Chinese New Year is the most important and representative traditional festival in Chinese culture. Celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar, it is considered the most sacred day for billions of Chinese people worldwide. It is also known as the Lunar New Year, or commonly known as “Spring Festival” in China. Today, let’s explore the Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations on the Lunar Spring festival.
Chinese New Year is more than just a celebration of the turning of the year. The Chinese New Year embodies themes of family reunion, blessings and fortune, and the transmission of cultural heritage. As a crystallization of thousands of years of historical evolution, it retains many ancient rituals while also continuously adapting and evolving with the times.
Due to requests from our fellow readers, I will start a new series name “Festivals”, to share about the various Chinese festivals, its celebrations and its significance. In its first episode, we will explore the profound significance and unique charm of the Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year Historical Origins: From Seasonal Worship to a National Festival
Prehistoric Origins: Primitive Rituals Honouring Heaven and Ancestors
The origins of the Chinese New Year date back thousands of years to the Neolithic era. In its earliest form, ” Nián ” (年, year) did not refer to the modern concept of a calendar year but was closely tied to agricultural cycles and seasonal transitions. In primitive society, ancient Chinese tribes held sacrificial rituals to honour Heaven, ancestors, and nature deities, praying for favourable weather and abundant harvests. These tribal New Year rituals became the prototype for many later Chinese New Year traditions.
The Origin of the Word " Nián " (Year)
In Oracle Bone Script: The ancient character for “Nián” shows a person carrying ripe grain/crops on their back, symbolizing harvest and abundance. Originally, it referred to the outcome of a farming season—”a good harvest”—and was only later extended to mean a full cycle of time.
Chinese New Year was not always on the same day
The concept of ” Nián” (year) was born out of farming life. Initially, it represented the time it took for crops to grow. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, farmers celebrated the harvest and welcomed the new year around the 11th lunar month. This is considered the origin of the New Year celebration, although at that time, the New Year did not fall on a fixed date. It wasn’t until the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the first day of the first lunar month was officially designated as the start of the year—thus formalizing the Chinese New Year.
With the development of agriculture, the word “Nian” gradually evolved into a unit of time representing a complete annual cycle “Year”.
The Lunar Calendar
During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, China gradually established a comprehensive lunar calendar system. The Zhou Dynasty introduced the “Xia Calendar,” a precursor to the modern lunar calendar. It officially designated the first day of the first lunar month as the beginning of the year. Rituals such as ancestor worship, Heaven worship, New Year greetings, and festive visits became more standardized, forming the basis of the New Year seasonal structure.
The Lunar Calendar (also known as the Yin Calendar or Ganzhi Calendar) is a traditional Chinese calendar that combines lunar and solar elements. It is a lunisolar calendar based on both the phases of the moon and the solar year.
Lunar months are based on the moon’s revolution around the Earth (known as synodic months), averaging approximately 29.53 days. A lunar year consists of 12 lunar months, totalling about 354 or 355 days. To align the lunar calendar with the solar calendar, a leap month is inserted in certain years, creating a year with 13 months.
In summary, the calculation of the lunar calendar is complex. Involving the movement cycles of both the moon and the sun, as well as the rules for inserting leap months. Overall, it determines dates and years by tracking the moon’s waxing and waning and the solar return cycle.
When comparing the Lunar Calendar to the commonly used Gregorian Calendar, both systems have a yearly cycle of 12 months with 365 days. However, their distinct adjustment mechanisms prevent them from aligning perfectly. For instance, we celebrated the Chinese New Year for 2025 on the usual first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar, which falls on January 29 in the Gregorian Calendar. Next year, the celebration will take place on a different date on February 17.
In my memory, I recall that the Chinese New Year always falls in January or February, thanks to its unique adjustment mechanism.
