Celebrating Children’s Day in China the Shenzhen Way

Children’s Day is the one day holiday in China that pays tribute to all children. China celebrates this occasion on the first day of June, same as the International Children’s Day held worldwide. Every year, Children’s Day in China consists of events to make children enjoy the day dedicated especially to them. All primary schools do not have classes during this day and instead, children come to school not to study, but to have fun. This is also the only day that children are allowed to enter the school in their regular clothes.

In Shenzhen, Children’s Day is held in their own way as well. Restaurants and hotels host buffets and cook special meals, with discounts enclosed, for children and their parents. Some restaurants and hotels organize fundraising dinners for the benefit of children who are in need of medical and educational assistance. There are also festivals and carnivals held in Shenzhen schools where children can have the opportunity to show off their talents and even earn by selling things that they made themselves. These school events are of course facilitated by their teachers and school administrators. There will also be theatrical performances as well as concerts wherein most participants are children on the 7th grade and below.

This coming June, Shenzhen has various events lined up to celebrate Children’s Day on June 1. The Shenzhen Children’s Palace in Futian will be the venue for an upcoming children’s musical entitled “Run! Piggy, Run!” In this musical, about 30 to 40 pig characters will be played by children. The great thing about this is that children from all over China can be part of this musical since these 30 to 40 children will be selected nationwide. After the musical, the children and parents in the audience gets a chance to learn the theme song and piggy moves featured in the show.

The Starwood Hotels and Resorts worldwide, along with UNICEF, have created the Checkout for Children Program in 1995 and have been doing it to provide assistance to UNICEF in their mission to help children all over the world. This program encourages hotel and resort guests to make a $1 donation to UNICEF as they are about to check out.