The Chinese New Year 2021 Hong Kong will be the start of The Chinese Year of the Ox or Bull. So 2021 might be good time for stockmarkets that could be “bullish”, or it night be a good year to eat more beef. Or if it is a good year for Ox then maybe people will eat less beef and there could be an upsurge of veganism! All options are opening for this exciting year which is the second in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. In Chinese the symbol 丑 implies something earthy, so happy year of the 牛年 !
Note that this is not the buffalo or the cow, though those animals are used in other countries they are not done so in Hong Kong for this year.
| Festival celebrated in HK | Date in 2021 | Public Holiday | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The first day of January / 元旦新年 |
1 Jan | Y | Fri |
|
| Chinese New Year of the Ox / Bull / 農曆年初一 |
12 Feb | Y | Fri – 1st day of the 1st month of the new lunar calendar | |
| The second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year also Che Kung’s Birthday | 13 Feb | Y | Sat – 2nd day | |
| The third day of the Lunar New Year |
14 Feb | Y | Sun – And western Valentine’s day, but the Chinese Valentine’s day is the 15th day of the first lunar month (Spring Lantern Festival). Only there is also one on the third of the third, and the 7th of the 7th month! Chinese are very romantic! |
|
| The fourth day of Chinese New Year | 15 Feb | Y | Mon, not normally a public holiday but this year it compensates for the three day holiday being over a weekend. |
|
| Spring Lantern Festival / Yuen Siu | 26 Feb | N | Fri – Traditionally people light lanterns and go out to see them, a good excuse for dating couples so also a kind of “Chinese Valentine’s Day. Also quiz time! |
|
| Chinese Groundhog Day | 7 Mar | N | Excited Insect solar segment starts marking the end of Winter, the day for symbolically beating your enemies | |
Good Friday |
2 Apr | Y | Friday, obviously – start of the Easter holiday | |
| Ching Ming Festival / 清明節 | 4 or 5 of Apr | Y | Sunday/Monday – exact calculations pending | |
| Easter Monday |
5 Apr | Y | Mon | |
| Second weekday after Ching Ming | 6 Apr | Y | Tue – as Ching Ming is on a Sunday this year the next day that would otherwise be working becomes a public holiday (subject to confirmation by the government) |
|
| Double Third | 14 Apr | 3rd day of the third lunar month or Double Third | ||
| Labour Day | 1 May | Y | Sat – so a day off that many people have off anyway | |
| Birthday of Tin Hau | 4 May | N | Wed – 23rd day of 3rd lunar month | |
| Buddha’s Birthday and Cheung Chau Bun Festival also Tam Kung’s Birthday |
18 May | Y | Tue – 8th day of 4th lunar month – May be moved to next day. | |
| Tuen Ng / Dragon Boat Festival / 端午節 | 14 Jun | Y | Thur – 5th day of 5th lunar month | |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
1 Jul | Y | Thu | |
| Kwan Tai / Kwan Gon’s Birthday | 2 Aug | N | Mon – 24th day of 6th lunar month | |
Seventh Goddess’ Day / Tsat-je |
14 Aug | N | 7th day of 7th lunar month | |
| Chinese Ghosts Festival / Yue Lan |
21 Aug | N | 14th day of 7th lunar month | |
| Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival / Moon Festival | 21 Sep | N | Tue – celebrate in the evening – 15th day of 8th lunar month | |
| Day after Mid-Autumn Festival Monkey King Festival | 22 Sep | Y | Wed – a day off after the festival for people to rest.- Monkey King birthday: 16th day of 8th lunar month |
|
Chinese National Day |
1 Oct | Y | Thur | |
| Confucius’ Birthday/Teacher’s Day | 3 Oct | N | 27th day of 8th lunar month | |
Chung Yeung Festival / 重陽節 |
14 Oct | Y | Thu – 9th day of 9th lunar month or “Double 9th” | |
| Winter Solstice / 冬至 | 21 Dec | N | A day for a family gathering in the evening | |
Christmas Day |
25 Dec | Y | ||
| Boxing Day | 26 Dec | Y | A British tradition that is maintained in Hong Kong |
Every employee in Hong Kong is entitled to a day-off away from work on the Public or “Statutory” Holidays. That also includes Foreign Domestic Helpers who get the same holiday days as other workers in the SAR. Public holidays
were previously known as “gazetted holidays”.
See also Festivals 2020 and Festivals 2022 if you are planning in advance!