During Chinese New Year, people have a long list of things to do. From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. The family reunion dinner, eating dumplings, and setting off firework are the must-dos that you might know. What else interesting do the Chinese do? Chinese New Year red envelopes are a traditional gift for children or elderly people during Chinese New Year. In China, the red envelope (money) is called ya sui qian (压岁钱 /yaa sway chyen/), which means 'suppressing Sui [the demon]money'. Those who receive a red envelope are wished another safe and peaceful year. 6. Visiting Relatives Visiting temples during Chinese New Year is a spiritual tradition. People go to temples to pray for good health, prosperity, and success in the year ahead. Lighting incense, making offerings, and seeking blessings from deities are common practices during temple visits. The atmosphere is filled with devotion and hope for a favorable year. 13. Shopping must be one of the grandest Chinese New Year activities. During this period, almost 10 days before New Year’s Eve, it’s common to see crowds in shopping malls and markets. People mainly buy new clothes, red decorations, meat, and snacks for their kids and firecrackers. Chinese New Year's Eve tradition 9. Setting off Fireworks. Setting off fireworks used to be an indispensable custom during the Chinese New Year. Chinese people believe that the noise of the fireworks could scare away evil spirits and that the sparks could bring good luck. Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) is celebrated for sixteen days (from Chinese New Year's Eve to Chinese Lantern Festival). The preparations start half a month before Chinese New Year's Eve. Many celebration activities for this period are traditional customs, but some are quite new Chinese New Year 2025 falls on January 29th, 2025. Much like giving ang bao during Chinese New Year, some people also give food as a gesture of goodwill. Common gifts include: Tikoy: Derived from the Fujian word “ti ke,” which means sweet cake Honoring the dead is a Chinese New Year's tradition that's kept to the word. Many Chinese people visit ancestors' graves on the day before the Chinese New Year's day, offer sacrifices to ancestors before the reunion dinner (to show that they are letting their ancestors "eat" first), and add an extra glass and place it at the dinner table on New Year's eve. After a big New Year's feast, it's the ideal way to unwind without too much effort. Read more on 'Mahjong - An Essential Guide'. Some various meaningful symbols and practices surround Chinese New Year to usher in a successful and happy year. However, at its core, Chinese New Year is a time to enjoy with family. However, the older people continue the traditional Chinese New Year celebration. Fewer People Set off Firecrackers During recent years, fewer and fewer people set off firecrackers mainly for two reasons: one is that it’s easy to get hurt; the other is that setting off firecrackers pollutes the environment. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like What seas border China to the east and south?, What mountain range also runs along China's border?, Name three things that people do during Chinese New Year? and more. In Chinese, "fish" (鱼 Yú /yoo/) sounds like 'surplus'. Fish is a traditional Chinese New Year dish on the Chinese New Year dinner menu. Chinese people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year, because they think if they have managed to save something at the end of the year, then they can make more in the next year. Some of those Chinese New Year taboos will only sustain for first few days of the festival, while others may be kept till the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, or even for a whole month. Hereunder are 16 things you should never do during the Chinese New Year. Here are some of the key taboos to avoid during Chinese New Year, as outlined by China Highlights. 1. Sweeping the Floor. Sweeping the floor during the Chinese New Year is considered to drive away good fortune. It is also associated with sweeping away wealth. On the first day, Chinese people will have a vegetarian breakfast which means good health in new year. And avoid congee as it was only eaten by the poor before. These taboos reveal that people fear such threats of hunger and illness in an arduous life. Clothes Taboos: In traditional Chinese culture, people wear red for the New Year. No set date for Chinese New Year. The first thing most people don’t know is that Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, the date of which is not fixed. Because the Chinese New Year follows the Lunar Calendar, the date changes every year and it always falls on a day between January 21 and February 20. In 2019, it falls on February 5. How to get a lucky Chinese New Year? Chinese people believe that there are specific things to do during Chinese Lunar New Year, in order to bring in good fortune, prosperity and happiness. No matter what your Chinese New Year animal is, the following 9 lucky things to do for Chinese New Year will help you attract good luck for the fresh new year. So what do people in Taiwan do during Chinese New Year? Just about everyone gathers with their extended paternal (father’s side) family on New Year’s Eve (chu xi or 除夕) for a large meal, similar to Christmas Eve dinner in the west. They usually gather in their hometown or parents’/grandparents’ home, which is often located in the Chinese New Year's Day (Jan. 29, 2025) Celebrations - 正月初一. New Year's Day is the most important day of the year. To have a happy and prosperous new year, Chinese people will do the luckiest things on this day. 1. Setting Off Firecrackers and Fireworks Like the New Year couplets and other decorations, new clothes also add to the festivity. In the past, China was an agrarian society. There was only one harvest per year in the north and two to three in the south. Throughout the entire year, people scrimped and saved. But during Chinese New Year, people could finally splurge and treat themselves.
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