Teacher's Day - festive date in China

Teacher - how deep is meaning of this word

10 September is an official holiday in China. This day the whole country fetes educators and teachers. This holiday, in its different interpretations, has been existed in China as early as the Middle Ages. Teachers and coaches have always been honored and respected in China. Very often teachers acted as mentors throughout the whole life; especially it is true for the traditional Chinese martial arts.

The modern holiday was awarded a national status on January 21, 1985. The urgent need in this holiday in China was caused by the fact that the “cultural revolution” in China cut the number of intellectual workers – teachers, in particular. The main purpose of introduction of Teacher’s Day as a public holiday, was a Chinese authorities’ desire to increase the prestige of this profession. Since then, on 10 September, the festive events in honor of the specialists of educational sphere are held throughout China every year.

This day China holds meetings and festival events. Awards ceremonies are taking place very often. Pupils give flowers and gifts to their mentors. Thousands of schoolchildren and students thank their teachers for their important work.

Since the school system in China is based on the Western model, many old traditions in honor of teachers have not been preserved today. For example, in ancient times, the disciples as a sign of respect for teachers wash their feet. Thus, they showed their humility and willingness to submit to and obey their teachers.

Teacher's Day in today’s China has become one of the most important festive dates.