Just like any other place in the world, Macau also has a selection of important, unique and meaningful dates in their calendar. These are the days that get the Macanese celebrating and get them out of the house when they pay homage to different deities. Macau Lifestyle has selected five of the most important celebrations in Macau not to be missed especially if you’re visiting!
The Procession of Our Lord Bom Jesus dos Passos
This is one of the few processions and Catholic holidays you will see marked in Macau–and on this side of the world for that matter. It takes place annually on the first Saturday and Sunday of Lent and you can see a large number of local and foreign faithfuls come out for it. It represents the journey of Jesus Christ and the procession takes place over two days. It begins at the Church of St. Augustine and around St. Augustine Square and goes to Macau Cathedral, before making the reverse course on the second day. It dates back to 1708, being a religious event characteristic and representative of the city.
When: 9 March, 2019
Triple Celebration: Buddha’s Birthday, Drunken Dragon and Tam Kong Festival
This day marks the birth of Buddha and one of the most traditional celebrations on this day is the Buddha’s bath. All the Buddhist temples in Macau do it, but the bath is slightly more famous at Pou Tai Un, in Taipa; here you can also find the biggest representation of Buddha in Macau. In Senado Square and Tap Seac Square you can also find some celebrations. But don’t get confused! You might also be looking to other celebrations that fall exactly on this day. The Drunken Dragon Festival, one of the most famous in Macau, also takes place on the street on this day. It is included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This traditional folk festival is celebrated by the fishmongers of Macau, and it comes from the times they would gather in the market, where they sit around the table to dine. This gradually evolved into the tradition of the ‘longevity rice’ feast. The tradition itself is based on a legend: a man was able to fight a demonic dragon and the courage for that came from drinking alcohol. Now, after drinking the entire day, performers carry out an elaborate dance. And you might get lucky! You can grab the free helpings of ‘dragon boat longevity rice’ throughout the day meant to bring good health, a long life and good fortune. Grab this treat immediately before checking out the Tam Kong festivities, which is another celebration that falls on this day that marks the birthday of Tam Kong, a child god that controls the weather and helps the sick. This is the second most important deity for fishermen after A-Ma. You can see Cantonese opera and dragon dances throughout the city during this day.
When: 12 May, 2019
Tung Ng, or Dragon Boat Festival
This is a traditional holiday that originated in the mainland. It is now a public holiday and an international event in Macau, where people gather at Nam Van Lake to watch the dragon boat races. Many local and foreign teams compete here. Eating traditional glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo is also a tradition. As the story goes, the festival dates back over 2,000 years is held to remember the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan (or Wat Yuen, in Macau), also a counselor to the emperor during the Chu dynasty. The Emperor banished him after he opposed an alliance to conquer others states. He went to a remote island in Hunan province, where he wrote one of his most beautiful poems, then threw himself into the river to express his despair and sorrow. Local fishermen raced to save him in their boats, splashing water with their oars in an effort to scare away the fish and to try to save him, or at least recover his body. This is said to be the origin of the dragon boat races. The sticky rice tradition came about after people dropped this food into the river so the fish would not eat the poet’s body.
When: 7 June, 2019
Chong Chao or the Mid-Autumn Festival
Mooncakes of all flavors, some with a salted egg contained within. This is the traditional food of this day. It marks the origins of the autumn when the harvest ended and people could finally rest. Families get together to look at the moon, which is always full and bright on this night. In the evening, people will carry beautiful paper lanterns, and sometimes set them free on the water. Nam Van Lake in Macau and Coloane Village as well as the beaches around the area, like Hac Sa, are good places to feel the vibe of this festival.
When: 13 September, 2019
Chong Yeong, the double ninth festival and worship of ancestors
One of the most important days in Chinese culture, Cheong Yeong is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month so it’s also called the double ninth festival. It is similar to Ching Ming festival, when people visit their ancestor’s cemeteries and clean their tombs. On Cheong Yeong, however, tradition states that it’s good for one to climb high, as it is kind of like a purification ritual. Usually, families do this together after visiting their ancestor’s tombs. Having chrysanthemum wine and Chongyang cake (a cake baked and steamed and made of rice flour, jujube, almonds, chestnuts and sugar) are considered lucky for this day.
When: 7th of October, 2019
