By doing these practices, Chinese people believe that they would be able to drive away bad luck and invite good luck into their households. In the evening, families gather for a dinner of traditional cuisine, mostly round fruits that symbolize prosperity and sticky foods that symbolize unity.

During the Spring Festival, fireworks, dragon and lion dances, and other traditional performances are staged in the parks or on the streets.

Lantern Festival is one of the major Chinese traditional festivals that culminates the two-week Spring Festival. It falls on the first night of the year that has a full moon.

On this Chinese traditional festival, people mark the beginning of spring by eating sweet dumplings served in soup called Yuanxiao or Tangyuan, a symbol of staying together. They also watch fireworks – believed to drive away evil spirits – and lighting lanterns – symbols of bright future.

Legend has it that the Chinese people first started to light lanterns after heeding the advice of the good-hearted daughter of the Jade Emperor in heaven. Once, the Jade Emperor was upset with a town after learning that its town people had murdered his sacred bird. The Jade Emperor vowed vengeance. Upon learning this, his daughter warned the town. She told one of its people to light up lanterns to trick the Jade Emperor into thinking that the town is in flames and that his bird has already been avenged. Since then, the lighting of the lanterns has become part of the important Chinese traditional festivals of the people.

This important Chinese traditional festival is also an occasion for the Chinese to exhibit their modern creativity by making lanterns of various shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. Some lanterns are also plastered with curious riddles to be solved by revelers of this Chinese traditional festival.

The Moon Festival is perhaps the most highly anticipated Chinese traditional festival next to the Spring Festival. To allow their people to celebrate this important Chinese traditional festival, some countries of the world designate the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar - which is between September and early October of the Gregorian calendar - a holiday.

On the night of this Chinese traditional festival, the moon is said to be at its most beautiful, fullest and roundest than any other day of the year. Thus, people feast on mooncakes of many varieties and round pomelos under the bright full moon. Highlights include lanterns and dragon dances.

A significant Chinese traditional festival, the Dragon Boat festival is a day for many Chinese people to rediscover peace in their lives and drive off pestilence. Among the many Chinese traditional festivals, the Dragon Boat festival is said to have the longest running history, as it continues to be celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar for centuries.

The highlights of this day are the dragon boat races, where competing groups of rowers paddle their boats swiftly to the pulse of pounding drums.

On this Chinese traditional festival, people hang oriental plants calamus and moxaat their doors and paste pictures of Chung Kuei, the demon queller, to drive off deadly diseases. Adults drink hsiung huang wine and wear fragrant sachets, both practices are said to ward off evil and invite peace.

The most popular dish on this traditional Chinese festival is the tzung tzu , which is sweet rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with varied fillings like pork, nut, or egg.

It is said that ancient Chinese people threw tzung tzu into the Miluo River to entice fishes to get out of the body of their hero Chu Yuan, who killed himself by drowning.

The Dragon Boat is a Chinese traditional festival that is said to commemorate the poet-statesman Chu Yuan. The boat races are Chinese traditional customs that symbolize the attempted rescue of Chu Yuan.

Spring Festival, which is also commonly known as Chinese New Year in many parts of the world, is perhaps the most important and grandiose among the many Chinese traditional festivals.

Falling on the first day of the first lunar month (which can be between late January and early February) of each year, the Spring Festival is celebrated extensively until the 15th day (on which comes another Chinese traditional festival called the Lantern Festival).

People celebrate this Chinese traditional festival in many ways.

Family members do some intensive house cleaning – sweeping and polishing the floor, scrubbing the walls, wiping dust off almost everything in their houses. They then decorate their houses with creatively cut pieces of red paper onto which they write wishes for fortune, happiness, and good health. By doing these practices, Chinese people believe that they would be able to drive away bad luck and invite good luck into their households. In the evening, families gather for a dinner of traditional cuisine, mostly round fruits that symbolize prosperity and sticky foods that symbolize unity.

During the Spring Festival, fireworks, dragon and lion dances, and other traditional performances are staged in the parks or on the streets.