Traditional Chinese New Year Custom

            A series of colorful celebration activities begin on the first day of the first day of the first lunar month. After the Spring Festival, all kinds of entertainment programs used to be given in the rural areas in China. Just like the flower exhibition in Beijing now, the entertainment programs include walking on stilts, taking a boat on ground and operas.

No matter in the city or in the countryside, all the people will do one thing that is to extend Spring Festival greetings. This activity begins at first between family members. Normally we will extend our Spring Festival greetings to our elders, such as our parents, uncles and aunts. Relatives will drop each other a visit during the Spring Festival to give their best wishes. 


To drop a Spring Festival visit to give your new year greetings when you are out. Have a luck talk. Happy New Year! May you come into a good fortune! A luck talk can bring Luck to people in the new year. Health is very important. So new greetings normally have "Good Health!" Hope everything goes your way. May you succeed at whatever you try.

Since 'Yasuiqian' '压岁钱' is money put into a small red paper envelope, people also call it "red bag/envelope/pocket". Normally, our elders give us children new year money. We kowtow to them and give them our best wishes. They will give us new year money. Actually, "sui" in yasuiqian has a homonym which means evil spirit. Yasuiqian is to get rid of this evil spirit and bad luck. So people give some money to bring good luck. In fact, at first people did not give money but other symbolic gifts. Then, they give money. No matter how big or small the amount is, it has a symbolic meaning.  
               

After the 10th day of the first lunar month calendar, people begin to celebrate Yuanxiao Festival/the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao Festival is the 15th day of the first lunar month, another climax during Spring Festival celebration. Watching lanterns and eating Yuanxiao are two main activities for Xuanxiao Festival celebration. On this day, people go to guess riddles on lanterns at night and have a big dinner for celebration. The riddle games are full of wisdom and fun.

During the Spring Festival, one must be extremely careful in his or her acts and words. Because Chinese people want to have a nice start at the beginning of each year. Therefore there are many taboos during the Spring Festival. Some words should not be spoken and some things should not be done. 

There are many taboos during the Spring Festival. One should not sweep on the first day of the first lunar month. If you sweep on that day, you should sweep from outdoors to indoors, but not from indoors to outdoors. If a child breaks something on that day, you should not blame him or her. You should say "To break is great for next year!" Break in Chinese has a homonym which means Year. If a child says something bad, it is "Children’s words are no taboos."