The Chinese New Year is the most important of all the festivals. . The date of the New Year falls somewhere between late January and late February of solar calendar, depending on which day January 1st of the Lunar calendar fall into. Houses are cleaned thoroughly in preparation for the holiday. Tangerine plants, flower displays, Chinese paintings and calligraphy are must-haves for festival home decorations.
The New Year day is a time of family reunification. No matter how far away apart, the family members must be together for the "unifying dinner", which is at the eve of Chinese New Year. . People honor "Cai Shen", the "God of Wealth", hoping he will bring great fortune to the family in the coming months. Big family dinners are held. New clothes and new shoes are worn to symbolize the New Year and red packet containing small amounts of money are given to minors for good fortune. Northerners eat dumplings to celebrate the new year. Sticky rice balls, symbols of life satisfactions and family unifications are also served as dessert at dinner table.
Red lanterns symbols of good fortune, happiness and health are hung at the gate. Fireworks are still used in some cities and most villages to scare away the ghosts. Lion Dance and Dragon Dance indicated the spirits for the prosperous new year.
As life standard in China getting higher and higher, the New Year Festival is becoming less remarkably celebrated. Still, it is the most important festival in Chinese culture. |
