Among traditional Chinese festivals, the most lively and significant is “Chinese New Year,” celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar. Even today, the celebrations for the Chinese New Year are far more elaborate than those for the Gregorian New Year. Preparations for Chinese New Year typically begin on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month with the sending off of the Kitchen God, and the celebrations continue until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. The most critical days are New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year.
Every household thoroughly cleans before New Year’s Eve to welcome good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. People decorate their homes with spring couplets and lanterns. The celebrations include performances such as dragon and lion dances and traditional operas. Families gather to enjoy a sumptuous reunion dinner, savoring conventional foods like dumplings, rice cakes, and various New Year dishes. Younger family members offer New Year’s greetings to their elders, who give them “lucky money” in red envelopes, wishing them safety and growth.
New Year’s Eve is one of the most important moments of the celebration. Families reunite to welcome the New Year together. Firecrackers are lit in the street, and at midnight, fireworks fill the sky, symbolizing the expulsion of evil spirits and ushering in good luck for the New Year. Chinese New Year is also a time for visiting relatives and friends and exchanging New Year wishes. Giving red envelopes to children, often containing money in auspicious amounts, is a common practice symbolizing wealth and good fortune.
Across China, Chinese New Year is celebrated with various customs and traditions, and each region has its unique way of celebrating. However, themes of reunion, ancestor worship, blessings, and celebration are common nationwide.
How did people celebrate Chinese New Year in ancient China?
During the Tang Dynasty, when the empire was unified, Han officials, regional leaders, and envoys would come to pay tribute to the emperor, offering their congratulations. The imperial palace hosted various celebrations, with bells and drums and an atmosphere of festivity. Among the ordinary people, as the midnight hour approached, bells and drums would ring out in the streets, marking the transition from the old year to the new. People gathered at temple fairs, with temples and monasteries bustling with visitors all day.
In the Song Dynasty, the emperor personally offered sacrifices to the gods of Heaven and Earth on New Year’s Day, praying for favorable weather and national peace. Civil and military officials then extended New Year greetings to the emperor. The atmosphere was even more vibrant among the populace, with homes and shops adorned with decorations and entertainment venues bustling with activity. People visited temples and palaces, praying to the deities for blessings.
During the Qing Dynasty, on New Year’s Day, officials paid respects to the emperor in a ceremony known as the “Great Court.” Among the ordinary people, New Year’s Day was the most lively day of the year, with firecrackers and a festive atmosphere prevailing throughout the day and night. In Beijing, from the 13th to the 17th of the first lunar month, the period was known as the Lantern Festival, with the 15th being the “Main Lantern Festival.”
During this time, the imperial court held grand banquets and fireworks displays. Warriors performed wrestling, various ethnic groups played music, and there were dances and other performances. The emperor ordered the release of fireworks, creating a spectacular display that reached the clouds. The firecrackers roared like thunder, continuing for a quarter of an hour. It was indeed a grand event during national stability and prosperity.
The traditional Chinese New Year is the most important day of the year. The customs of worshiping gods, honoring ancestors, exchanging New Year greetings, and many folk traditions have a long and rich history.
Follow us on X, Facebook, or Pinterest
