about.lunar.new.year

Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called the Lunar New Year.
And it is also referred to as the Spring Festival since it is the beginning of the Spring term.
The lunar calendar is represented by twelve animals.
Each year is represented by one animal.


The preparation starts a month before the new year.
The preparation includes thoroughly cleaning and decorating the house, buying new clothes.
The decorations are highly symbolic with a lot of lucky words, printed paintings and red colors everywhere.
Kids are busy in shopping for news clothes and different kinds of firecrackers.
People usually wear new clothes and go out to visit and greet their relatives and friends.
The greetings and visitings can go on for a few days.


The New Year's Eve is the time for families.
The New Year Eve's dinner is the biggest dinner of the year, much like Thanksgiving dinner.
The food prepared is full of symbolic meanings.


Giving Hongbao or red packets during Chinese new year is another tradition.
A Red packet is simply a red envelope with money in it, which symbolizes luck and wealth.
Red packets are typically handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends.