Confucius’ Birthday (,

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

), falls on the 25th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is officially celebrated on

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

as " Teachers' Day" on September 28, and in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

on the third Sunday of September as "Confucius Day", though the traditional date is also often observed.

Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

observes a "Teachers' Day" on September 10 to celebrate the efforts of today's teachers, and there is a legislative effort underway to move that to September 28. Many countries with

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

cultures hold commemorations each year, especially mainland China,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

, Taiwan, Hong Kong and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. The birth of Confucius is not a public holiday, but it is an official public holiday for workers (not including teachers) in Taiwan, known as Teachers’ Day. In October 2006, Hong Kong officially commenced celebrating the birth date of Confucius. The roots of this traditional ceremony can be found as far back in the time of the Zhou Dynasty, and appeals to both foreign tourists and local people to this day.

Celebrations at the birthplace of Confucius

Festivals are held to celebrate the birth of Confucius all across China, including at his birthplace in

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

Province. Among the many attendees of the ceremonies at the Temple of Confucius in Qufu are scholars, notable people, and descendants of Confucius. During the festival at the Qufu temple there are many activities and entertainments, including musical performances and dancing from ancient times. In the famous Yi Dance, the dancers wear clothes from the Song and Ming Dynasty, with yellow silk robes, blue waistbands, and black hats. The ceremonial music, played with traditional Chinese instruments, is known as “The Sound of Peace”. The musicians wear the clothes of the Ming Dynasty, with red robes and black hats. In addition to these performances, are calligraphy demonstrations and exhibitions, with many people in traditional costumes. Tourists are welcome to attend and enter the tombs of Confucius and his descendants, as well as explore his hometown and the Confucius Temple.

References

*http://www.china.org.cn/english/olympic/211894.htm *http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/events-festivals/chinese-festivals/birthday-of-confucius.jsp *http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Happy-Birthday-Confucius.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095112/http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=44785&CtNode=2502&mp=1008 Confucius September observances Birthdays {{Confucianism-stub