The Evolution of the Chinese New Year
The Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) restored the first month of the year as the beginning of the year and incorporated the Chinese New Year into the official holiday system. It has become a key vehicle for promoting rituals and rallying the people at the national level. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581 – 901 AD), the New Year Festival flourished, with folk customs such as setting off firecrackers, hanging lanterns and decorations, writing red couplets, and wearing new clothes becoming widespread, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
After the Song Dynasty (960 – 12979 AD), New Year Festival customs became increasingly refined and established. Customs such as staying up late on New Year’s Eve, visiting relatives, and lion dances to welcome the spring became a national consensus. By the Ming (1368 – 1644 AD) and Qing dynasties (1644 – 1911 AD), the Chinese New Year was more than just a festival; it became a core vehicle for the nation’s collective memory and identity.
The Story of the Chinese New Year “Nián "
While the details above focus on the technical and historical aspects of the Chinese New Year, an ordinary Chinese person might tell a different story. Many of us learned this tale in childhood, even in kindergarten; it is known as the Story of “Nián.”
A long time ago, there was a monster called Nian. It was enormous and incredibly powerful. Every year, at the end of each year and the beginning of each new year, it would emerge from the deep mountains and forests, destroying crops, harming livestock, and even eating people. To avoid Nian’s harm, the villagers took refuge in caves with only their dry food.
One day, an elderly woman is heartbroken because her son had been eaten by Nian, so she decided to stay and fight the monster to the death. She discovered that Nian was afraid of the colour red, fire, and loud noises. So, she devised a plan: On New Year’s Eve, every household would hang red couplets, set off firecrackers, and light lanterns. The Nian monster, frightened by this sudden appearance, fled, never daring to wreak havoc in the village again.
From then on, at the end of each year and the beginning of each new year, people would follow her method, using red couplets, firecrackers, and lanterns to ward off the Nian monster and pray for peace and happiness in the new year. This is the origin of the Chinese New Year and the origins of its customs.
Every year, I remind my children about this story. This memory has stayed with me for about 50 years, and I choose to believe in it. What do you think?
Chinese New Year: There's More to Celebrate
For most of the world, the official holiday for the Chinese New Year lasts only one or two days. However, in ancient times, families began preparations before New Year’s Eve and celebrated until the fifteenth day.
Below, I outline some significant days and their importance. Although many people do not have time off during these days nowadays, families often continue to celebrate those days that related to their customs and traditions. For example, my family, originally from southern China, maintains some of the customs popular in that region
1. Preparation for the Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year atmosphere starts to build at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. Key preparatory activities include:
- Laba Festival (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month): Eating Laba porridge and soaking Laba garlic mark the beginning of the New Year
- Kitchen God Festival (the twenty-third or twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month): Worshiping the Kitchen God and praying for good luck in the coming year and abundant food
- Sweeping the House Day (the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month): Cleaning the house, symbolizing the farewell to the old and the welcome to the new. We typically call this as spring clean
- Purchasing New Year’s goods: Buying food, candy, rice cakes, and gifts;
- Pasting New Year couplets, hanging lanterns, and window decorations: Decorating the home to enhance the festive atmosphere.
2. Chinese New Year's Eve: The Core Night of Reunion and Prayer
Families celebrate New Year’s Eve as the most important event of the festival, embodying the spirit of reunion. They gather for the “New Year’s Eve dinner,” where they serve fish, dumplings, and spring rolls to symbolize good fortune. After dinner, families enjoy each other’s company by watching TV or chatting, participating in the tradition of “staying up all night.”
In our family, originating from southern China, we hold a worship ceremony for the “God of Wealth”. It begins at midnight on New Year’s Eve and continues into the early morning of the first day.
3. The First Day of the Chinese New Year: Welcoming the New Year
On this day, people wear new clothes, set off firecrackers, open their doors to “welcome the God of Wealth,” and begin the custom of “greeting the New Year.” Traditionally, greetings are made before dining, symbolizing “opening the door for good fortune.”
Relatives and friends visit one another, making this interaction an essential part of the festival. This practice embodies traditional Chinese virtues by respecting etiquette and valuing family and interpersonal relationships while expressing good wishes for the New Year. Children receive lucky money in red packets called “hongbao,” which symbolize protection from evil, good fortune, and health.
