Origins and legends of The Lunar New Year’s eve
2 min readegend has it that long ago during the age of great floods there was a vicious monster named Nian，which means year.Whenever the thirtieth day of the last lunar month arrived，this monster would rise up out of the sea，killing people and wrecking havoc in their fields and gardens.
The people would bar their doors before dark and sit up all night，coming out the next day to greet their neighbors and congratulate them on surviving.Once on the last night of the last month，Nian suddenly burst into a small village，devouring almost all the people who lived there.Only two families emerged unscathed.The first，a newlywed couple，avoided harm because heir celebratory red wedding clothes resembled fire to the monster，so it did not dare to approach them.
The other family was unharmed because their children were playing outside setting off noisy firecrackers，and thenoise scared the monster away.Ever since，people have worn red clothes，set off firecrackers，and put up red decorations on New Year’s eve to keep the vicious monster Nian away.Later，according to the legend，the Emperor Star deity struck Nian down with a flaming orb and bound him to a stone column.Only then was therepeace in the world.Ever since，people stay up all night and burn incense on New Year’s Eve，entreating the Emperor Star to descend to earth and protect them.
Origins and legends of The Lunar New Year’s eve
