What Do People Do during the Spring Festival?

The Spring Festival of 2016 falls on February 8 and is the Year of the Monkey according to Chinese zodiac. It will be a great opportunity to experience traditional folk culture and customs!

The Spring Festival is Chinese New Year, having experienced over 4,000 years of history and being the grandest and the most important annual event for Chinese people.

Time for Family Reunion

Being one of the traditional festivals, it is the time for the whole families to reunite together, which is similar with Christmas Day to the westerners.

Holiday Origins from Monster Nian

Originating during the Shang Dynasty (17th - 11th century BC), the festival used to be observed to fight against the monster "Nian" who liked to eat children and livestock. The monster was afraid of red color and loud sound. Therefore, people decorated their houses in red and set off firecrackers to expel it.

What Do People Do?

A. Making offerings to household deities.

B. Wearing new clothes, particularly in red.

C. Hosting a large banquet for family and friends.

D. Taking part in lion and dragon dances, as well as festive parades featuring acrobatic demonstrations, beating gongs, and clashing cymbals .

Many children receive “lucky money” from their parents and elders, and household doors are open to let good luck enter on Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year may also include a lantern festival, when people hang red lanterns in temples or houses and carry them to evening parades.

The Longest Public Holiday

The festival lasts for 15 days from the 1st to 15th day of the first lunar month, and in folklore it starts even earlier, from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. Most employees will have seven days off work, while students take one month absence from school.

Source: travelchinaguide.com