2. Chinese New Year Eve CNY Eve night is the link between two years. We probably know by now that staying up late on the eve of Chinese New Year is to increase the chances of our parents living to a ripe old age. Yet few of us really know the reason why this is so. (ENG) Staying up late becomes the memory of the passing years, the summary of life’s steps, the deep understanding and gratitude to life, and the best wishes and longing for the new year. New Year’s Eve is arriving. The China Cultural Center in Copenhagen wishes you all a Happy Chinese New Year’s Eve and a prosperous Chinese New Year. According to traditional Chinese belief, staying up on Lunar New Year’s Eve brings longevity to parents — the longer you can stay awake, the longer your parents will live. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is a time of joy, celebration, and cultural traditions. Among the many customs observed during this auspicious occasion, one stands out as particularly significant: staying up all night, known as "shousui" (守岁) in Chinese. On Chinese New Year's Eve, families gather for a hearty reunion dinner, often dressed in festive red clothes and surrounded by glowing red lanterns. Staying up all night, a tradition rooted in folklore, stems from the belief that a monster called Nian would attack villages on New Year's Eve. To avoid its attack, people should shut doors and stay sober. When staying up all night, people will find something to kill the time, such as chatting, watching TV, playing cards or mahjong. It is really difficult to stay awake for a whole night, so Chinese people are beginning to abandon this Chinese New Year tradition. The act of staying up throughout the night on Chinese New Year’s Eve is called Shousui. The Chinese character for shou (守) means “to guard or to keep watch”, while that for sui (岁) means “year”. Not sleeping the whole night is said to show that the person is full of energy and implies good health in the new year. On Chinese New Year's Eve, people stay up late, until midnight or often until dawn. [ 8 ] [ 2 ] This tradition is called shousui ( simplified Chinese : 守岁 ; traditional Chinese : 守歲 ; pinyin : shǒusuì ; lit. 'guarding the year'). When it comes to Chinese New Year’s Eve (除夕, Chúxì) customs, aside from having the reunion dinner (年夜饭, Nián Yè Fàn) and staying up late (守岁, Shǒu Suì), many people may not know about the other traditions! Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last evening of the lunar year, is rich with customs that focus on removing the old, welcoming the new, and praying for blessings. Here The Gala starts at 8 pm and ends when the Chinese New Year arrives at midnight. Singing, dancing, cross talk, sketch comedy, and acrobatics are always seen in the Gala. 8. Staying up late on the Chinese New Year's Eve. Staying up late is said to bring longevity to one's parents. The Significance of Chinese New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year's Eve is the start of the long Chinese New Year celebration period and marks the beginning of the holidays for most people in China. In the past, and even today in China's lesser developed areas, this is the only holiday that many people will have the entire year, and so the build-up Chinese New Year's Eve or Lunar New Year's Eve is the day before the Chinese New Year or is considered the end of the old lunar year. In 2025, Chinese New Year's Eve falls on January 28th . At the start of the Chinese New Year celebration period, Chinese New Year's Eve is a very important occasion for Chinese people, it is the reunion day for This Wednesday, Jan. 29, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Wood Snake. Also known as Lunar New Year, it is celebrated in many Asian countries, including the Staying-up on New Year’s Eve is one of the most important Chinese New Year traditions. On this night, families gather together to welcome the arrival of the Lunar new year. During the staying-up, the family can make dumplings, have New Year’s Eve dinner , watch the Spring Festival Gala, have heart to heart talks, and spend a warm and happy Staying up late on the eve of Chinese New Year is said to bring longevity to one’s parents. The later you stay up, the longer they will live. In some households, children even stay up through This custom of showing respect ensures blessings for the new year. 9. Staying up late “Shousui,” which translates to “after the New Year’s Eve dinner,” is the Chinese New Year tradition of staying awake past midnight. Also known as the New Year’s vigil, t his tradition is believed to prolong the lives of parents and welcome a Staying up late on New Year's Eve: It's a tradition to stay up late on Chinese New Year's Eve, called "守岁" (shǒu suì), to protect and bring longevity to one's parents or elderly family members. Giving red packets : Red packets, or "hongbao" (红包), containing money, are given to children, unmarried adults, and senior members of the Some of us stay up late during CNY Eve, and when asked, the common answer is that the longer you stay up, the longer your parents will live. But it’s actually an act that stems from Chinese lore. As the story goes, villagers back then would stay up late to keep a watch for the monster Nian during CNY Eve, and to keep themselves occupied, they Since then, the people would put up red decorations, burn bamboo (the early version of fireworks), and stay up late during Chinese New Year’s Eve. It was believed that these practices help to ward against Nian, which are observed even in the modern day, albeit not for the same reasons as our ancestors. 1. Embrace the Night: Stay Up Late for Longevity. Now, imagine this – the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, and you’re encouraging your little ones to stay up late. Why? Well, according to tradition, the later they stay up, the longer their parents will live.
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