The Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is the most traditional celebration in China. This New Year is held according to the lunisolar Chinese calendar. It begins from the last day of the last month in the Chinese calendar to the 15th day in the first month, which ends with the Lantern Festival.

Origins and Mythology

According to legends, the Chinese New Year was created because of an attack by a mythical beast called the Nian. the Nian is said to live under the sea or  in the mountains. Once each spring, on or around the Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year to appease it. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food prepared, it wouldn't attack any more people.

Legends say that the villagers had seen that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. From then on, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian, and never came back to the village again.

Chinese New Year celebration in Hong Kong.

Festivities

On the days immediately before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that the newly arrived good luck cannot be swept away. 

The celebrations usually consists of various traditions on each day leading up to the final 15th day (the Lantern Festival). Customs may range from visiting the elders of the family to celebrating a birthday of a certain deities. Fireworks have become a very integral party of the festivities as well as has wearing the color red. These are all thought to ward off evil spirits and bad fortune.

This has been a celebration that I have really wanted to attend in China. However, being part of a university with such a large number of Chinese foreign exchange students has allowed me the opportunity to celebrate in a small way here.