4. The Second Day of the Chinese New Year: “The Open Year”
On this day, married daughters return to their parents’ home with their husbands and children. This is to pay New Year’s greetings, a gesture often referred to as “returning home.” They bring gifts for their parents, and everyone enjoys a shared lunch together. The parents prepare a sumptuous meal for their son-in-law; they call today as “welcoming the Son-In-Law Day”
4. The Fifteenth Day of the Chinese New Year: The Lantern Festival concludes the Chinese New Year.
The Lantern Festival symbolizes the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. On this day, people enjoy lanterns, guess lantern riddles, and eat the glutinous rice balls (yuanxiao / tangyuan). This continuing the festive atmosphere and symbolizing wholeness and reunion.
In ancient times, the Lantern Festival was also a day for young men and women to meet and express their love to each other, so it was also called “China’s Valentine’s Day”.
From the First Day to the Fifteenth Day, Chinese celebrate various events, each with its unique significance. For instance, The seventh day is the “people day” which is the birthday for everyone, so everybody will celebrate. The ninth day becomes a major celebration of “Tian Gong” for the Chinese community in Southeast Asia.
While some days may hold less significance today, I believe the vast and diverse Chinese community celebrates what resonates most with them.
Chinese New Year Delicacies
During Chinese New Year, families celebrate with food rich in symbolism, carrying hopes for a happy and prosperous year. Preparing and sharing these dishes strengthens family bonds and preserves cultural traditions passed down through generations.
China’s vastness creates a rich tapestry of diverse cultures, traditions, and cuisines for its people. In southern Chinese families, the reunion dinner typically showcases an array of delicacies that are more sumptuous than usual. Families often serve chicken, pork, fish, and a variety of vegetables during this special meal.
Fish (yú) is always served but often not fully eaten, because the word yú sounds like “surplus.” Leaving leftovers implies abundance. The fish is usually steamed and served whole to represent unity and completeness.
There is another type of popular new year fish-related delicacy in Southeast Asia, namely the “Yu Shang,” which implies prosperity and abundance. Everyone gathers around the table with chopsticks, on the host’s signal, tosses the salad together while shouting “Toss higher, prosper higher!”. Once tossed thoroughly, distribute onto individual plates and eat together.
Dumplings (jiǎozi) are a staple in northern China. Shaped like ancient Chinese silver ingots. They symbolize wealth. Families often make them together, sometimes hiding a coin inside one dumpling to bring luck to the person who finds it.
In the south, glutinous rice cakes (niángāo) or new year cake are popular. The word niángāo sounds like “year high,” symbolizing progress and growth.
Spring rolls and longevity noodles are also common. Spring rolls resemble gold bars, symbolizing wealth, while longevity noodles represent long life and are not meant to be cut.
Sweet treats like yuanxiao / tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) and candied fruits are served to sweeten the new year. Tangerines and oranges are popular gifts, as their names sound like “luck” and “wealth” in Chinese.
Cultural Significance: The Five Cultural Connotations of the Chinese New Year
Every year, billions of Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year, which holds deep significance beyond being a holiday or a food tradition. I believe these five reasons illustrate why this ancient culture continues to thrive after thousands of years.
1. Reflection of Family Culture: A Festival of Family Reunion
The Chinese New Year centres around family reunion. No matter where individuals are, families prioritize returning home for the New Year. Gathering for the New Year’s Eve dinner becomes a cherished ritual, highlighting the importance of family in Chinese culture and the core Confucian value of filial piety.
2. Strengthening Moral Ethics: Respecting the Elderly and the Virtuous, and Reciprocating Courtesies
Customs such as exchanging New Year greetings, giving gifts, and elders handing out lucky money (hongbao) emphasize the traditional ethics of respecting the elderly and valuing the young. These practices strengthen social norms during the festival and promote good familial and societal order.
