Spring Festival (Chūn Jié) is the most important and celebrated festival for Chinese people. It is a time for all family members to gather, visit relatives and friends. The New Year for China starts on the first day of the lunar calendar and finishes on the fifteenth day. Most people come back to hometown from all around the world, in recent years, traveling during the festival is also getting popular.
What makes Spring Festival such important? It started with a Legend.
In the Chinese language, “year” is “nián”, which is also known as the beast Nian. Nian was an extremely savage beast, it lived under the sea most of the time. But it always came to the land to attack and eat livestock and humans on the last day of the lunar year. One year on this day, there came an old man to the village, he was asking for food while nobody paid attention to him because everyone was going back home to hide from Nian. Only an old woman helped the man and told him to run for his life, the old man told her he could help her to survive from Nian as long as she lets him stay. Even though the lady was doubting, she still invited the man home.
At the midnight, Nian came to the village and was about to attack, it came to the house of the old woman. But there was a red paper on the door, Nian began to shout, at the same time, explosion sounds came from the house, Nian got really scared and ran away. The old man in red opened the door and laughed at the beast, all the other villagers came to the old woman to learn what she has done. Nian was afraid of red color, explosion and lights, so when it came to the last day of the lunar year, people put on couplets on the door, fired firecrackers, and wore red clothes, to scare away Nian.
That is how people celebrate the Spring Festival, to drive away the last year and welcome the new year, that is also why Chinese people like to wear red. You are always welcome to China to celebrate Chūn Jié (Spring Festival) with a Chinese family. This year is Niú Year (Zodiac Ox Year).
Chūn Jié Kuài Lè! Happy Spring Festival!
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