A festival or gala’ is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival. According to Wikipedia. Festivals in China are characteristic for the unusual firework of colors, dance, and joy. Certain festivals originate from the most ancient period of Chinese history. Through the ritualistic repetitions, the space of Chinese spirituality is continually created. The festivals unite the rich treasury of Chinese cultural wealth. In Malaysia “Open house” concept is practicing at almost all the festivals, which means inviting relatives and friends to partake in the food and festivity occasion. Some of these festivals are public holidays.

Dragon Boat Race

Originally a religious practice, it is now a purely recreational. The Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the death of the poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the 3th century BC as a protest against a corrupt government. Local people who admired him threw lumps of rice into the river to feed the fish so that they wouldn’t eat his soul. It is observed on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

Hungry Ghost Festival

In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.

Double Seventh

Also known as Magpie Festival, falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar; thus its name. It also inspired Tanabata (七夕) in Japan, Chilseok (칠석) in Korea, and Thất Tịch in Vietnam. It is sometimes called Chinese Valentine’s Day (Chinese: 情人节; pinyin: Qíng rén jié) since late 1990s. Young girls traditionally demonstrate their domestic arts, especially melon carving, on this day and make wishes for a good husband.

Sanyuesan

On the third day of the third lunar month of every year, the Dong in Sanjiang celebrate the Fireworks Festival, also known as “Sanyuesan”. The largest celebration is held in a town called Fulu in Sanjiang County, Guangxi province. Competitive activities dominate this festival, abounding in explosions of firecrackers.

Er Yue Er

The traditional Chinese holiday of Er Yue Er (2nd day of 2nd Lunar Month) aka Spring Dragon Festival (Chun Long Jie/春龙节) falls on March 6, 2011. The day is also referred to as Long Tai Tou, meaning Dragon Raises Head, a festival related to precipitation, drought, and the rebirth of Spring in China that dates back to the Tang Dynasty. The dragon god associated with rain and snow in the myths of Long Tai Tou is seen to control the weather – one prevailing story involves China’s strong Empress Wu Zetian and four dragon gods. People celebrate with roasting golden beans and popcorn to allow the dragon god to provide the right weather for a good Spring. Recent snows are a good start to ending the winter drought of 2010-11. Celebrate Er Yue Er to thank the dragon. Er Yue Er is also said to be a lucky day to get a haircut.