China’s Public Holidays
China has several holidays that are different from the Western ones we celebrate. They can last from a few days to several weeks. Here are the major Chinese holidays they take off so you can plan your manufacturing schedule around that.
Chinese New Year’s Day
This holiday is similar to the western counterpart where the New Year is celebrated. Typically people in China have January 1st-3rd off where they will celebrate the New Year the same as we do in the west. They will celebrate it with fireworks and parades.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the largest Chinese holiday. Most Chinese people will have around 3 weeks of time off from later in January through mid-February. It is the most prominent Chinese holiday. People will spend time traveling home and participating in long held traditions, such as cooking and eating dumplings, decorating with hanging lanterns, enjoying their time with their families.
Factories will be extremely busy in the months leading up to it so it is really important to take note of this holiday and plan accordingly.
Tomb Sweeping Day
April 3rd-5th is when the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is celebrated. The holiday is used to celebrate those that have passed on. People will spend the time reflecting in nature or at ancestors’ graveyards.
Dragon Boat Festival
Celebrated from June 3rd – 5th, the dragon boat festival is used to commemorate traditional medicines and health. Traditionally June was known as the “month of poison” because of the centipedes, spiders, toads, scorpions, and snakes that come out.
People celebrate the holiday by eating dumplings, participating in dragon boat races, hanging decorations or drinking wine.
Mid-autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival is the second most important holiday in China. It’s celebrated by many Asian countries, and is held to give thanks for blessings. People will celebrate by having dinner together, lighting paper lanterns, and eating mooncakes. The holiday is similar to Thanksgiving, celebrated usually in September. In 2022 it was Sept 10th, and in 2023, it will be on September 29th, mark your calendars.
National Day Golden Week
The China national holiday is a holiday where they have October 1st through the 7th off. People will use this time to go to their families. This holiday was made to boost tourism and allow people some time to relax. Many will go home to their families to visit them during the week.
Calendar of Chinese Holidays
We want to help you be prepared for these holidays, below you’ll find a calendar with the United States Holidays, as well as Chinese Holidays so you can navigate all the holidays annually for your business.
Now you should be able to plan around the holidays when you need to get your orders placed. Check out some of our other blogs to learn more about China, or get in touch with us to get started on your order!