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? Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. This is a festival called Laba ( 腊八 Làbā /laa-baa/ '12th lunar month' + '8'), in the traditional sense, which Chinese New Year, the grandest festival for Chinese people, is celebrated for more than half a month. According to the oldest traditions, people follow a day-by-day schedule of Chinese New Year festivities from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, with specific things to do on certain days. 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 ancestors and offering sacrifices to them to pray for protection from your ancestors for the New Year is a tradition before Chinese New Year. Normally this should be done on the 29th of the 12th lunar month. Enjoy Reunion Dinner with Families. 30th of the 12th lunar month is the Chinese new year eve. One Week Before. 1. Send off the Kitchen God. The Kitchen God is believed to look after a family’s nourishment and well-being. About a week before Chinese New Year, on the 23rd or 24th day of the 12th lunar month, the Kitchen God ascends to the heavens to report on the family’s behavior from the previous year to the Jade Emperor. New clothes symbolise a clean slate and fresh start, so save new purchases for the new year and don’t be tempted to pull on that tagged shirt for a quick 7-Eleven run! Buying underwear also Chinese New Year is the most important festival for Chinese, and the most widely celebrated holiday in the world. With great passion, people observe this annual event with diverse activities, some of which are thousand-year-old traditions. Get the top 10 picks of the most popular Chinese New Year activities now. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or the Chinese Spring Festival, holds the most significant position among all Chinese festivals and holidays. It lasts for the first fifteen days of the Chinese lunar calendar, which on the Western calendar begins sometime between January 21 and February 21, varying from year to year. 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 New Year Feng Shui Rituals: The kind of excitement that surrounds the New Year 2025 is spectacular, and everyone looks forward to this time of the year.. According to the Chinese calendar, the lunar Year begins on the 22 nd of January, 2025, and this calls for adequate preparation and doing everything needed to welcome the New Year with warmness to enjoy the prosperity and other benefits it 5 Ways to Get Ready for the Lunar New Year. 1. Clean your house. The ritual of cleaning your house and getting rid of things that no longer serve you prepares you for a lucky new year. Do not clean for the first three days of the new year. 2. Buy new clothes and new shoes. Buy clothes and shoes to wear on the evening of New Year's Eve after The new year passed days ago, but the Chinese New Year, one of the biggest Chinese festivals, is yet to come. Chinese people often spend quite a lot of time, say 16 days from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival celebrating this event since Chinese New Year is a major event that marks a new start. Prepare a chuen hap. Having a chuen hap, a Chinese New Year snack box, at home is a must for entertaining guests during Chinese New Year.Symbolising ‘togetherness’ and ‘perfection’, a chuen hap typically has an odd number of compartments filled with treats that have auspicious meanings. 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. 3. To welcome the Chinese New Year 2024, you can decorate your home with some auspicious symbols that attract good luck and prosperity. For example, you can hang a red banner with the Chinese character for “fortune” (福) on your door or wall, or place a statue of a dragon in your living room. 27. Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Sticky Rice Cake) This sticky, sweet cake is a must If you’re hosting a New Year’s party. Symbolizing progress, advancement, and growth, it’s a traditional (and tasty!) way to get your year off to a great start. The classic recipe is simple – sugar, water, and rice flours. Prepare a chuen hap. Having a chuen hap, a Chinese New Year snack box, at home is a must for entertaining guests during Chinese New Year.Symbolising ‘togetherness’ and ‘perfection’, a chuen hap typically has an odd number of compartments filled with treats that have auspicious meanings. Most Americans consider January 1 the start of the new year, but many Asians and Asian-Americans don’t. Instead, they follow Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year in the U.S., which begins on January 29, 2025. (That’s the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, BTW.) Prepare a chuen hap. Having a chuen hap, a Chinese New Year snack box, at home is a must for entertaining guests during Chinese New Year.Symbolising ‘togetherness’ and ‘perfection’, a chuen hap typically has an odd number of compartments filled with treats that have auspicious meanings.
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