春節 (Spring Festival)
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important traditional festival in China. Its history can date back to the Shang Dynasty (1600BC – 1100BC).
The festival consists of a period of celebrations, starting on the first day of the first lunar month and ending with the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the month. In Chinese culture, it is the most important festival for all the family members to get together.
Chinese New Year
People celebrate Chinese New Year by decorating the house with red paper banners displaying fortune words. Before the celebration of Chinese New Year, it is common for Chinese people to cleanse the house thoroughly. By cleaning the house, all bad lucks from the past year will be swept together with the dirt. Furthermore, a clean house will invite good lucks for the upcoming year.
Every family member in Chinese usually gather and have a feast on the eve of Chinese New Year. The gatherings may continue until midnight and end by setting off firecrackers or small fireworks. On the next morning, children wish all the older people in the family a happy, healthy, and wealthy new year. In return, the children will receive pocket money inside red envelopes displaying happy new year greetings, fortune words, or cute pictures.
During the celebration of Chinese New Year, many streets, temples, and malls are decorated with many little lamps and red lanterns while many traditional Chinese arts are performed. This kind of Chinese New Year celebrations takes place in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many other countries where significant number of Chinese resides. The festivity of Chinese New Year celebration can also be found in Chinatown located in many countries around the world.
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