China Calendar for Year 2008

China Internet Information Center

June 2008


Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat

1	2	3	4 1st/5th mo.	5 Grain in Ear	6	7

8	9	10	11	12	13	14

15	16	17	18 15th/5th mo.	19	20	21 Summer Solstice

22	23	24	25	26	27	28

29	30

Holidays and Observances:

1: International Children's Day (1 day off for children under 14).

5: World Environment Day.

8: Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month). Celebrated in memory of poet and minister of the State of Chu Qu Yuan (340–278 BC). Celebrated by eating zongzi, pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves, and holding dragon boat races; 1 day off.

15: Father's Day, observed annually on the third Sunday in June.

17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Observed world-wide, this day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

20: World Refugee Day.

20: Erlang Mountain Singsong Gathering, a social activity held on the 17th day of the 5th lunar month by Han and Hui Chinese in Mingxuan County, Gansu Province.

23: Olympic Day. In January 1948 at the 42nd IOC Session in St Moritz, Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the idea of Olympic Day. This celebration would be used to commemorate the creation of the IOC on June 23, 1894 in Paris.

25: National Land Day.

26: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In 1987, the UN General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.

29-2: Danu Festival, the most important holiday of the Yao ethnic minority, celebrated from the 26th to 29th of the 5th lunar month. Danu means, "not to forget history." The festival is held in honor of the birth of the goddess Mituoluo who, according to legend, gave birth to the Yao people.

Notes:

1. In the traditional calendar, the new moon indicates the first day of a lunar month; the full moon marks the 15th day.

2. Dates in red are official holidays. To give workers two week-long holidays during the year, the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding or following the extended holiday are official workdays. In 2008, there are two official work weekends respectively in February and September, and one working Sunday in early May.

3. The 24 Seasonal Division Points:

	Order & Name of Seasonal Division Point	Sun's Position at Ecliptic	Gregorian Calendar Date
Spring	1.Beginning of Spring 2.Rain Water 3.Waking of Insects 4.Vernal Equinox 5.Pure Brightness 6.Grain Rain	315° 330° 345° 0° 15° 30°	4 or 5 February 19 or 20 February 5 or 6 March 20 or 21 March 4 or 5 April 20 or 21 April
Summer	7.Beginning of Summer 8.Grain Budding 9.Grain in Ear 10.Summer Solstice 11.Slight Heat 12.Great Heat	45° 60° 75° 90° 105° 120°	5 or 6 May 21 or 22 May 5 or 6 June 21 or 22 June 7 or 8 July 22 or 23 July
Autumn	13.Beginning of Autumn 14.Limit of Heat 15.White Dew 16.Autumnal Equinox 17.Cold Dew 18.Frost's Descent	135° 150° 165° 180° 195° 210°	7 or 8 August 23 or 24 August 7 or 8 September 22 or 23 September 8 or 9 October 23 or 24 October
Winter	19.Beginning of Winter 20.Slight Snow 21.Great Snow 22.Winter Solstice 23.Slight Cold 24.Great Cold	225° 240° 255° 270° 285° 300°	7 or 8 November 22 or 23 November 7 or 8 December 21 or 22 December 5 or 6 January 20 or 21 January

Traditional Chinese Festivals