Learn about the traditions and activities that Chinese people do during the Spring Festival, from cleaning the house to setting off fireworks. Discover the meanings and origins of the food, decorations, and performances that celebrate the new year. 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 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's Eve (Jan. 28, 2025): 6 Traditions and Activities 1. Putting Up New Year Decorations. Although some people decorate their houses several days before the festival, most people do it on Chinese New Year's Eve. Houses are decorated with red lanterns, red spring couplets, paper cuttings, and New Year's paintings. That explains why they are favored by the Chinese during the New Year celebrations. 3. Watch the CCTV Gala. It's not a Chinese New Year party without the CCTV Gala. The CCTV New Year’s Gala, also known as the Spring Festival Gala (春晚 Chūnwǎn), is a Chinese New Year special program. It is recognized as the world’s most-watched 4. New Year Shopping. Before Chinese New Year's Eve, Chinese people would do New Year shopping, preparing the goods for the Spring Festival. People usually buy New Year's desserts and snacks, decorations, fireworks, etc. Candies, New Year gifts, and new dresses are included in the New Year shopping for kids. Like Christmas, the Spring Festival 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 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. Visiting extended family and friends during the week of Chinese New Year and exchanging gifts is a Chinese New year tradition that goes on throughout the 15-day holiday. This process of visiting family and friends is called bài nián (拜年), in which you wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. 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. 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. Taking naps, especially on the first day of the Chinese New Year, represents laziness. In Chinese culture, taking naps on the first day of the new year will affect your luck and career for the rest of the year. 9. Avoid breaking things in your home There is no better way to look great for the New Year than wearing clothes that would make you look like a million bucks! Taboos about Chinese New Year Clothes Do Not Wear Black. Never wear clothes in black during the Chinese New year because it is typically worn during funerals. The color has been associated with death. It is considered to be All auspicious things aside, there are certain taboos that must be avoided during Chinese New Year: 1. No cleaning! Any type of “spring cleaning” must take place before the new year and never during the actual holiday. This allows the cleaned space to be filled with the new blessings and fortunes of the new year. During Chinese New Year, there are 6 categories of things that will never be out of fashion. When you visit relatives, friends or colleges, red envelopes, cigarettes, alcohol, tea, fruits, and health foods are good choices. This year, Chinese New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29. Those who celebrate will be entering the year of the snake. Just like with any holiday, traditions abound for Chinese New Year. Some of 1. Red Envelops/Packets. If your Chinese hosts have children, do not forget to prepare some red envelopes (hongbao) with suitable amounts of new bills in.This is the easy and traditional go-to Chinese gift for kids that fits all circumstances. Why do we eat pineapple tarts during Chinese New Year? Pineapple Tarts Serving any kind of sweet dessert is encouraged during Chinese New Year because it symbolises bringing a sweet life into the new year. The Hokkiens also consider certain fruits auspicious, and they are particularly fond of pineapple, ong lai in the Hokkien dialect, which Killing should be avoided from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year as blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a knife wound, or a bloody disaster. People usually kill chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish before Chinese New Year or on Chinese New Year's Eve. 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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