Call it the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival

Read More About Holidays

No matter what you may wish to call it, the day is the most important of all traditional Chinese holiday events. They observe this public holiday on different dates according to the Gregorian calendar each year. This falls on different days during a week as it begins with the first day of the month per the Chinese calendar, ending on the fifteenth. This day is called the Lantern Festival. The Chinese New Year’s Eve has a meaning called Year Pass Eve.

A large Chinese population celebrates this holiday and depending on what date this falls on, governments may choose to shift days of work to bring about a longer holiday weekend.

Origin of the Chinese New Year is many centuries old, gaining importance due to traditions and myths. The New Year reflects on what the people most believe in and how they behave. There are some who are confused between which is correct regarding their Chinese birth year and the date according to the Gregorian birth year. Chinese traditional New Year begins late January and runs until mid February, however according to Gregorian time, the Chinese year begins with January first. It becomes confusing as there are two differing consensus as to when certain dates fall.

Within China itself there are many differing customs and traditions in regard to the Chinese New Year. People spend money extensively on gifts, food, clothing, and decorations. Tradition says this is a major house cleaning time in order to sweep away bad luck and ill fortune, thus making way for good luck.

It will be observed that doors and windows are decorated in red couplets and paper cutouts with accompanying themes including happiness, longevity, and wealth wishes are also displayed. Chinese New Years Eve is a time for families to feast on such highly popular items as chicken, duck, and many sweets. This culminates in a display of fireworks, including firecrackers.

The following morning children will be up early to greet their parents and wish them a happy and healthy new year, and in return they will receive red envelopes with money inside. Grudges are forgiven and wishes of happiness and peace are given out to everyone.

The celebrating begins on New Year’s Eve and includes a reunion dinner. At this point the entire house should have been cleaned and rid of things related to the old year. Brooms and brushes should have been put away and all debts paid. Settle any disputes with family, friends, and neighbors.

Purchase red envelopes for money, flowers, as well as oranges and maybe some tangerines. Also buy new clothing for the children, particularly in colors of red and orange. After obtaining new dollar bills at the bank, insert them into the red envelopes which become a lucky money envelope also known as a lee see.

New Year’s Eve itself is a time for families to be close and have a reunion dinner. They pay respect to ancestors as well as household gods. They then open every window and door in the house precisely at midnight in order to let go of the old year.

Chinese proverb states that all creations become born again on New Year’s Day, out with the old (especially bad luck) and in with new and better times.

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