Chinese festivals and national holidays in 2025
Chinese festivals and national holidays are a cherished time to celebrate cultural history, mythology, heritage and seasonal cycles. These celebrations come to life through honouring traditions, eating signature foods, and through vibrant community gatherings.
What’s New in 2025: Starting this year, the total number of holiday days increased from 11 to 13, with the addition of Lunar New Year’s Eve (January 28) and May 2 as official days off. This change aims to boost domestic tourism, ease travel congestion around the CNY period, and help preserve cultural traditions.
In this quick guide, we’ll explore some of the major Chinese festivals and national holidays, understand their cultural significance, and highlight how these celebrations are embraced in Australia.
Chinese Festivals
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
Date in 2025: January 28 – February 4 (Year of the Snake)
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most widely recognised Chinese festival globally. The Spring Festival marks the beginning of the new year (by lunar measurement). This festival is a time for family reunions, feasting, and welcoming good fortune for the year ahead.
Traditions and highlights include:
Dragon and lion dances in the street
Fireworks and firecrackers
Red Envelopes (Hóngbāo 紅包) given by elders to children and unmarried adults, symbolising blessings and good wishes
Lots of food! Families gather for a reunion dinner featuring dishes like dumplings and sticky rice cakes.
In Australia: Chinese New Year is one of the biggest cultural events, especially in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, where large Chinese communities host parades, markets, and performances. Look out for the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival or Melbourne’s Chinatown celebrations, featuring food stalls, lantern displays, and cultural workshops.
2. Lantern Festival
Date in 2025: February 11
The Lantern Festival marks the grand finale of Chinese New Year celebrations, occurring on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This festival is all about light, love, and unity, as families and friends gather under the glow of lanterns to celebrate the first full moon of the year.
Traditions and highlights include:
Lantern displays that light up parks, temples, and streets, creating a magical atmosphere
Families eat tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice dumplings), to symbolise unity and completeness.
In Australia: Sydney’s Darling Harbour occasionally hosts lantern displays. Keep an eye out for tangyuan-making workshops.
3. Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
Date in 2025: April 4
The Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is an important occasion for honoring ancestors and remembering the deceased. It’s a time to pay respects at gravesites while also enjoying the arrival of spring.
Traditions and highlights include:
Families visit graves to clean tombstones, burn incense, and make offerings, showing respect and gratitude to their ancestors
Spring outings, known as “Tàqīng” (stepping on the green) where people take advantage of the mild spring weather to go on picnics and fly kites.
Eating Qingtuan – a green sticky rice dumpling filled with red bean paste.
In Australia: While tomb-sweeping isn’t common here due to the geographical distance from ancestral graves, Chinese Australian communities often hold memorial events at community centers or temples. Many also use this time to enjoy nature, with picnics and kite-flying in local parks.
Image: Facebook
4. Dragon Boat Festival
Date in 2025: May 30
The Dragon Boat Festival, held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is one of the most exciting Chinese festivals, featuring dragon boat races. It commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in protest against corruption. It’s remembered as a time to ward off evil spirits and diseases.
Traditions and highlights include:
Dragon boat races
Eating Zòngzǐ (粽子) – sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, to honor Qu Yuan’s memory.
Protective rituals, such as hanging herbs like mugwort and calamus on doors to ward off evil spirits.
In Australia: Dragon boat racing has become a popular sport and cultural event, with major races held in cities like Sydney (Darling Harbour), Melbourne (Yarra River), and Brisbane. These events often include food stalls, cultural performances, and family-friendly activities. There’s even an Australian National Dragon Boat Team ‘Auroras’!
5. Mid-Autumn Festival
Date in 2025: September 16
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a major harvest celebration focusing on family gatherings, gratitude, and moon appreciation. Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, it’s a time to enjoy the brightest full moon of the year, symbolising unity and abundance.
Traditions and highlights include:
Making and eating mooncakes
Moon-gazing with families
Family reunions, reciting poems
Admiring osmanthus trees and drinking osmanthus tea (Guìhuā chá)
In Australia: The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely celebrated in Australia, with events like the Melbourne Mooncake Festival or Sydney’s Cabramatta Moon Festival offering mooncake tastings, lantern parades, and cultural performances. Community centers and restaurants often host moon-gazing evenings, making it a perfect time to connect with Chinese culture.
6. Double Seventh Festival (Qixi Festival)
Date in 2025: August 9
Known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, the Double Seventh Festival is based on a romantic legend about the star-crossed lovers Niúláng (a cowherd) and Zhinü (a weaver girl), who are allowed to reunite once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, thanks to a bridge formed by magpies.
Traditions and highlights include:
Romantic celebrations and commitments between couples
Cultural activities such as needle-threading competitions
In Australia: While less prominent than other festivals, the Double Seventh Festival is gaining popularity, especially among younger generations. Look for themed events at Chinese restaurants.
China’s Official National Holidays in 2025
China has seven official national holidays, providing public days off to celebrate cultural and historical milestones. Here’s the full list, including the updates for 2025:
New Year’s Day – January 1
A global celebration marking the start of the Gregorian calendar year.Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) – January 28 – February 4
The longest holiday period, now extended to include Chinese New Year’s Eve as an official day off in 2025.Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) – April 4
A time to honor the deceased, combined with springtime enjoyment.Labor Day – May 1 – May 2
Now extended to two days in 2025, encouraging travel and relaxation.Dragon Boat Festival – May 30
A day to enjoy races, zongzi, and cultural traditions.Mid-Autumn Festival – September 16
A celebration of harvest and family unity.National Day – October 1 – October 7
Commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with grand parades and festivities, especially in Beijing.
Chinese New Year Dinner. Image: Journey Chinese
Celebrating Chinese festivals in Australia
For the Chinese community in Australia, these festivals are a vital way to maintain cultural connections, pass traditions to younger generations, and share their heritage with the broader community.
For non-Chinese Australians, participating in these celebrations offers a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture, enjoy delicious food, and build bridges across communities.
What’s your favorite Chinese festival, and how do you plan to celebrate it in 2025? Join our Facebook Group to share your thoughts and subscribe for more insights into Chinese language and culture in Australia!
