Chinese spring new year festival

Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history. It is the grandest
and the most important annual event for Chinese people.
Time for Family Reunion
Being one of the traditional festivals, it is the time for the whole families to reunite together, which is
similar with Christmas Day to the westerners.
The Longest Public Holiday
The festival lasts for 15 days from the 1st to 15th day of the first lunar month, and in folklore it starts
even earlier, from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. Most employees will have seven days off
work, while students take one month absence from school.
Holiday Origins from Monster Nian
Originating during the Shang Dynasty (17th - 11th century BC), the festival used to be observed to
fight against the monster "Nian" who liked to eat children and livestock. The monster was afraid of red
color and loud sound. Therefore, people decorated their houses in red and set off firecrackers to expel
it.
The first day of the first lunar month is regarded as the New Year of the Chinese the Spring Festival. It
is the most important and ceremonious traditional festival in China, just as Christmas Day to the
westerners.

Chinese spring new year festival

During the Spring Festival, every family is busy cleaning house in the hope of getting rid of
defilements and preventing diseases. Also, they need to paste door-god, spring festival
couplets, and the reversed Chinese character "" (means blessing),and hang flags in the
hope of praying for auspiciousness in the New Year. On the New Year's Eve, every family
enjoys a grand dinner, shoots off firecrackers, plays dragon dance and lion dance, and stays
up late or all night. People will pay a New Year call to one another from the first day, and it is
not until the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, namely, the Lantern Festival, that the Spring
Festival is ended.
On the New Year's Eve, people work far away from home will manage to come back,
regardless of long-distance travel, so the "Grand Dinner on New Year's Eve" is also called
"Family Reunion Dinner". Whatever the financial condition is, every family will make the
dinner the most sumptuous and ceremonious one in the year. Hostesses will fetch out
foodstuffs prepared in early time and all family members will sit together and make
dumplings in jollification. At twelve o'clock, when a new year drives off the old, every family
will shoot off firecrackers to greet new days and send off old ones. Following the New Year's
Eve is the first day of the Spring Festival, a day for paying a New Year call (bainian), during
which people will be busy in giving best wishes to one another by saying such auspicious
phrases as "Happy New Year" and "May you be prosperous", etc. In New Year's days, elders
will put some money in a red pocket (yasuiqian) and give it to children as a gift. It is believed
that on New Year's Day attention should be paid to ensure not to break up anything, or else
one will miss good fortunes in the whole year, and that sweeping the floor will sweep off
wealth and drive away good luck .
Traditional food prepared for the Spring Festival varies with customs in different regions.
However, those with auspicious names, meanings or shapes are favored, such as "New Year
Cake" (niangao in Chinese, means "higher year", suggesting better fortune in the new year,
and has the shape of gold and silver blocks), dumplings, the shape of which is similar to

ingots, suggesting bringing in wealth and treasure, as well as fish symbolizing amassing
fortunes.
According to history records, the Spring Festival derives from god and ancestor worships in
the Shang dynasty. Nowadays, this superstitious meaning has faded away and is replaced
with a symbol of unification, happiness and hope.
Question
When is the 2016 Chinese New Year Day?
2016 Chinese New Year of the Monkey is on February 8, 2016
The Lantern Festival of Chinese New Year is on February 22, 2016
What is the Name of Chinese Year 2016?
The Chinese calendar name of 2016 is Male FireBing 2016 MonkeyShen.
Bing is Fire and Shen is Monkey in Chinese Horoscope. Therefore, 2016 is also called Fire
Monkey Year.
From Chinese Five Element theory, Fire is connected to Red. 2016 is also named as the Red
Monkey.
Why 2016 is Called the Year of Monkey?
The name comes from Chinese Stem-Branch Calendar. Chinese Fortune Calendar provides
the information Chinese New Year 2016.
How Old is the China?
2016 is Year 4713 in the Chinese Calendar. Explanation at Chinese New Year 2016
Chinese civilization is up to 8000 years.
Dadiwan Civilization had houses, cooking tools, color pottery, artifacts and agriculture.
Archeologists doubt the I-Ching was invested there.
How does the Chinese Calendar Work?
Chinese Calendar is a calendar combining Solar, Lunar and Stem-Branch cycles.
Chinese New Year uses the Chinese Lunar Calendar system.
Chinese Astrology Year uses the Jie-Chi (solar segment) and Stem-Branch system
The animal names are from Stem-Branch system.
The detail explanation is at Chinese Lunar Calendar
When and Where are Chinese New Year Festivals and Parades in USA/Canada?
2016 Chinese New Year Festival and Lunar New Year Parade