Taoist Holidays

Spring

(Feb 4th - May 5th)

Cardinal Pt: East
Color: Green
Element: Wood

LiChun (Feb 4th) - Start of Spring

Spring Festival/Chun Jie (1st day of the 1st lunar month falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice) - Observed in China (), Tibet (Losar), Korea (Sol), Vietnam (Tet), and other parts of Asia. Fifteen day long observance culminating in Lantern Festival.  It is a time to be with family, reaffirm family ties, pay visits with friends, and set the tone for the coming year.

The Kitchen God returns (4th day of 1st lunar month) -
The God of Wealth Cai Shen visits (5th day of 1st lunar month) -
GuanGong's day (13th day of the first lunar month) -

Lantern Festival/Yuanxiao Jie (15th day - full moon - of the 1st lunar month) - the culmination of Chinese new year's observances.

ChunFen (March 20) - Vernal Equinox. Day of DongWangGong/East King Father. Beginning the ascendency of Yang.

LaoTse's Birthday (15th day - full moon - of the 2nd lunar month) - Born around 570 BCE, founder of Taoism, author of the Tao te Ching.

QingMing/Grave Sweeping Day (April 5th) - Ancestral Graves are tended.  Offerings made.

Summer

(May 6th - Aug 6th)

Cardlinal Pt: South
Color: Red
Element: Fire

LiXia (May 6th) - Start of Summer

XiaZhi (June 21st) - Summer Solstice. The peak of Yang. Corresponds to South.  Offerings made.

Dragon Boat Festival/Duan wu Jie (5th day of the 5th lunar month) - Chinese festival to commemorate the unsuccessful attempt to rescue the patriotic poet Qu Yuan from the river.  The celebration's is a time for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year.

Late Summer

Cardinal Pt: Center
Color: Yellow
Element: Earth

...

Autumn

(Aug 7th - Nov 6th)

Cardinal Pt: West
Color: White
Element: Metal

LiQiu (Aug 7th) - Start of Autumn

Ghost Festival/Yu Lan (15th day - full moon - of the 7th lunar month) - Festival to honor the dead. Involves lighting of bonfires, traditional meal, paper lanterns, folk dances. (See Ullambana under Buddhist Holidays. Also known as Bon in Japan.)

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival/Zhong Qiu Jie (15th day - full moon - of the 8th lunar month) - Chinese harvest festival.  It also commemorates a strategic Chinese victory over Mongolia (Ming) dynasty.  The story of the Moon Maiden, Chang-O, is also celebrated.

QiuFen (Sept 23rd) - Autumn Equinox. Day of XiWangMu/West Queen Mother. Beginning the ascendency of Yin.

Confucius/KungFuTse's Birthday (Sept 28th) - Born around 551 BCE, founder of Confucianism, author of The Analects.

Double Ninth Festival/Cheung Yung (9th day of 9th lunar month)

Winter

(Nov 7th - Feb 3rd)

Cardinal Pt: North
Color: Black
Element: Water

LiDong (Nov 7th) - Start of Winter

DongZhi (Dec 22) - Winter Solstice.  The peak of Yin. Corresponds to North.  Offerings made.

Kitchen God departs (23rd day of 12th lunar month)

Forum Activity

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 08:11
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