Chinese New Year 春节

Chinese New Year or "Lunar New Year" is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival" (春節 - chūnjié). Since according the Chinese the spring season in the calendar starts with the first solar term, tt marks the end of the winter season, analogous to the carnivals in the West. The celebrations begin on the first day of the first month (正月 zhēngyuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day.

Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chúxī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year."

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar. Its origin is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. The festival is celebrated in China and places with Chinese population, such as Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Vietnam, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity".

On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not use continuously numbered years, outside China its years are often numbered from the reign of the Yellow Emperor.

Chinese New Year or "Lunar New Year" is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival" (春節 - chūnjié). Since according the Chinese the spring season in the calendar starts with the first solar term, tt marks the end of the winter season, analogous to the carnivals in the West. The celebrations begin on the first day of the first month (正月 zhēngy…  (read more)