Chinese Festival Culture Series The Spring Festival

The Spring Festival is the most important day for Chinese people and it truly creates a carnival for unification of family members and for celebration at the end of a year. This book introduces the origin, development, and traditions of the Spring Festival in detail and offers readers a panoramic view of this festival. Many people know the Spring Festival but don't have the first hand resources regarding to its history and features. This book tells the stories behind its name and lets readers get insight into it The author covers nearly every aspect of the Spring Festival. The Spring Festival in ethnic minorities of China and overseas Chinese diasporas is also included, which is often absent in other books on this subject.CONTENTSThe Origin of the Spring FestivalLegends of the Spring FestivalThrough the Spring FestivalThe Customs of the Spring FestivalExotic Customs of the MinoritiesThe Spring Festival in Modern ChinaThe Spring Festival AbroadThe book includes illustrations, tables and graphics.

China is an ancient culture, but it is also a diverse culture and this series of 10 books celebrate the diversity of Chinese festival culture. Each book explores and reveals insights into Chinese festivals and their origins. The books discuss the origins of each festival and the lives they celebrate. In particular, they highlight the unique tapestry of modern Chinese life while exploring the rich and ancient culture of the Chinese people. Each book is beautifully illustrated and provides a detailed examination of each festival. The series is unique in exploring the festivals of ethnic groups in China with their unique celebrations which are less well known outside China. Each book brings to life the long standing heritage of the Chinese people they examine and the joy of their festivals. This series is an essential resource for anyone keen to explore the rich diversity of China's festival culture and includes the following: The Festival of February the Second * The Festival of March the Third * The Lantern Festival * The Maguai Festival of the Zhuang People * The Peony Festival * The Saizhuang Festival of Yi Ethnic Group * The Sister Rice Festival * The Spring Festival * The Tibetan Calendar New Year * The Tomb-Sweeping Day. (Series: Chinese Festival Culture) [Subject: Subject: Anthropology, Chinese Studies, Asian Studies, Cultural Studies]

"Li Song, the director of the Folk Literature and Art Development Center of the Ministry of Culture as the chief editor [of the series]"--Page 183.

Lantern Festival is the first full-moon of the first lunar month in China. The book introduces the origin, development, dissemination, and traditions of the Lantern Festival and techniques of producing lanterns. This book shows the ultimate beauty of ancient Chinese decorative arts. Lanterns symbolize the raising of hope like sunrise and colorful lanterns with a background of full-moon at night represent peace, tranquility and harmony. Thus, the Lantern Festival is an irreplaceable part of Chinese festivals.This book not only describes the origin, design, production for each kind of lantern, but also explains lantern riddles and interesting stories hidden behind lanterns, which are appealing to readers. CONTENTSThe Origin and the Legends of the Lantern Festival The Development of the Lantern FestivalThe Customs of the Lantern FestivalUnique Customs in Different RegionsThe Lantern Festival of Minority Ethnic GroupsThe Lantern Festival in Other CountriesThe book includes illustrations, tables and graphics.

The Tomb-Sweeping Day is the festival commemorating ancestors and making sacrifices to gods and saints. This book introduces the origin, inheritance, traditions and varied forms of the Tomb-Sweeping Day.The Tomb-Sweeping Day is to show respect to ancestors and gods and saints worshipped from generation to generation so it deserves to be highlighted and enjoy the same status of importance with the Spring Festival in China. The Tomb-Sweeping Day is seen as a significant component of Confucianism to show the filialness and loyalty of Chinese people. Many folk tales and legends of sagacious heroes are the prototype of sacred ceremonies during the Tomb-Sweeping Day and they are vividly narrated in this book. CONTENTSOriginDisseminationCustomsDistinctive Festive PlacesThe book includes illustrations, tables and graphics.

Chinese Festivals provides an illustrated introduction to China's traditional festivals, firmly established as part of China's rich, diverse culture.

This book introduces ten most important traditional Chinese festivals, including the Spring Festival, Yuanxiao Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, the Night of Sevens, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Winter Solstice, Laba Festival and Little New Year. Besides these, there are also cultural tips such as staying up all night on Spring Festival Eve, pasting the Spring Festival couplets, watching Spring Festival Gala, guessing the lantern riddles, 24 solar terms, Chinese people's sense of reunion, the special meanings of the number "9" and the ancestral worship ceremonies, etc.

This book on the origins of the festivals and popular stories associated with them will help the reader to appreciate how the celebration of these festivals acted as a social glue in identifying and helping the Chinese stick together as a race throughout their long history and wherever they are found.