Statutory (Public Holidays)
International Women's Day (妇女节)
Officially known as International Labour Women’s Day and the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, the 8th of March commemorates women’s struggles for democracy, peace and liberation.
After a failed protest in New York on the 8th of March 1857, which demanded shorter working days and more pay, the first trade union was formed in 1859 and on the 8th of March 1908, a parade in New York City of 1,500 women again demanded shorter hours, higher pay, the abolition of child labour and the right to vote. On the same day in 1909, women in Chicago held a demonstration and went on strike, demanding an eight-hour day, the right to vote and an increase in wages.
National Day (国庆节)
On the 1st of October every year, China celebrates National Day in remembrance of the official founding of the People’s Republic of China. It is widely known that Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) declared the founding of the PRC at 3 o’clock on the 1st of October 1949, as he overlooked Tiananmen Square. Land which was still occupied by the Kuomintang was liberated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) under instruction from Zhu De. Broadcast live on national television, it was the first large-scale live broadcast on Chinese TV, as several stations, including Xinhua of Beijing, broadcast live at the same time.
New Year's Day (新年)
New Year’s Day, Yuan Dan in Chinese (yuan means ‘beginning’ and dan means ‘dawn’ or ‘daytime’, is celebrated on the 1st of January each year, though this was not always the case. Different dynasties had their years beginning on different days based on the lunar calendar (still the basis for traditional Chinese New Year today).
After the revolution in 1911, the problems of the calendars were discussed. The conclusion was that the lunar calendar would be used for agricultural and statistics purposes, and in governments, schools, factories and social organisations, the Gregorian (Western) calendar would be used. In 1949, Yuan Dan on the 1st of January was officially made New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival, Chun Jie, would remain as the first day of the lunar calendar.