Chinese Culture Traditional Chinese Holidays for 2026

The traditional Chinese holidays, having been celebrated for hundreds if not thousand of years, are still celebrated according to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. Most of them are celebrated on the same day in the lunar calendar, which, of course, ends up on a different date every year in the Gregorian calendar. At least two of the holidays, Qingming and Winter Solstice, are actually based on the position of the sun so tend to vary just by a day or two in the Gregorian calendar.

By far, the most important traditional holiday is the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated between New Year's Eve and and the fifteenth of the month, when the Lantern Festival takes place. In modern China, many busineses close for an extended period of time so that employees can return to their hometown to spend time with their families. Another popular holiday is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which takes place in August 15 of the lunar calendar. It is at this time that moon cakes, a sweet pastry containing one solid egg yolk inside (representing the moon), is consumed.

The list of the most commonly celebrated traditional holidays and the dates in which they fall for the current year are listed below. You can also specify a different year by using the form below.

Need Holidays for a Different year?

See also

• Gregorian to Lunar Date Converter
• Today's Date in Chinese
• Chinese Solar Terms