How to Celebrate the New Year

How to Celebrate the New Year

Before the Festival

买年货 mǎi nián huò: shopping for the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

年画 niánhuà: New Year prints (Chinese) printed in woodblock; watercolors/drawings of the Chinese New Year

春联 chūnlián: parallel sentences written on red paper in celebration of the Spring Festival; parallel verses to New Year's mottoes

贴春联 tiē chūnlián: pasting chunlian (parallel sentences on red paper) on both sides and above the door; parallel inscriptions affixed to the door of the main entrance of the house as a sign of happiness and prosperity

贴窗花 tiē chūanghuā: decorating windows with paper cuttings; pasting paper cuttings on windows

贴福 tiēfú: affixing the character "福" (fortune/happiness/prosperity) to the door to express one's aspiration for a happy life and a better future.

倒贴“福”字 dǎotiē "fú" zì: pasting the Chinese character "福" upside down to signify "the arrival of prosperity," playing on the onomatopoeic effect of the two characters "倒" (upside down) and "到" (arrival).

The Eve

辞旧迎新 cíjiù yíngxīn: bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year

祭祖 jìzǔ: ceremonies in memory of ancestors (ancestor worship)

年夜饭 nián yè fàn New Year's Eve Dinner
The dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year is very important. However, the meal differs by region. Northern Chinese eat dumplings shaped like a crescent moon (饺子 Jiǎozi). In addition to dumplings, noodles, glutinous rice cakes (年糕 Niángāo), and stuffed glutinous rice balls (汤圆 Tāngyuán) are also eaten as common festival meals. The noodle symbolizes longevity in China, while Niangao (literally: elevated year) signifies the elevation of living standards year by year. The Tangyuan food is a symbol of the great family reunion.

蒸年糕 zhēng niángāo making niángāo/Chinese New Year cake
年糕 niángāo (glutinous rice cake eaten to celebrate the Chinese New Year)

包饺子 bāo jiǎozi: making dumplings
吃饺子 chī jiǎozi: eating dumplings
饺子 jiǎozi: dumplings

By dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi in Chinese), we mean "family reunion, joy, and happiness," as the character jiao is homonymous with "meeting."

春节联欢晚会 Chūnjié liánhuān wǎnhuì: traditional variety show presented on television in celebration of the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival

放爆竹 fàng bàozhú: setting off firecrackers to scare away Nian, a legendary ferocious animal from ancient times. The house door was painted red and a fire was lit in front before Nian's intrusion. Moreover, villagers struck objects to make a deafening noise. Thus, the beast dared not enter the village. According to this tradition, Chinese people today still set off firecrackers during the Spring Festival.

新年撞钟 xīnnián zhuàngzhōng: ringing the bells of the Chinese New Year to announce the new year.

守岁 shǒusuì Chinese New Year's Eve vigil

The First Day of the Year

年初一 nián chū yī First day of the first month of the lunar calendar

拜年 bàinián: exchanging greetings.
According to Chinese tradition, exchanging greetings on the occasion of the Chinese New Year brings good luck. The tradition is to exchange greetings on the occasion of the Spring Festival to enjoy happiness throughout the year.

走亲戚 zǒu qīnqi: visits to relatives; visiting parents and close ones

压岁钱 yā suì qián: red envelope (money gift placed in a red envelope given as a New Year's gift to children on the occasion of the Chinese New Year)

新年贺词 xīnnián hècí: Chinese New Year message

Greeting phrases:
Happy New Year! 新年快乐！ Xīnnián kàilè! 春节快乐！ Chūnjié kuàilè!
Success and prosperity! 恭喜发财！ Gōngxǐ fācái!
Good luck and happiness! 好运常在！ Hǎoyùn chángzài! 心想事成！ Xīnxiǎng shìchéng! 万事大吉! Wànshí dàjí!
Good health! 身体健康！ Shēntǐ jiànkāng!

The Fifth Day of the Year

迎财神 Yíng Cáishén: welcoming the God of Fortune/Wealth/Prosperity
财神 Cáishén: God of Fortune/Wealth/Prosperity; God of Abundance

Fifteen days after the New Year (15th day of the 1st lunar month): The Lantern Festival