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It's hard to say when the New Year's custom originated, but it's generally believed to have originated in the Yinshang period when sacrifices were made to the gods and ancestors at the end of the year. The first month of the lunar calendar (January) is the beginning of the year, and the first or middle of the first month, in most cases, coincides with the beginning of spring (in a few cases, spring is in the second half of the lunar month), now named Spring Festival; the final determination of the specific time of the festival is believed to be related to the time of year that has the least impact on agricultural work. The last day of the year in the lunar calendar (30th day of the month, 29th day of the month), known as the "Lunar New Year's Eve", New Year's Eve night family reunion to eat New Year's Eve (the last meal of the year in the lunar calendar), New Year's Eve after the meal there is a New Year's Eve (to keep the New Year's Eve) and the custom of handing out New Year's Eve money, that is, from the last day of the previous year of the lunar calendar, to keep the first day of the coming year, therefore, to the This festival is also known as the New Year.

From the solar calendar, the Spring Festival in January 21 to February 20 swim. Spring Festival is on February 4th or February 5th.

Xiao Nian Da Nian

In folklore, especially in rural areas, there is a custom to celebrate Xiao Nian and Da Nian.

On Xiao Nian, the 23rd (or 24th) day of the Lunar month of the lunar calendar (see note on the discussion page), the Zao Wang Wang is sent to heaven (the enshrined Zao Wang painting is cremated) to report to the Jade Emperor on the performance of the family he is a part of, over the past year. In order for the Zao Wang to say good things, sugar melons are offered and sugar paste is put on his mouth when he is sent off, so that he will go up to heaven and say good things. To welcome Zao Wang back on New Year's Eve, a new Zao Wang painting (depicting Master Zao Wang and his wife Zao Wang's milk) is invited (bought) and offered in the kitchen. On both sides of the painting, a couplet is usually posted: "Good things are said in heaven, and peace is guaranteed in the lower world". The banner reads: "The head of the family.

The New Year begins on the last day of Lunar New Year, and it is generally believed that until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month, there is also the saying that before the first month of the year is the year.

Holidays

The Chinese mainland has set the Spring Festival as a three-day holiday, from the first to the third day of the first month of the lunar calendar (1st to 3rd). However, many places (especially non-state-owned organizations) do not officially start work until the eighth day of the first month.

China's neighboring countries that are influenced by Chinese culture, such as South Korea, where the Korean word is "Seollal ? "

















Seollal? Although the countries do not have the same name, but the custom is similar.

New Year's Customs

Lunar New Year's Day: The eighth day of the Lunar New Year is a traditional Han Chinese holiday that signals the coming of the "Jubilee of the Year". Traditionally, Laha congee is drunk and Laha garlic is made on this day. See also Laha Festival

Stove-worshiping, which is the sending of Zao Wang to heaven on New Year's Day

Sweeping the dust,

Putting up Spring Festival couplets and New Year's paintings,

Inviting the gods, worshipping the gods and sending the gods to the gods,

Burning incense and candles,

Hanging lanterns with lighted candles, which are very beautiful when the candle flame flames flickers. If you put a light bulb in the lantern, it will be much less beautiful.

Worshiping ancestors,

Drumming,

New Year's Eve dinner, keeping watch,

Firecrackers,

Paying respect to the New Year,

New Year's money,

Stilt stepping, dragon lantern dance,

Reunion of all the families. People who go out to study and work have to go home to spend the New Year with their parents.

The Legend of Nian

According to legend, in ancient China, there was a monster called Nian, which had horns and was very fierce. It lived on the bottom of the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve to devour livestock and hurt people. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, the people of villages and hamlets, old and young, fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "year" beast.

This New Year's Eve, Peach Blossom Village, people are supporting the old and young to take refuge in the mountains, from outside the village came to a begging old man, only to see his hand on crutches, arm with a bag bag, silver beard flowing, eyes like a star. Folks have sealed the windows and locked the door, some packing, some cattle and sheep, everywhere people shouting and horse neighing, a scene of panic in a hurry. At this time, who still have the heart to care for the old man begging. 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 "New Year" beast, the old man stroked his beard and laughed: "Granny, if you let me stay at home for a night, I must be 'New Year' beasts away". The old woman looked closely, see his hair, hale and hearty, extraordinary. But she still continued to persuade, begging the old man smiled but did not say. The old woman had no choice but to leave her home behind and take refuge in the mountains.

In the middle of the night, the "New Year" beast broke into the village. It realized that the atmosphere in the village was different from that of previous years: the old lady's house at the east end of the village had a big red paper on the door, and the candles in the house were burning brightly. The beast shivered and gave a strange cry. Nian" stared angrily at the old lady's house for a moment, and then pounced on her with a wild cry. Near the door, the courtyard suddenly came "bang bang pop" sound, "year" shuddered, no longer 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 is wide open, only to see an old man wearing a red robe in the courtyard is laughing. Nian" was shocked and fled.

