Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year, is one of the most important and grand traditional festivals of the Chinese nation. It combines various aspects such as getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, worshipping gods and ancestors, praying for good fortune and warding off evil spirits, family reunions, festive entertainment, and food culture. Here are some of the Spring Festival customs.
From the 23rd to the 29th day of the 12th lunar month:
On the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month (Xiaonian), it is regarded as the day when the Kitchen God goes to heaven. People have the custom of sacrificing to the Kitchen God, hoping that he will report good deeds in heaven and protect the peace of the world when he comes back.
On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, every household conducts a thorough cleaning, aiming to sweep away the bad luck of the past year and welcome the new year. Since "dust" is homophonic with "old" in Chinese, cleaning also means "removing the old and making way for the new".
On the 25th day of the 12th lunar month, traditionally, it is the day to grind beans and make tofu. There is also a saying that the Jade Emperor will come down to inspect the world, and people eat bean curd residue to show their simplicity and thrift, which implies being diligent and thrifty in running a household.
On the 26th day of the 12th lunar month, people start to prepare New Year goods, such as killing pigs and cutting meat, to get ready for a sumptuous meal during the New Year.
On the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, people make New Year cakes and steam buns, prepare various festival foods, and at the same time, paste window flowers and New Year pictures to add to the festive atmosphere.
On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, people visit the graves to worship their ancestors, invite the ancestors to come home for the New Year, and prepare sumptuous offerings to express their remembrance and respect for the ancestors.
People paste Spring Festival couplets, the character "Fu", and door gods on the gates, walls, and lintels, expressing their longing for a happy life and praying for peace and good luck.
Before the New Year's Eve dinner, people hold the ceremony of worshipping ancestors and gods, praying for favorable weather, a good harvest, and the safety of the family in the coming year.
The whole family gets together to enjoy a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. The dishes usually have auspicious meanings, such as fish (meaning having more than enough every year), dumplings (meaning bringing in wealth), and New Year cakes (meaning rising higher year by year).
On New Year's Eve, families sit around together, staying up all night, waiting for the arrival of the new year, which means saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, and embracing new hopes and happiness.
Elders give lucky money to the younger generation, which is meant to drive away evil spirits and protect them, and also shows the blessings and expectations for the children in the new year.
At midnight, every household sets off firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year with the crackling sound, symbolizing good luck. However, in recent years, for environmental and safety reasons, setting off firecrackers has been banned in many places.
From the first day of the first lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month:
Starting from the first day of the first lunar month, people wear new clothes, visit relatives and friends, and pay New Year calls to each other, expressing New Year's greetings. The time for paying New Year calls generally lasts until the fifth day of the first lunar month, and even until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
During the Spring Festival, there are dragon and lion dance performances in various places, which are believed to drive away evil spirits and disasters and pray for good luck and a good harvest.
The temple fair is one of the important activities during the Spring Festival. There are not only sacrificial activities but also bazaar transactions and various entertainment activities, such as enjoying lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and eating snacks. It is very lively.
During the Spring Festival, there are dragon and lion dance performances in various places, which are believed to drive away evil spirits and disasters and pray for good luck and a good harvest.
The temple fair is one of the important activities during the Spring Festival. There are not only sacrificial activities but also bazaar transactions and various entertainment activities, such as enjoying lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and eating snacks. It is very lively.
These are the main customs during the Spring Festival. These customs carry rich cultural connotations and people's yearning for a better life. Although some customs may have gradually faded or changed with the passage of time, they are still an important part of traditional Chinese culture and worthy of our inheritance and promotion.
