China Spring Festival

Spring festival is definitely the most glorious festival in China.  All family members gather together and celebrate the beginning of the lunar calendar new year. The celebration usually starts 24^th Dec. of lunar calendar and end with the Lantern Festival at 15^th Jan. of lunar calendar.

In yje old days, we keep leisure and celebrating the whole duration. Since life phythm become faster and people become busier, the celebration has become simple and short.

Now, the celebration starts at Spring Festival Eva. Everyone goes back to his/her hometown and the families decorate thier homes with all kinds of happy elements.  Chinese knots, antithetical couplets, lantern and paper-cuts are the most popular formats to express our good wish for happy, healthy rich, longevity.

Spring festival dinner is maybe the most important dinner among the whole year. We had fireworks before and after the dinner.  During dinner time, all families watch the National Spring Festival Gala, which can date back to 30 years ago.

 

Accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, the old lunar year ends and the new comes. Fireworks and firecrackers competing in full bloom since 0:00 a.m. Spring festival morning and will lasts to about 9:00 a.m.

The first thing we do in Spring festival morning is fire fireworks. Kids will get cash in red envelop from parents when they get up. Then we have some candy and nuts before breakfast.

Visiting relatives and friends are no doubt the most exciting thing during the holiday. We carry goodie bags to visit relatives and friends, and kids can get red envelops from relatives and friends.

Some kids from big families can get thousands of yuan after gathering all the red envelops together.

 

 

 

Traditionally, Lantern Festival (15^th Jan. of Lunar calendar) is the end of the Spring Festival. But nowadays, people start to work at 7^th Jan. ( Lunar calendar ) and make the lantern festival another celebration.

Attending temple fair maybe the highlight of the lantern festival. All kinds of traditional performances in temple squares. Tasty foods are gathering form all over the country. And guessing riddles written on lanterns will be also an interesting game during the temple fair.

 

 

All family members will eat Tang Yuan (glutinous rice balls with meats or sweetie inside) at Lantern festival dinner to end the month-long holiday.

BTW, year 2012 is Dorgan year according to the lunar calendar.

Comments

[Jeannet]

Thank you so much for sharing this very informative information. I really appreciate you taking the time to share with the rest of us, all of your customs. I found it very interesting and enjoyed it. - It sounds like so much fun and a very special time. Traditions are important just like friends and family is.
Thanks again for sharing. Great idea.