3. Reflection of Time: Cycle and Renewal
The Chinese New Year signals the transition from the old year to the new, aligning with the natural rhythms of an agricultural civilization. It marks the passage of time while providing an opportunity for spiritual renewal, symbolizing new hope and fresh opportunities.
4. Religious Practices: Worshiping Gods and Ancestors for Blessings and Protection
People engage in various rituals during the Chinese New Year, such as burning incense, honoring ancestors, and welcoming the God of Wealth. These practices reflect the integration of diverse traditional Chinese religions. Through these acts of worship, individuals express their hopes for the future.
Let us remember to be grateful and acknowledge that the harvest is hard-earned, with God as our protector. Gratitude for the harvest is the original meaning of celebrating the New Year.
5. National Identity: A Symbol of Cultural Heritage
The Chinese New Year serves not only as a festival but also as a vital representation of Chinese cultural identity. By celebrating the Chinese New Year, whether in China or abroad, people actively reflect on and maintain their ethnic heritage.
Regional Characteristics: A Diverse Cultural Feast & Celebrations
China is a vast country with Chinese New Year customs that vary significantly from region to region, creating a rich and diverse cultural landscape.
1. “Northern China: Dumplings and Staying Up Until New Year's Eve”
In northern China, families prioritize making dumplings, believing that “eating dumplings at midnight welcomes the New Year.” On New Year’s Eve, families gather to prepare dumplings and often hide coins or peanuts inside them to symbolize continued good luck.
2. “Southern China: Rice Cakes and Lantern Festivals”
Southerners enjoy rice cakes “Nian Gao”, which symbolize “prosperity year after year.” The Jiangnan water towns, especially Suzhou, Wuxi, and Nanjing, shine brightly during the Lantern Festival. The events attracting large numbers of tourists with their dazzling displays.
3. “Southwestern Minority Regions: Integrating Local Customs”
In southwestern regions, the Dong and Miao ethnic groups celebrate the Chinese New Year by combining traditional songs, dances, costumes, and food customs. They create unique celebrations like the “Gan Nian Festival” and the “Helong Festival.”
4. “Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau: A Blend of Tradition and Modernity”
Taiwan retains many Fujian customs from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the “Lighting of Lanterns” ceremony and the “Tian Gong Sheng” celebration. Hong Kong captivates visitors with its vibrant flower markets, New Year horse racing, and spectacular dragon and lion dances. Macau combines Portuguese culture with temple fairs and Western-style fireworks.
Overseas Chinese New Year: A Cultural Bond for Chinese People Around the World
As Chinese immigrants settle around the globe, the Chinese New Year evolves into a worldwide cultural celebration.
1. “Southeast Asia”
In countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, large Chinese populations enjoy the Chinese New Year as a legal holiday. Locals host events such as lion and dragon dances, sky lantern festivals, and bustling New Year Street markets that have become cultural landmarks.
2. “North America and Europe”
Chinatowns in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom burst with decorations. Communities organize parades, temple fairs, and cultural performances that attract many non-Chinese visitors. Chinese New Year parades in cities like New York and San Francisco draw large crowds, garnering widespread attention.
3. The International Influence of the Spring Festival/ Chinese New Year
In 2001, China designated the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) as an intangible cultural heritage. Beginning in 2024, the United Nations recognized the Spring Festival as an official holiday, further expanding its global cultural influence.
Conclusion for Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations Lunar Spring festival
The Chinese New Year celebrates both national pride and a rich cultural history. It blends the philosophy of time with the diversity of space, emphasizes the importance of values, and fosters unity among emotions. As an international celebration, the Chinese New Year tells a compelling story that highlights cultural heritage.
In our rapidly advancing world of modernization and globalization. Chinese New Year, rich in cultural vitality and human warmth, connects Chinese people at home and abroad, illuminating our shared spiritual home.
There it is for the Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations Lunar Spring festival. As we look to the future, Chinese New Year may embrace diverse forms, but I believe it will continue to embody the enduring themes of reunion, gratitude, blessings, and hope.
