What is the biggest holiday in China?

China’s biggest holiday is the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. It is China’s most important traditional festival and is celebrated by millions of people in China and around the world. The Spring Festival marks the beginning of the lunar year and is a time for family reunions, cultural celebrations and a variety of customs and traditions. The celebrations usually last for 15 days and end with the Lantern Festival. The importance of the Spring Festival is reflected in the extensive preparations, travel and celebrations that take place during this time.

The festival is rich in cultural significance and is associated with a variety of customs and traditions, including:

1. Family Reunion: The Spring Festival is a time for families to reunite, and people often travel long distances to be with their loved ones.
2. Feast: Special meals are prepared, featuring traditional dishes that symbolize prosperity, happiness, and good luck. Dumplings, fish, and rice cakes are common foods during this time.
3. Decoration: Homes are often decorated with red lanterns, couplets and paper-cuts, as red is considered a lucky color that can ward off evil.
4. Fireworks and Lion Dance: Fireworks are set off to scare away evil spirits, while lion dances are performed to bring good luck and wealth.
5. Red Envelopes: It is customary to give red envelopes containing money to children and younger members of the family as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
6. Cultural Events: Various cultural performances such as traditional music, dance and opera are held during the festival.

During the Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year, Chinese families enjoy a variety of traditional foods with symbolic meanings. Some common dishes include:

1. Dumplings: Dumplings are usually shaped like ancient gold or silver ingots, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Dumplings usually contain meat and vegetables.

2. Fish (Yu): Fish is pronounced the same as the Chinese word for surplus, so fish is served to symbolize abundance and prosperity. It is often served whole to symbolize completeness.

3. Nian Gao: This dish symbolizes growth and progress, as “nian” sounds like “year” and “gao” sounds like “high”. It is usually prepared in sweet or savory forms.

4. Spring rolls: These crispy spring rolls are filled with vegetables or meat and symbolize wealth due to their golden appearance.

5. Whole Chicken: Serving a whole chicken represents family unity and completeness. It is usually cooked in a way that brings out its beauty.

6. Tangyuan: Tangyuan is made of glutinous rice flour and symbolizes family reunion. Tangyuan is usually eaten with sweet soup.

7. Longevity noodles: These long noodles symbolize longevity and are usually eaten uncut to represent the wish for longevity and good health.

8. Fruits: Certain fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits, are popular during the holidays because they symbolize good luck and prosperity.

9. Eight Treasure Rice: This sweet dish made of glutinous rice and various ingredients symbolizes wealth and good luck.

These foods are often enjoyed at family gatherings and festive meals, reflecting the importance of family, prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture.