The Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar, which usually falls between late January and mid-February. This festival marks the start of a new year in the Chinese zodiac, and is a time for Chinese people to honor their traditions, reunite with family, and look forward to a prosperous new year.
Before the Spring Festival, Chinese people usually have a thorough cleaning of their homes to sweep away any bad luck from the past year and make way for good luck in the new year. They also adorn their homes with red decorations, such as couplets, paper cuttings, and lanterns. In addition, people purchase new clothes and prepare traditional foods to be enjoyed during the celebration.
The reunion dinner or Nian Ye Fan is the most important meal of the year for Chinese families. Family members from all over China, and even overseas, will gather together to enjoy this meal. The dinner usually consists of several courses of traditional Chinese dishes, such as dumplings, fish, and spring rolls. After the dinner, children will receive red envelopes, hongbao, filled with money as a token of good luck and blessing from their elders.
Different regions in China have various activities during the Spring Festival. In North China, people usually enjoy skiing, making snowmen, and watching traditional performances, such as dragon dances and lion dances. In South China, people often watch Cantonese Opera and have a flower market. However, no matter where the celebration takes place, fireworks are essential to the festival. People set off fireworks to drive away evil spirits, and bring good luck, happiness, and prosperity for the upcoming year.
The 15th day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Spring Festival. During the Lantern Festival, people light and release colorful lanterns into the sky, and enjoy sweet glutinous rice balls, called tangyuan. The end of the Spring Festival means that people will start to go back to work and school, and the festive atmosphere will slowly dissipate.
The Spring Festival is a time of joy, reunion, and good luck for Chinese people. It is a crucial part of Chinese culture and has a history of thousands of years. Through the celebration of the Spring Festival, people can not only cherish tradition, but also share love and happy moments with their families and friends. It is a festival worth introducing to the world and experiencing in person.
