Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional festival in China. It lasts for 15 days and ends with the Lantern Festival (also known as Yuanxiao Festival). During this time, people enjoy various customs and traditions, such as setting off fireworks, eating dumplings, giving red envelopes, and hanging lanterns.
Spring Festival has a long history, with the earliest records dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC). It is said that in ancient times, people celebrated the spring festival to pray for a good harvest and ward off evil spirits. Later, it became a festival to commemorate ancestors and traditional culture.
1. New Year’s Eve Dinner: On New Year’s Eve, families gather together to enjoy a feast. The dishes are often symbolic and have a good meaning, such as fish (wealth), dumplings (reunion), and chicken (auspiciousness).
2. Setting off Fireworks: Chinese people love fireworks. They believe that fireworks can drive away bad luck and bring good luck. Therefore, during the Spring Festival, fireworks are set off everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere.
3. Red Envelopes: Giving red envelopes (also known as Hongbao) is a popular custom during the Spring Festival. Married people give them to children or unmarried young people, wishing them good luck and happiness. The amount of money in the envelope is usually even numbers, as they are considered lucky.
4. Lantern Festival: The last day of the Spring Festival is the Lantern Festival. People hang colorful lanterns and guess lantern riddles. Eating Yuanxiao (sweet glutinous rice balls) is also a tradition on this day.
During the Spring Festival, millions of people travel to be with their family. This is known as the largest human migration in the world. It is common for people to buy train tickets months in advance, but there are still long lines and crowds at stations during this time.
Spring Festival is a time for families to reunite and celebrate their traditions. It is a time of joy and happiness. The customs and traditions of the Spring Festival have been passed down for generations and are still an important part of Chinese culture today.
