This beautifully illustrated Chinese cookbook features all the most popular feast and festival food along with a wealth information. It is often said that the Chinese live to eat. Happily for them, the rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with a generous round of joyous occasions--festivals, reunions, weddings and anniversaries--for eating, drinking and making merry. And, of course, for paying homage to the gods and ancestors. Food, fittingly, is a combination of flavors and symbols (wealth, happiness, luck, prosperity), a spiritual celebration and an earthly pleasure. Chinese Feasts & Festivals, S.C. Moey has assembled a number of facts and fancies as well as a collection of festival specialties for the Chinese food lover to read and enjoy or, if the spirit takes flight, cook up a feast that will impress both mortals and ancestors and win the approval of the gods. Authentic Chinese recipes include: Drunken Chicken Steamed Duck with Bamboo Shoots Five Spice Rolls Spicy Sichuanese Lamb Sweet and Sour Fish Chinese Lettuce Leaf Cups Yangzhou Fried Rice Sweet Red Bean Pancakes Steamed Rice Flour Cupcakes New Years Cakes

Have you ever seen the boisterous lion dances or heard the multitude of firecrackers in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year? Did you ever wonder what kind of festivals and holidays the Chinese people celebrate? This book takes a look at the fascinating world of Chinese food and festivals. It introduces the most popular traditional festivals celebrated by Chinese people all over the globe, including the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and two "festivals of the dead." It also examines intriguing ethnic festivals celebrated by some of China's 55 officially recognized minority peoples. Discover the customs, legends, and traditional food and treats of these festivals. Share the excitement of the celebration with one-fifth of the world's population, and enjoy the liveliest component of a 4,000-year-old civilization!

**A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection** **Winner of the 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD in the Chinese Culture Activity Books category from Creative Child Magazine** Families, feasts and fireworks—Chinese Celebrations for Children showcases the rich cultural traditions of China with stories, activities, recipes and more. The charming illustrations of Patrick Yee and informative texts of Susan Nunes conjure up the pageantry and symbolism of China's traditional celebrations—from birthdays and anniversaries to harvest festivals and public holidays. It's a year filled with celebrations on this festive trip to China! Meet the Three Lucky Gods! Make a fresh start at the Spring Festival! Create some bold strokes with calligraphy! Celebrate the Lunar New Year! Learn about the lion dance and the legend of Nian! And many more holidays, stories, recipes, events and activities! Experience these traditions and more in this fascinating book, which features exciting activities and stories— from money-filled red envelopes given during the Lunar New Year to making mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival! Chinese Celebrations for Children explains why in China there's always a good reason to celebrate!

Ancient China and Greece are two classical civilisations that have exerted far-reaching influence in numerous areas of human experience and are often invoked as the paradigms in East-West comparison. This book examines gender relations in the two ancient societies as reflected in convivial contexts such as family banquets, public festivals, and religious feasts. Two distinct patterns of interpersonal affinity and conflict emerge from the Chinese and Greek sources that show men and women organising themselves and interacting with each other in social occasions intended for collective pursuit of pleasure. Through an analysis of the two different patterns, Yiqun Zhou illuminates the different socio-political mechanisms, value systems, and fabrics of human bonds in the two classical traditions. Her book will be important for readers who are interested in the comparative study of societies, gender studies, women's history, and the legacy of civilisations.

Chinese culture and heritage is rich and runs across a time frame of five thousand years. It was during this time that a variety of unique and varied celebrations began to grow roots. Despite China’s many changes Chinese festivals are deeply rooted in popular tradition. China amasses a vast area and consists of a number of ethnic groups that all come together as part of a vibrant cultural experience. Some of these festivals have developed into popular celebrations that are not only practiced in China, but also in many Chinese communities throughout the world. Much of the customs and traditions of its people vary by geography and ethnicity yet remain firmly established as part of the country’s vibrant culture. Over the years much of the festivals have evolved with the changes in the development of the Chinese civilization and as a consequence have become an integral part of the Chinese culture. As with time’s progression and the advent of science, technology and rapid globalisation many Chinese are no longer able to tell how their festivals originated which has in turn seen the gradual shedding of ethnic traditions for modern and universal ways. This is especially true of Chinese communities outside their homeland.

This handbook outlines festivals for the traditional year, providing participant descriptions, explination of key symbols, and the telling some of the stories behind select festivals.