The New Chinese Holiday Schedule

(Thanks to NOLEFAN for bringing us this info! )

Fresh from the official grapevine:

The new law, which goes into effect on Jan 1, 2008, will see the shortening of one of the golden weeks and the addition of three new traditional Chinese festivals (Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon-Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival) to the list of official holidays. The implementation of the law will also see the number of official holidays increase from 10 to 11 every year.

The 11 days are split up in the following way:

New Years Day: Jan 1 (1 day)

Spring Festival (Chun Jie): Feb 6-8 (3 days) In the past the Spring Festival holidays started on the actual day of the Spring Festival (Chuyi) and ran through until the third day of the festival (Chusan). From next year, the holidays will begin on Spring Festival Eve (Chuxi) and run through until the second day of the festival.

Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qing Ming Jie): April 5 (1 day)

May Day: May 1 (1 day)

Dragon-Boat Festival (Duan Wu Jie): June 8 (1 day)

Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie): September 14 (1 day)

National Holidays (Guoqing Jie): Oct 1-3 (3 day)

As with current practice, if any of these holidays happen to fall on the weekend, the holiday will be made up on the next working day.

The law also makes it official that women receive a half-day holiday on March 8’s International Women’s Day (Funu Jie), youth older than 14 get half a day off on May 4 on Youth Day (Qingnian Jie), the under 14s are spoiled with a full-day off on June 6 for Children’s Day (Ertong Jie), while members of the PLA get a half-day off on August 1. In addition, some of the national minorities are able to determine their own holidays in accordance with their own traditional festivals.

originally published in:
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/tbjblog/2007/12/17/p10574#more10574

more here:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/08/content_7218128.htm

The law also makes it official that women receive a half-day holiday on March 8’s International Women’s Day (Funu Jie), youth older than 14 get half a day off on May 4 on Youth Day (Qingnian Jie), the under 14s are spoiled with a full-day off on June 6 for Children’s Day (Ertong Jie), while members of the PLA get a half-day off on August 1....

But teachers still have to work on Teachers' Day...

Yes, I'd love to see the reaction if, in the UK, they told teachers "Hey, half term's coming up" (I don't know if you colonials call it half term, it's the week long break in the middle of each of the three terms), so to make up for it, you've got to work this saturday and sunday.

I would watch the announcement being made, then stand well back.....

New holiday schedule doesn't do much to me. I make up my classes whenever is convenient (I don't teach too many, so it's easy). I was kinda looking forward to a week-long May holiday again so I could take a short trip to Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam.

On another note, I remember last year having to work two days to make up for the one day we got off for New Year's Day. That pissed me off more than anything.

My University and still has a one week holiday in May, they just changed the name of the holiday.

My school's got a bit cookoo and arranged the following May days:
We are off on 30th, 1st and 2nd. But we are to work on 3rd with Thursday schedule.I don't know why in sweet heaven they will have school working while the rest of China is having a holiday!

It is strange that they would give you thursday schedule to work as that is the actual holiday. My school is giving us thursday, friday, and saturday, and expecting us to make up fridays classes on Sunday. Good thing I made sure they know I don't do weekends. If they want me to make up classes I do them on my own schedule.

Adamsmith, ditto at my college...lucky me don't teach Fridays

I get a full 7 days off May 1-7.  No make up classes.  Yeah!!!

  Yeah, I'm supposed to work Sunday, May 4th  to make up for something. Fortunately, my students said there's no way they're coming to class on a Sunday - bless their little cotton socks..

thats another good reason to not want to do make up classes. The little darlings wont bother comming anyway, so why should I bother going in for it. The concept of holiday never seems to enter into the admins minds here.

Just wondering, for those of us working at Unis, how many will have a holiday this month for the mid autumn festival on the 14th with it falling on a sunday this year. Has anyone heard anything from their school about it yet??

Everyone. 13th through 15th. Festivities are on! Even in Macao!

I had to reschedule my first real class of the term because of the new holiday. Problem was finding time their schedules.

Rescheduling Oct. holiday will be more difficult...mostly due to other non-Chinese holidays right before and after.

You celebrate all holidays at your school? Do you work for an International school or something? My FIL works for UIC which is basically a creation of Beijing Normal and HK Baptist unis. They celebrate *Christian* holidays as well as local. That's a lot of days off and all paid!