Spring Festival Customs in Wuhe County, Anhui Province

The origin of the Spring Festival has a legend that in ancient China there was a monster called "Nian", with a long tentacled head, fierce and unusual.

The Nian lived on the bottom of the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve, devouring livestock and hurting people. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, the people of the villages and hamlets fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast. One New Year's Eve, from outside the village came a begging old man. Folks a rush panic scene, only the east end of the village, an old woman gave the old man some food, and advised him to quickly go to the mountains to avoid the "year" beasts, the old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Granny if you let me stay at home one night, I'm sure that the 'year'! The old man smiled with his beard and said, "If you let me stay at home for one night, I will definitely drive the 'Year' beast away." The old woman still continue to persuade, begging old man smiled but did not say. In the middle of the night, the Beast of the Year came into the village. It found that the atmosphere in the village was different from that of previous years: in the old woman's house at the east end of the village, the door was plastered with red paper, and the candles in the house were burning brightly.

The beast shivered and gave a strange cry. Near the door, the yard suddenly came "bang bang pop" sound, "year" trembling, and do not dare to come forward. It turns out that Nian is afraid of the color red, fire and explosions. At this time, the door of the mother-in-law's house was wide open, only to see an old man wearing a red robe in the courtyard laughing. "Nian was so shocked that he fled in disarray. The next day was the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and the people who came back from their refuge were very surprised to see that the village was safe and sound. It was then that the old woman came to her senses, and hurriedly told the townspeople about the old man's promise to beg. This story soon spread in the surrounding villages, and people knew the way to drive away the "New Year" beast. (Hakka legend)

From then on, every year on New Year's Eve, every family put up red couplets and set off firecrackers; every household kept their candles burning brightly and waited for the New Year's Eve. Early in the morning on the first day, but also to visit friends and relatives to say hello. This custom is more and more widely spread, and has become the most solemn traditional Chinese folk festival.