Spring
The first month of the Chinese calendar is called "yuan" month and in ancient times people called night "xiao". The fifteenth day is the first night to see a full moon, therefore the day is called Yuan Xiao Festival (Lantern Festival) in China. According to Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve puzzles on lanterns, eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and enjoy a family reunion. Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice flour, filled with red bean paste, chopped peanuts and sugar, sesame paste (ground black sesame seeds mixed with lard), rock sugar (which would create a hot, melting caramel-like filling), etc.
Summer
Duanwu Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese and other East Asian and Southeast Asian societies as well. The festival occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar. The focus of the celebrations includes eating the rice dumpling Zongzi, drinking realgar wine Xionghuangjiu, and racing dragon boats. The traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival, Zongzi is a glutinous rice ball, with a filling, wrapped in corn leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms, meat, or a combination of them. They are generally steamed.
Autumn
The Zhongqiu Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese people. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar. This festival is also known as the Moon Cake Festival because a special kind of sweet cake (moon cake) prepared in the shape of the moon.
Winter
Laba Festival falls on the eighth day of the twelfth month in Chinese calendar. Chinese People always regard Laba as the sign that Spring Festival is just around the corner. On this day, each family will cook Laba Rice Porridge, a thick, sweet porridge of glutinous rice, green beans, candied fruit, peanuts and lotus kernels. It is said that the Buddha Sakyamuni begged alms with an earthen bowl and was given a variety of different foods to appease his hunger. To commemorate him, many kinds of rice and beans are used every year on that day.
