According to China News Service, public holidays have become a hot topic during this year's sessions of China's top legislative² body and top national advisory³ body. Many deputies proposed that Lantern Festival, Double Ninth Festival and the nation's Constitution Day should be added into public holidays.

 

Making Lantern Festival and Double Ninth Festival public holidays could "better develop and expand China's culture and folklores, and enrich our spiritual civilization and human care," said Zhang Lihui, a national political adviser⁴ and president of the music school at Chongqing Normal University.

 

"It's also an important showcase of our economy's development, improvement in people's lives and involvement of all residents in the outcome of our economic development," Zhang added.

 

Another national political adviser Liu Xin, director of scientific research and development office at Sun Yat-sen University, advised to make the nation's Constitution Day, which falls on Dec 4 every year, a public holiday.

 

Worldwide, more than 20 countries, including Denmark, Spain and Japan, take one day off work on their constitution days.

 

Such proposals drew widespread support from netizens.

 

A Web user, called Yin Jianguang, said that making Constitution Day a public holiday will give residents more time to know about the constitution, law, and help raise public awareness⁵ of law.

 

Another Web user, called Huashulin, supported taking one day off on the Double Ninth Festival, saying that it will help cultivate the atmosphere of respecting the elderly people and build a society of filial piety⁶.

 

There are currently seven official public holidays in China, with 11 off days in total. These public holidays are New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Labor⁷ Day, Dragon Boast Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and National Day.

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