Chinese New Year Celebration Activities

The most important holiday in China is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year Celebration Activities include feasting with the family, fireworks and gift-giving. According to the Chinese calendar, it is a fifteen-day holiday. It stretches from the first day of a Lunar Moon and the Full Moon on the day of

Lantern Festival. Since the Chinese calendar is based on the Lunar Moon, the date of the New Year in China varies every year. Each year in China is named after an animal. In 2010, the Chinese New Year was celebrated on 14th February. According to the Chinese calendar, it has been the year of Tiger. Next Chinese New Year will be celebrated on 3rd February and it will be the year of Rabbit.

Traditional Chinese New Year Activities

Chinese New Year Celebration Activities involve more traditional customs and rituals than the New Year Celebrations in the Western World.

Pre New Year Activities

Chinese New Year Celebration Activities begin well before the actual event. Arrangements for festive occasion start with shopping, house-cleaning, cooking and buying gifts. The night just before the Chinese New Year Day is marked with family gatherings, dinner and of course shou sui i.e., staying up the whole night to welcome the New Year. It is a customary practice to eat jiao zi (dumplings) at the stroke of midnight. The underlying belief is that this will replace the old and greet the new as well as bring wealth in the coming year. Firecrackers are bursted at midnight to scare away the demons.

Activities from New Year’s Day Forward

All the fifteen days of Chinese New Year holiday period are marked with many activities.

Day One
This is the first day of the first Lunar Month. Grand ceremony is performed by the Qing and Ming emperors at the Temple of Heaven in China’s capital, Beijing. In the modern times, ya sui or gifts of money are given to the children by the elders. Some Christians abstain from eating meat on this day. Another common custom that is followed in China is not to clean house as it is believed that this would sweep away all the good fortunes out of the house.

Day Two
On this day, prayers are offered to the ancestors. In Chinese tradition, it is believed that the second day of the first Lunar Month is the birth day of all the dogs. Dogs are shown extra kindness on this day.

Days Three & Four
On these two days, sons-in-laws show extra respect to the in-laws.

Day Five
On this day people stay at their home. They abstain from visiting anywhere as it is believed that visiting others’place will bring bad luck.

Day Six to Ten
During these five days of the first Lunar Month, people visit relatives’and friends’places.

Day Ten to Twelve
In these three days, people invite others for dinner.

Day Thirteen
After seven days of feasting, on the thirteenth day, people take simple food.

Day Fourteen
It is the time to make arrangements for the Lantern Festival.

Day Fifteen
It is the day of Lantern Festival or the Yuanxiao, in Chinese parlance. This is the last day of Chinese New Year holiday period. This day is also marked with lantern lighting, eating of rice balls and playing riddles.

Other Chinese New Year Activities

Chinese cultural centers and the different Chinese-dominated areas spreading across the world, celebrate the occasion in a little different ways. Major highlights of this festive celebration are listed below.
Food festivals
Boat races
Parades
Cooking demonstrations
Craft fairs

Latest Updated on 14/12/2010