Lunar New Year
2 min readChinese Spring Festival,also called Lunar New Year,comes on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar and ends with Lantern Festival.Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals,it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people.
It is said that the”nian”(year)was a strong monster.People used red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “nian”.As a result,the custom of using red color and setting off fireworks remains.
New clothes must be bought,especially for children.Couplets are pasted at both sides of the gates.The Chinese character “Fu”is pasted on the center of the door and paper-cut pictures adorn windows.
Dumplings and the reunion dinner are indispensable at this time.Cold and hot dishes are all served.Fish is always an important dish then,which expresses people’s hope of having a wealthy year.
The Lantern Festival has been part of Chinese New Year celebrations since the Han Dynasty(206 BC- 221 AD).Usually held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar,it marks the end of New Year festivities.The fifteenth day is the first night one can see a full moon in that lunar year.According to Chinese tradition,at the very beginning of a new year,when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky,there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate.The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes.Some are created in the form of animals,insects,flowers,people or even buildings.
