Chinese New Year
The Spring Festival
A Celebration of New Beginnings
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in China and for Chinese communities worldwide. The festival begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar and lasts for 15 days. It is a time for families to reunite, to honor deities and ancestors, and to welcome a new year with hopes for prosperity, happiness, and good fortune.
The festival is steeped in legends, most famously that of the mythical beast Nian, which would come to prey on villagers at the start of each new year. The villagers discovered that Nian was afraid of the color red, loud noises, and fire. These discoveries led to the traditions of using red decorations, lighting firecrackers, and performing lion and dragon dances to ward off evil spirits and usher in good luck.