Spring Festival 春节

The Spring Festival is known in the West as the Chinese New Year. It is the oldest traditional festival for Chinese people, and a great occasion for family reunions, just like Christmas in the West. It is celebrated on the 1st day of the first lunar month, later than the Gregorian New Year.                        Originated from the Shang Dynasty, Spring Festival was evolved from the Winter Sacrifice in primitive society. Ancient Chinese people held this activity at the end of winter and thanked all the gods for the blessing, welcomed the New Year, worshipped ancestors by dancing and singing together. 

The most famous legend about Spring Festival is related to the ancient beast known as “Nian”. It was ferocious, with the bull-like body and lion-shaped head. Living in faraway mountain areas, it ate other beasts for food but came to hunt and disturb villages in winter. Villagers were frightened and all escaped to other places. An old lady found the methods to drive the beast. She painted the door in red and burned a fire in front of the house. When “Nian” came again, the lady fired the firecrackers which made cracking noise to scare the beast. This practice was kept through the years and the “Nian” never came to the village again. The custom to paint red at the door and set off the firecrackers became a tradition and “Nian” now has another meaning as Spring Festival. The celebration of Chinese New Year is also called “Guo Nian”, which may originally mean passed or survived the “Nian”.

    The Spring Festival’s celebration started on New Year’s Eve by having different and interesting activities. Preparations like cleaning the house thoroughly and purchasing not only food like chicken, duck, fish, and meat but also various festive decorations, gifts for children, the elderly, friends and relatives. 

Celebrations are slightly different in different places, but always include New Year’s Feast, Setting off Fireworks, Giving Lucky Money, Paying New Year Visits, Pasting Spring Couplets(对联), Character “Fu” or god of wealth on the door, visiting Temple fairs(庙会).

Abridged and revised from

http://www.easytourchina.com/fact-v353-the-spring-festival