Chinese New Year – Spring Festival - By: Grace Fan

The Spring Festival is a most important festival for Chinese people and the date is determined based on lunisolar Chinese calendar. Traditionally, the festival begins on the first day of first month and last 15 days. On New Year’s Eve, the family gathered for their annual reunion dinner and this evening is called Chuxi (除夕), literally meaning “Year-pass eve”. During the festival, Chinese people hold many kinds of activities for celebrating and praying for good harvest. The coming of Spring Festival also represents the arrival of the spring season and a new cycle of planting and harvesting.

It is said that the Spring Festival is originated in Shang Dynasty (1600BC – 1100BC) from people to sacrifice to gods and their ancestors at the end of the old year and beginning of the new. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Spring Festival started with fighting against a mythical beast called Nian who lived in the sea all year long except the first day of the first lunar month of every year. On this day, Nian came out of sea and devour livestock, crops and even villagers, especially children. Therefore, every New Year’s Eve, all villagers, old and young, had to flee to the mountains in order to avoid being hurt by Nian. On one New Year’s Eve, an old man came into the village. He was begging for some food. The villagers were busy to flee to the mountain so that no one but an old woman gave him some food and persuade him to hide in the mountain. However, the old man said with smile: “If you let me stay overnight at your home, Nian will certainly be driven away.” The old woman agreed with his request. During midnight time, Nian intruded into the village. Nian found that the old women’s house was brightly illuminated and the red paper was pasted on the door. The Nian trembled with strange cry. When Nian approaching the gateway, the sound of bombing from courtyard made him fear. It turned out that Nian was afraid of red, the lights and hearing firecrackers. So people used these things to frighten away Nian. From then on, Nian never stepped into the village again.

Before the lunar New Year come, people are busy to clean the inside and outside of house as well as their clothes. On the lunar New Year’s Eve, the family gathered for their reunion dinner after setting off fireworks. The meal is more luxurious than usual. After dinner, all members of family must stay up to welcome the New Year. This is called “守岁” in Chinese. In some degree, this customs is associated with Nian. On New Year, people dress up and they first give New Year’s greeting to parents then their neighbors. The children can get the lucky money.

In the next 14 days, people begin to visit their kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as “New Year’s visits”.

About the Author

Grace Fan is an English editor of ChinaTours.com which provides wide range of China tour services such as small group China tours, custom China tours, and so on. If you want to know more information, you can visit Chinatouronline.com. If you are from Australia, you can visit Chinatouronline.com.au.

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