The next day is the first day of the first month of the year, the people back to see the village safe and sound very surprised. At this point, the old woman realized, rushed to the townspeople to tell the old man's promise of begging. Villagers flocked to the old lady's home, only to see the old lady's home with red paper on the door, a pile of unburned bamboo in the yard is still in the "snap" blast, a few red candles inside the house is still glowing ......; ecstatic villagers to celebrate the arrival of good luck, have to change the new clothes! Wear new hats, to friends and relatives to say hello. This incident soon spread in the surrounding villages, people know the way to drive away the "year" beast.

From then on, every year on New Year's Eve, every family stick red couplets, firecrackers; household candles brightly lit, to keep the night. Early in the morning on the first day, but also to go to friends and relatives to say goodbye. This custom is more and more widely spread, into the Chinese folk the most grand traditional festival "New Year".

The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, also known as the lunar year, commonly known as "New Year", "New Year". This is one of the grandest and most lively traditional festivals in China. The Spring Festival has a long history, which originated in the Yin Shang period at the end of the year to sacrifice to the gods and ancestors.

The Spring Festival is here, meaning that spring will come, the recovery of grass and trees renewed, a new round of sowing and harvest season to start. People have just passed through the ice and snow, grass and trees withered the long winter, have long been looking forward to the day of spring, when the arrival of the Spring Festival, naturally, full of joy to sing and dance to meet this festival.

For thousands of years, people make the New Year celebrations have become very colorful, every year from the 23rd day of Lunar Lunar New Year to the 30th, the folk called this period of time, "Welcome to the Spring Day", also known as the "dust day", in the Spring Festival before sweeping the dust to engage in sanitation, is a traditional habit of the Chinese people. The Chinese people have always had the traditional habit.

Then it is the family to prepare for the New Year's goods, about ten days before the festival, people began to busy purchasing items, New Year's goods, including chickens, ducks, fish and meat, tea, wine, oil and sauce, North and South fried goods, sugar bait fruit, are to buy enough, but also to prepare some of the New Year's Eve when visiting friends and relatives when the gift, the children to add a new coat and a new hat, ready for the New Year when to wear.

Before the festival in the residence of the door to paste the red paper and yellow characters of the New Year message, that is, written in red paper Spring Festival couplets. The house posted brightly colored auspicious New Year's paintings, clever girls cut out beautiful window flowers pasted on the windows, hanging red lanterns or sticking the word "Fu" and the God of Fortune, the God of the Door, etc., the word "Fu" can also be pasted upside down, passers-by read the blessing upside down, that is, blessing to the festival, all of these activities are to add enough to the festivities of the atmosphere of festivities.

Another name for the Spring Festival is New Year's Eve. In the legends of the past, Nian was an imaginary animal that brought bad luck to people. When the year came. Trees wither and no grass grows; once the year passes, everything grows and flowers are everywhere. How can the year pass? Need to bombard with firecrackers , so there is the custom of burning firecrackers, which is actually another way to bake a lively scene.

The Spring Festival is a happy and peaceful holiday, but also the reunion of loved ones, children away from home in the Spring Festival to go home to get together. The night before the New Year's Eve, is the old year's Lunar New Year's Eve, also known as New Year's Eve, also known as the reunion night, in this time of transition between the old and the new, the New Year's Eve is one of the most important customary activities, New Year's Eve night, the whole family stay up to keep watch together, get together to drink soundly, *** enjoy the joy of family, the northern region in the New Year's Eve to eat dumplings, dumplings, dumplings, dumplings and noodles, and the word is the together; dumplings and dumplings and cross the harmony of the together and cross the meaning, but also take more years of intercourse The dumplings have the meaning of "getting together" and "turning over the year". In the south, it is customary to eat rice cakes on New Year's Day, sweet and sticky rice cakes, symbolizing the new year's sweet life, step by step.

To the first rooster crows, or the New Year's bells ringing, the street firecrackers, loud and clear, the family is full of joy, the beginning of a new year, men, women and children are dressed in festive attire, the first to the elders in the family New Year's wishes, the festival there are to the children's New Year's money, eat New Year's Eve dinner, the second, third, began to go to the relatives to see their friends, and each other, congratulations on blessings, say some Congratulations to the new happy, Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations, New Year's Eve and other words, ancestor worship and other activities.

The warm atmosphere of the festival is not only overflowing in every household, but also full of streets and alleys, some places on the market and lion dance, dragon lanterns, performing fireworks, touring the flower market, temple fair and other customs. During this period of lanterns all over the city, the streets are full of tourists, lively, unprecedented, straight to the first month of the 15th Lantern Festival, the Spring Festival is really the end.

