The first day of the first lunar month is Spring Festival, the

beginning of the new year for China. This year falls on the

11thFebruary.

Spring Festival is china’s biggest extravaganza （ 盛 宴 ） and a

day for family reunion. The Spring Festival celebration is a

continuous （ 持 续 的 ） process, starting from the 23rd of the 12 th

lunar month. People often worship（崇拜，祭拜） the kitchen God,

clean their houses, do their shopping, paste paper-cut decorations

（装饰） on the windows and doors, and put up the Spring Festival

couplets(blessing words written on red paper posted on door frames)

until new year’s Eve.

These customs can be traced back to a Chinese legend. It’s said

that in ancient times, there was a monster named “year”, who would

come out and harm the world by the end of each year. People then

take measures to send the monster away. Such as putting up red

couplets and paper-cuts as the “year” hates the color red. And setting

off fireworks and firecrackers to scare it away. In addition to staying

up late on new year’s Eve, having a new year’s Eve dinner and

watching the spring festival gala are two important customs of the

festival. New year’s Eve dinner are various （各种各样）in different

parts of China.

Those in south China must have a dish of fish, because fish in

Chinese sounds similar to the character for “prosperity”( 繁荣 ) and

means a rich and comfortable life. Those in north China often eat

dumplings, which symbolize Reunion and Fortune, because

dumplings look like Chinese ancient gold ingots.

Children love Spring Festival because they can get red packet or

lucky money! Traditionally, adults（成年人） placed money into red

envelopes and give them to the children to wish them peace and luck

in the coming year. The joyous atmosphere of Chinese new year will

linger （ 萦 绕 ） until the first full moon of the first lunar month.

Then the lantern Festival is celebrated, which is another busy day.