Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is also called “Spring Festival” (春节 – Chūnjié) because it marks the beginning of spring in the lunar calendar!

Chinese New Year has been celebrated for more than 4,000 years, making it one of the world’s oldest festivals!

The exact date of Chinese New Year changes each year because it follows the lunar calendar, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th!

Over 2 billion people worldwide celebrate Chinese New Year, making it one of the most celebrated festivals in the world!

According to legend, Chinese New Year celebrations started because of a fierce monster called Nian, who would come to villages every year to eat crops, animals, and even children!

The Chinese zodiac has 12 different animals, and each New Year celebrates one of these animals in a special order that repeats every 12 years!

2024 was the Year of the Dragon, which is considered very lucky in Chinese culture!

Chinese New Year festival lasts for 15 days, with each day having its own special traditions and customs!

In China, many people get seven days off work or school to celebrate Chinese New Year with their families!

Chinese New Year is celebrated not just in China, but also in many Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Vietnam as the Lunar New Year!

The tradition of giving red envelopes (hóngbāo) during Chinese New Year is believed to have started during the Han Dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago.

Ancient Chinese people used to count years by the name of each emperor, but now they use both this traditional calendar and the modern calendar!

The order of the Chinese zodiac animals was decided by a legendary race held by the Jade Emperor, where the rat won by riding on the ox’s back!

Firecrackers were originally made from bamboo stems that would make loud popping sounds when thrown into a fire!

The celebration of Chinese New Year helped farmers mark the start of the spring planting season!

In ancient times, Chinese New Year was a time to honor ancestors and heavenly deities!

The custom of staying up late on Chinese New Year’s Eve, known as “shousui” (守岁), started because people believed it would help their parents live longer!

The tradition of wearing new clothes during Chinese New Year began because people believed it would bring good luck for the coming year!

The Lantern Festival marking the end of Chinese New Year celebrations started over 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty!

The character “春” (spring) was found written on oracle bones from over 3,000 years ago!

Chinese families spend days cleaning their homes before New Year, but they can’t clean on New Year’s Day because they might sweep away good luck!

During Chinese New Year, people put red paper decorations on their doors and windows because the color red is believed to scare away bad luck and evil spirits!

During Chinese New Year, children receive lucky red envelopes called “hongbao” filled with money as New Year gifts!

It’s considered very lucky to stay awake until midnight on New Year’s Eve, and many families watch special TV shows together called the “Spring Festival Gala”!

During Chinese New Year, many people wear new clothes from head to toe, and red is the most popular color choice!

During Chinese New Year, it’s believed that the first person you meet and the first words you hear on New Year’s Day set the tone for your entire year.

During Chinese New Year, married couples give red envelopes to unmarried people, especially children, as a way to share blessings and good fortune!

During Chinese New Year, people avoid saying negative words because they believe it could bring bad luck!

On the fifth day of Chinese New Year celebrations, many businesses reopen with a special ceremony to welcome wealth and prosperity!

During Chinese New Year, families gather for a special New Year’s Eve dinner called “reunion dinner” (团圆饭 – tuányuán fàn), which is the most important meal of the year!

During Chinese New Year, people eat long noodles called “longevity noodles” (chángshòu miàn, 长寿面) during the festival, and it’s important not to cut or break them because they represent a long life!

At the end of Chinese New Year, people celebrate the Lantern Festival by eating sweet rice balls called “tang yuan.” These round treats represent family unity and togetherness, making them a special way to end the festive season!

During Chinese New Year, people give mandarin oranges as gifts because their name sounds like the word for “gold” in Chinese!

During Chinese New Year, families often present a special candy box called the “Tray of Togetherness” (chángshòu hé, 长寿盒). This box typically has eight compartments, each filled with treats that carry special meanings for the upcoming year.

Fish is served during New Year’s dinner because the Chinese word for fish (鱼 – yú) sounds like the word for surplus (余 – yú)! This similarity leads to the saying “年年有余” (nián nián yǒu yú), which means “May you have surplus every year.”

Dumplings (jiǎozi, 饺子) are shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots and are eaten to bring wealth in the Lunar New Year!

In northern China, families often make dumplings together on New Year’s Eve as a way to bond!

In some Chinese New Year traditions, families hide a coin inside one dumpling during their reunion dinner. The person who finds the coin is believed to have extra good luck in the coming year.

During Chinese New Year, the Chinese character “福” (fú), meaning good fortune, is often hung upside down on doors because the word for “upside down” (倒, dào) sounds similar to the word for “arrive” (到, dào)!

During Chinese New Year, red lanterns are often hung outside homes to drive away bad luck and bring good fortune.

During Chinese New Year, people decorate with plum blossoms because they bloom in winter and represent perseverance and hope!

Kumquat plants are popular decorations during Chinese New Year because their golden color symbolizes wealth, and their name sounds like “good luck” in Cantonese.

During Chinese New Year, peach blossoms are displayed to bring love and romance into the New Year.

During Chinese New Year, paper cuttings often feature designs of the zodiac animal of the coming year.

During Chinese New Year, homes are decorated with pairs of poetic couplets written on red paper, expressing hopes for the coming year.

During Chinese New Year, the color gold is often used in decorations because it represents wealth and prosperity.

During Chinese New Year, bamboo plants are popular decorations because they represent strength and growth.

During Chinese New Year, lion dances are performed to bring good luck and chase away evil spirits.

During Chinese New Year celebrations, dragon dances can involve up to 100 performers controlling a long dragon puppet!

During Chinese New Year celebrations, special drums called Tanggu are played to create festive rhythms.