The Spring Festival is the most important festival of the Han Chinese people, but the Manchu, Mongolia, Yao, Zhuang, white, mountain, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong, Li and other ethnic minorities also have the custom of the Spring Festival, but the form of the festival is more of their own national characteristics, more flavorful.

The origin of the Spring Festival and the legend

Spring Festival and the concept of the year, the original meaning from the agricultural, the ancient people of the growth cycle of the grain known as the "year", "Shuowen - Wo Department": "year, the grain is also ripe:. In the Xia and Shang dynasties produced the Xia calendar, the cycle of the moon for the month, a year divided into twelve months, each month to not see the moon for the day for the first day of the first month of the first day of the ZiZhou known as the first of the year, that is, the beginning of a year, also known as the year, the year of the name is from the Zhou Dynasty, to the Western Han Dynasty to formally fixed, and has been continued to the present day. But the first day of the first month in ancient times was known as "New Year's Day", until China's modern Xinhai Revolution after the victory of the Nanjing Provisional Government in order to comply with the farming season and facilitate the statistics, the provisions of the civil use of the summer calendar, government agencies, factories, mines, schools and organizations in the implementation of the Gregorian calendar to the Gregorian calendar for the first day of the first month of New Year's Day, the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, known as the Spring Festival.

Traditionally, the Spring Festival refers to the Lunar New Year Festival from the Lunar New Year Festival on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, or Lunar New Year Festival on the twenty-third day of the Lunar New Year, until the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, which culminates in New Year's Eve and the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year. In the Spring Festival this traditional festival period, China's Han Chinese and most of the ethnic minorities have to hold a variety of celebrations, most of these activities to worship God and Buddha, ancestors, in addition to the old and the new, to welcome the Jubilee to receive the blessing, and pray for a good year as the main content. Activities in the form of colorful, with a strong ethnic characteristics.

The Spring Festival originated in China's primitive society, the "wax festival". It is said that at the end of the day, people kill pigs to sacrifice to God, praying for the next year, the wind and the rain, the grain harvest. People painted their faces with vermilion sand, decorated with bird wings, singing and dancing. As for the "Spring Festival" one, the earliest in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty - Yang Zhen": "and no snow in winter, the Spring Festival has not rained, the bureaucrats are anxious."

September 27, 1949, the founding of the new China, in the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, adopted the use of the world's common calendar calendar, the first day of the first month of the Gregorian calendar as New Year's Day, commonly known as the solar year; the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar is usually in the spring before and after the start of the Lunar Calendar, and therefore the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar as the "Spring Festival! "commonly known as the year of the lunar calendar.

One of the legends of the Spring Festival: the year-old vigil

The year-old vigil, that is, in the last night of the old year, do not sleep, stay up to meet the arrival of the new year's custom, also known as the New Year's Eve vigil, commonly known as the "year-old". Explore the origins of this custom, there is an interesting story circulating in folklore:

In ancient times, there was a ferocious beast, scattered in the mountains and dense forests, people called them "year". It is hideous, vicious, specializing in eating birds and beasts, scales and insects, a day to change a flavor, from knocking insects have been eaten to the living, so that people talk about the "year" color change. Later, people slowly mastered the "year" of the law of activities, it is every three hundred and sixty-five days scurrying to the crowd gathered in the place to taste a mouthful of food, and the time of the infestation are in the dark, wait until the rooster breaks the dawn, they will return to the mountains and forests to go.

Calculating the date of the "year" rampage, the people will be this terrible night as a pass to brake, called the "New Year's Eve", and came up with a set of New Year's Eve approach: every night, every family is ahead of time to do a good job of dinner, put out the fire! Net stove, and then all the chicken coop cattle pen tethered to the front and back doors of the mansion are sealed, hiding in the house to eat "New Year's Eve dinner", because this dinner has the meaning of bad luck and uncertainty, so organized very sumptuous, in addition to the whole family to eat together to express the harmony and reunion, but also have to be in the meal before the sacrifice to the ancestors, praying for the blessing of the gods of the ancestors, and the gods of the ancestors, and the gods of the ancestors. Peacefully through the night, after dinner, who do not dare to sleep, sitting together in a crowded chatting courage. Gradually formed the habit of New Year's Eve to stay up to keep the New Year's Eve.

The custom of year-end vigil rose in the North and South Dynasties, the Liang Dynasty, many literati have a year-end poetry. "One night is even a double year, and the fifth night is divided into two years." People light up candles or oil lamps and keep vigil all night, symbolizing that all evil plagues and epidemics are driven away, looking forward to an auspicious new year. This custom has been passed down to this day.