According to the traditional Chinese calendar, for every 19 years there will be seven leap months. "Leap month" refers to a repetitive month and, this year, there will be two Februarys.

The setting of leap month is a way to fill the gap of days between the solar calendar and lunar calendar in one year, which is 11 or 12 days, so as to make sure the four seasons basically fit the months. In accordance with the traditional Chinese calendar, the first three months of the year should be spring, the next three should be summer, then autumn and the last three months should be winter.

There are some traditions and customs during leap month in China, which are varied in different places. As the leap month is around the corner, which gifts have you prepared for your parents?

Send special-made pastry to parents

In some parts of Central China's Henan province, daughters will prepare wild goose-shaped pastries for their parents before the leap month comes, wishing for auspiciousness. There is a legend surrounding the tradition.

Long ago, there was a girl living at the southern foot of the Songshan Mountain in Henan, who was very filial. In a year which had a leap month, the married girl thought of her parents, who never had enough food to eat and might suffer from hunger due to the repetitive month. So, she collected some leftover millet and headed toward her parents' home. On the mountainous road, she accidentally fell down and when she woke up, the millet was already eaten up by birds. Seeing this and thinking of her parents, she cried loudly and slowly fell asleep again.

Then she heard some weak voice and woke up again, seeing a couple of wild geese were staying in her bag and not willing to leave, so she took them with her. When she arrived at her parents' home, the village was suffering from famine and plague, and her parents were on the verge of death. She hurriedly boiled the wild geese and fed them to her parents, and her parents recovered soon. She then gave the leftover food to the neighbors and the plague miraculously disappeared the next day.

After that, before each leap month, daughters began to visit their parents and bring gifts. As wild goose is a rare bird, people use dough to make wild goose-shaped pastry in place of the actual bird for their parents, wishing them healthy and hoping to banish any plagues.

In some parts of East China's Shandong province, the married daughters will send dough-made fish and toad to their parents, which symbolize "wealth" and "health" respectively. Besides, it is said that the dough fish is for a mother and the dough toad is for a father.

Buy shoes for parents

In some places, people have the tradition of buying shoes for their parents to reward their father and mother's efforts of bringing them up, and pray for the health and safety of their parents.

Drink tea

People living near Wuyi Mountain in East China's Fujian province have the tradition of drinking tea at leap month, and only women are eligible to participate. Women in the village take turns holding the tea banquet, and they drink tea while chatting, creating an harmonious atmosphere among neighbors.

Give mother pig feet and thin noodles

In Southeast China's Taiwan province, leap month has such traditions as well. The married daughter has to buy pig feet and thin noodles for her mother, usually two front pig's feet and six bunches of thin noodles, and the noodles have to be tied with red silk threads and spring flowers.

Eat dinner together

Just like other festivals, a reunion dinner is indispensable among the traditions of the leap month. When leap month comes, parents will invite the married daughter to return home and have dinner together, cherishing a wish for happiness and good fortune.