Lesson 22 Activity Lesson: The Origin of Traditional Chinese Festivals

The traditional festivals in China all have different origins. Some festivals emerged in response to mankind's own development, others are the product of agricultural economies, and still others have religious overtones. Chinese festivals date back to ancient times, and after the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, many of them became rituals and national ceremonies. By the Qin and Han dynasties, the basic shape of the festival, such as New Year's Eve, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, etc.. Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, due to the communication of various ethnic cultures, promote the exchange of festival culture, festival culture content has been continuously enriched. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, some of the festival content has become ceremonial, recreational activities.

Traditional festivals not only have a long history and rich connotations, but also closely related to people's lives. Its content has three major parts: historical yearly culture, Han festivals and minority festivals; it also covers a wide range of fields, including production activities, clothing, food, housing and transportation, rituals, astronomy and weather, religion, entertainment, etc.

Chinese festival culture is a precious national cultural heritage, reflecting the morality and values of the Chinese nation. The origin and development of these traditional festivals and the customs and traditions they inherit can provide us with a better understanding of the cultural characteristics of the Chinese people.（238words）