Chinese New Year Origin & Traditions

The Chinese New Year is the most important of all traditional Chinese celebrations. It dates from the time of the Shang dynasty (1600 BC - 1100 BC), when people worshiped gods and ancestors around the turn of the year. Only much later did it become a festival in which the old year was said goodbye and the new year was welcomed. The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar and not the solar calendar. The Chinese New Year begins on the second new moon after the solstice of December 21. According to our calendar, that is somewhere between January 21 and Februari 20. The Chinese New Year announces the beginning of spig and is therefore called 'Spring Festival'. With singing and dancing people plowing and sowing season. On the days before the New Year celebration, people buy gifts, decorations, special food and new clothes. The house thoroughly cleaned on New Year's Eve - 'Chuxi' - and decorated with paper-cut sayings and two rhyming lines expressing happiness, prosperity and longevity.

New Year I a family celebration. No matter how far people are from home, they do their utmost to enjoy the New Year's dinner with the whole family. That is why there is a real migration of people in China in the days before the Chinese New Year. Millions of people then travel to their native village to celebrate the New Year there. On New Year's Day they visit friends and acquaintances to wish each other the best for the New Year. It is a big fun party, not only at home with the family, but also on the street. There is a lot of eating and drinking and of course there are lots of loud fireworks.