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Make Preparations One Week Before
Generally, a thorough sweeping of the house forebodes the beginning of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. People sweep away dust from furniture, walls, floors and kitchen ware, and throw away old useless things to sweep away bad luck and welcome the coming year. Next, it’s time for New Year shopping to buy foods, drinks, new clothes, snacks and other special products from crowded shopping malls and markets. Moreover, New Year decorations must be on the shopping list. Spring festival couplets , red lanterns, Fu character posters, red paper cuts, and New Year pictures with images of Chinese zodiac animals are most popular ornaments.
Return Home before the New Year’s Eve
Since Since Chinese New Year is quite significant for Chinese, no matter how far a person is, they will always try to return home regardless of how far they must travelling and other problems they are experiencing. The result is the so-called Spring Festival Travel Rush Everyone wants to return home before the New Year Eve and have a reunion dinner with their family.
Celebrations Reach the Peak on the New Year’s Eve
On the morning of the New Year’s Eve, people sweep the tombs of their ancestors, and then return home to do the last decorations for their house. When they finish pasting the Spring Festival couplets and hanging the red lanterns, it’s time for the grandest Chinese New Year celebration – the family reunion dinner, the most sumptuous banquet of the year, with various delicious and lucky dishes, and of course the Chinese Dumpliings. At 8:00 pm, every TV set will be tuned the CCTV New Year’s Gala, and the sounds of firecrackers at midnight highlights the festival night.
First Day Spent at Home
People usually spend the first day of the Chinese New Year with their family members at home. They usually have dumplings or niangao as the first meal of the New Year. After breakfast, little kids put on new clothes and give New Year greetings to their parents and grandparents. Both the kids and un-married adults may receive monetary red envelopes from seniors in the family. Some people will go to temples in hope of having good luck the whole year.
Visit Relatives for Several Days
Chinese New Year celebration is not exclusive to immediate family members, but among all relatives and friends. Married couples should visit the wife’s parents on the second day of the New Year. During the following days, people visit different relatives, bringing gifts and red envelopes to express care, love, and good wishes. Hearty feasts are held from one house to another. People enjoy the food and drink, chat, laugh, and sometimes play mahjong for entertainment.
Sources:
Travel China
