What are the customs of the Spring Festival in Beijing?

Spring Festival is one of the most grand and distinctive traditional festivals in China. Generally speaking, it refers to New Year's Eve and the first day of the first month, that is, the first day of the year. Also known as the Lunar New Year, commonly known as "Chinese New Year". From Laba or Xiao Nian to Lantern Festival, it is called China New Year. The Spring Festival customs in Beijing are as follows:

Cutting window grilles is one of many customs. There are all kinds of interesting stories about animals and plants on the window grilles, such as magpies climbing plum blossoms, swallows wearing peaches and willows, peacocks playing with peonies, lions rolling hydrangeas, three sheep (Yang) opening Thailand, two dragons playing with pearls, deer crane toon (Liuhe Tongchun), five bats (Fu) celebrating longevity, rhinoceros looking at the moon, lotus (Lotus) having fish (the rest) and Yuanyang playing with water.

Cleaning before the Spring Festival is a traditional custom in China, and it is also a way to get rid of bad luck and welcome happiness. On the day of dusting, the whole family began to clean the house and yard together, scrub the pots and pans, remove and wash the bedding, and greet the New Year cleanly. According to ancient records, there was a habit of cleaning at the end of the year in ancient times, and people used the homophonic sound of "dust" and "Chen" to express their willingness to get rid of the old and welcome the new.

Spring Festival couplets, also known as "spring stickers" and "door pairs". It depicts a beautiful image with neat, concise and exquisite words. During the Spring Festival, no matter in urban or rural areas, every household should choose a pair of red Spring Festival couplets and stick them on the door to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, so as to increase the festive atmosphere of the festival. For thousands of years, the form of Spring Festival couplets has developed from writing with a brush to printing on colored paper. However, the ever-changing flavor of the year is an eternal treasure in China people's bones.