Spring Festival in China
By Stella on 2017-01-12

The Spring Festival is a traditional Chinese festival and also the most important one of the whole year, which is also called as the Chinese new year or the Lunar New Year. In china , it is called Chun Jie or Guo Nian. 

The origin of spring festival 

The origin of spring festival is too old to be traced. One legend goes that there was a beast named Nian, which had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bit. People were very scared. 

One day, an old man told them to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away Nian, because red is the color the beast feared the most. To combat the beast, the Chinese hang "good luck" wishes on red paper on the door and use fireworks at every year’s end. 

This tradition in many ways resembles the Western belief of using garlic and crosses to fight vampires.

From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of Nian is carried on from generation to generation. The term "Guo Nian", which may mean "Survive the Nian“, becomes today "Celebrate the (New) Year"

The customs of the spring festival

1、Putting up Spring Couplet (贴春联) and Burning Firecrackers(放鞭炮). 

On the Spring Festival,  every household will put on doors a spring couplet written on red paper to give a happy and prosperous feeling of the Festival. 

 The first thing every Chinese household does is to burn firecrackers and fireworks, which means saying goodby to the old year and usher in the new. 

2、Clothing 

Red cloth is worn throughout the Spring Festival, because red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. People typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting a new in the new year. 

3、Eating

There are different main courses everyday during the New Year, such as Jiao Zi (dumplings), the spring rolls, the sticky rice cakes, Tang Yuan, and so on.

Jiao zi is the most important course in every family. The shape of Jiao Zi is like gold nuggets (Jing Yuanbao), so people eat them to wish for money and treasure. You cannot have a complete Spring Festival without having jiaozi. 

4、New Year's Visit and Gift Money    

On the first day of the Chinese lunar year, people pay formal calls on their relatives and friends, wishing them all the luck in the coming year. Juniors will greet seniors, wishing them health and longevity, while seniors will give juniors some gift money as a wish for their safety in the coming year. 

5、The CCTV Spring Festival Gala

The Spring Festival Gala is a variety show held by China Central Television (CCTV) since 1983. It brings laughter to billions of people and creates many popular words. For over twenty years, its value has gone far beyond a variety show. It is an essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. 

Besides what mentioned above, Lion dances and dragon dances are performed in many places. 

The spring festival of this year is going to come in about two moths. Here, I give my greeting to everyone, “happy new year”.