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Hong Kong has many festivals whose dates change each year as they are determined by the lunar calendar. They are colorful and provide excellent photographic opportunities.
| CALENDAR OF 2010 EVENTS | |
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| February 13-16 | Chinese New Year |
| February 15 | Fireworks |
| April 2 | Good Friday |
| April 3 | Day Following Good Friday |
| April 5 | Easter Monday |
| April 6 | Ching Ming Festival |
| May 1 | Labor Day |
| May 21 | Buddha's Birthday |
| June 16 | Dragon Boat Festival |
| July 1 | Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day |
| September 23 | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| October 1 | National Day (Fireworks) |
| October 16 | Chung Yeung Festival |
| December 25-27 | Christmas |
CHINESE NEW YEAR & FIREWORKS (JANUARY)
Chinese (Lunar) New Year falls in late January or early February. Debts must be settled before Chinese New Year to start on the right footing. Lucky money in red packets is given to children and employees to represent good luck for the New Year. Special foods are eaten.
Most shops are closed and everyone takes five or six days off during this important family oriented holiday. Restaurants are open. The Chinese have many family obligations according to a rigid pattern. The first day, people spend with their immediate family, second day with parents, third day with more distant relatives and so on. It is hard to find a seat in a restaurant or find taxis during Chinese New Year.
World class fireworks displays are held just off Fenwick Pier. If they occur while you are in town, check at the Information Booth for a discount ticket for dinner at our club restaurant or at the Vero Chocolate Lounge.
Fireworks are also held on the Chinese National Day, October 1. Sometimes fireworks will cap off international meetings. Fireworks are also held on the Chinese National Day, October 1st.
The Bun Festival is held at the end of April or first part of May on the island of Cheung Chau. It lasts over seven days in order to placate the hungry ghosts who roam the island. Some believe them to be spirits of animals and fish eaten in the previous year. Others believe the festival celebrates the island's recovery from a fierce storm during which pirates overran it. The village erects towers of sticky buns to be given out on the third day of the festival for good luck. There are parades and Chinese Opera performances. It is an interesting and colorful celebration.
In May or June the Dragon Boat Races take place at various sites around Hong Kong. Held on several weekends,鈥噒here鈥嘺re鈥嘼oth鈥噇ocal鈥嘺nd鈥噄nternational competitions. Dragon Boats are long, narrow rowboats that hold teams of 12-20 people. The competition ranges from well-trained, semi-professionals, to fishermen intent on competing, to club entries with teams of foreigners out for a day of fun. The races at Cheung Chau are not too crowded.
Dragon Boot Race
HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL (AUGUST)
August brings another of the festivals related to Ghosts who are seen to be ever-present by many locals. This is the Ghost Festival during which people burn fake money printed in the "Bank of Hell," to appease hungry ghosts who have no descendants. They burn the money in furnace-like ovens to placate the ghosts to avoid their mischief.
The Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival is in September or October, when the moon is full. Tasty round moon cakes, made of sweetened lotus flower roots, are exchanged as gifts. Children carry colorful lanterns in the streets and parks. Kerosene fueled hot air balloons can sometimes be seen floating over the country parks. A fire hazard, they are outlawed. People congregate in central locations such as Victoria Park for family picnics and to gaze at the moon.
CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL (OCTOBER)
Chung Yeung Festival or the Festival of Ascending Heights is in October. People escape disaster, according to legend, by climbing to the top of a hill. The Peak Tram is very overcrowded. Like Ching Ming in the spring, crowds go to the cemeteries and sweep the gravesites of their relatives, this time in preparation for winter.