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Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, Springfest, Chinese Lunar New Year, or simply the New Year, is a grand and distinctive traditional festival in China celebrated based on the lunar calendar. It marks the turn of the lunar year and is widely regarded as the most important festival in Chinese culture.

Historical Origin

• The history of Chinese New Year dates back to the sacrificial rituals offered to gods and ancestors at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year during the Yin and Shang dynasties, or possibly even earlier during the Yao and Shun periods.

• The first day of the first lunar month is considered the beginning of the year, hence it is called “Suishou” (Year’s Beginning), “Nianjie” (New Year’s Day), or other similar names. The dates for celebrating the new year varied throughout history until Emperor Wu of Han adopted the Taichu Calendar and officially designated the first day of the first lunar month as the beginning of the year.

• After the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, the Gregorian calendar was introduced as the new calendar, with January 1 designated as New Year’s Day. However, in 1914, Yuan Shikai, the Provisional President of the Republic of China, designated the lunar New Year’s Day as Spring Festival, and since then, the term “Spring Festival” has been used to refer to the lunar new year.

Festival Time and Characteristics

• Chinese New Year typically falls between January 21st and February 20th of the Gregorian calendar, depending on the lunar calendar.

• The Spring Festival period coincides with the approach of the Spring Equinox, symbolizing the end of the coldest period of the year and the beginning of renewal.

Traditional Customs

• Posting Spring Festival Couplets: Spring Festival couplets are traditional couplets used to express good wishes for the new year and hopes for the future. The earliest precursor of Spring Festival couplets was “taofu” (a pair of peach wood tablets) used to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.

• Posting New Year Paintings and Paper Cuts: New Year paintings and paper cuts are decorative arts often posted on doors and windows on New Year’s Eve to add to the festive atmosphere.

• Hanging Lanterns: Red lanterns are hung during the Spring Festival, symbolizing family reunion and prosperity.

• Having the Family Reunion Dinner: The family reunion dinner is a significant meal for Chinese families during the Spring Festival, featuring a variety of dishes that symbolize reunion and abundance.

• Staying Up Late on New Year’s Eve: Staying up late on New Year’s Eve is an important custom, where families gather to wait for the moment of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year.

• Setting Off Firecrackers: Setting off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is a traditional custom in China to drive away evil spirits and celebrate the arrival of the new year. However, due to environmental concerns, firecrackers are now banned in most cities, and electronic firecrackers have emerged as a substitute.

• Paying New Year Visits: Paying new year visits is a traditional custom in Chinese folk culture, where people express their good wishes to each other. The time for paying new year visits is usually from the first to the fifth day of the new year.

• Giving Red Envelopes: Elders give red envelopes filled with money to children on New Year’s Eve, symbolizing evil-warding and best wishes for the children’s healthy growth.

In addition, there are customs such as wearing new clothes, cutting paper cuts, making dumplings, offering sacrifices to ancestors, and stepping on the threshold, which reflect the Chinese people’s emphasis on the new year and their expectations for a better life.

Modern Significance

• The Spring Festival is not only an important moment for family reunions and sharing happiness but also an important carrier for inheriting and promoting traditional Chinese culture.

• As society evolves, the ways of celebrating the Spring Festival are also constantly innovating and enriching, with emerging methods such as online new year visits and electronic red envelopes becoming new choices for people to celebrate the Spring Festival.

In summary, Chinese New Year is a festival full of joy, harmony, and hope, carrying the profound cultural heritage and national sentiments of the Chinese nation.