Chinese New Year
Do you know about the Chinese New Year? When is the Chinese New Year and How do Chinese people celebrate it? This blog is going to tell you the facts about Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year is the biggest festival in China, and people generally go home to gather with family and relatives. Most retailers are closed down on Chinese New Year's Day. There is a week-long holiday for Chinese New Year.
When is the Chinese New Year's Day? The date of Chinese New Year is the first day of the first lunar month of a year and is generally between late January and mid-February. The full moon of a month is set on the fifteenth day of a month in Chinese lunar calendar. Therefore, it is sometimes called the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated by Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Chinese New Year originated from many thousand years ago. In ancient, Chinese people called the Lunar New Year the Spring Festival, and they celebrated this more than 5 days. There is a seven-day preparation for a lunar new year. Before the Eve of the Lunar New Year people clean and sweep the house, buy holiday groceries, decorate the house, and make reunion food.
Chinese people celebrate the Chinese New Year in different ways in southern and northern China, and there are differences between urban areas and rural areas. There are some common ways that Chinese celebrate the New Year.
Pasting couplets: People will paste red couplets on their doors as decoration, which usually have blessings such as "welcoming the spring and receiving blessings", and "family harmony brings prosperity".
Having reunion dinner: On New Year's Eve, the whole family will gather together for a reunion dinner, which is a sumptuous meal usually including dishes such as fish, meat, and vegetables. The main dishes include rice and dumplings. People also prepare snacks during the holiday, such as sweets, fruits, nuts, and roasted seeds.
Staying up late: On New Year's Eve, people will stay up late to wait for the arrival of the new year.
Paying New Year's calls: During the Spring Festival, people will pay New Year's calls to each other, text messages to relatives and friends, wishing each other good health and good luck.
Dragon and lion dance: In some places, people will perform traditional dragon and lion dance programs in public to pray for good luck and auspiciousness.
Worshipping ancestors: People will visit their ancestors' tombs to worship them and express their respect and gratitude to their ancestors.
Setting off firecrackers: People will set off firecrackers to celebrate the new year and drive away evil and unlucky air.
Watching the Spring Festival Gala: The whole family will watch the Spring Festival Gala together and enjoy various literary and artistic performances and programs.
On Lunar New Year's Eve, the Chinese sit together with their family and eat a reunion, watch the television Spring Festival Gala, eat dumplings, play fireworks, and stay up late for the arrival of the lunar year. On New Year's Day, people wake up early to play firecrackers to welcome the new year and wish for the wealth and health of the coming year; people stay with family, pay New Year’s calls, and send wishes to friends.
Chinese New Year is officially a week-long holiday. Some companies and factories will have at least two full weeks off due to business volume and the duration of the New Year official holiday, and some even take a month off.
All in all, Chinese New Year is an important holiday for Chinese wherever they are. Overseas Chinese may work or study this day, and they couldn’t stay with family at this time. Some Chinese immigrants can sit together with their family to enjoy a big meal and call their relatives or friends in China.
The 2024 Lunar New Year is on the weekend of February 10th. The official Chinese New Year Holiday 2024 is from February 9 to February 17.