Chinese New Year Traditions

One legend is that thousands of years ago a monster named nian year would attack villagers at the beginning of each new year.

Chinese new year traditions. Chinese culture is filled with holidays and celebrations and among them the lunar new year is the biggest. Normally this is the family reunion dinner especially for those with family members away from home. Chinese new year celebrations were born out of fear and myth.

In chinese dust is a homophone for the word chen meaning the old. In china new year s firecrackers are made from strings of rolled red paper containing gunpowder that when set off leave shreds of scarlet paper in their wake. The new year s eve dinner is the most important dinner for the chinese.

The origins of the chinese new year are steeped in legend. The belief is that the loud noise of the firecrackers serves to scare nian the lion like monster who legend says rose from the sea for a feast of human flesh on the new year. Legend spoke of the wild beast nian which also is the word for year that appeared at the end of each year attacking and killing.

The ground the walls and every corner of the house need to be cleaned. No matter how old you are if there is someone older than you you need to kneel down to show respect and grateful feeling to the elders. Dumplings are the most important dish in northern china.

During the dinner normally fish will be served. The lunisolar chinese calendar determines the date of lunar new year. The beginner s guide to chinese new year traditions etiquette and superstitions with its festive cheers and unparalleled exuberance chinese new year is one festival that demands all of your.

The monster was afraid of loud noises bright lights and the colour red so those things were used to chase the beast away. In china and taiwan offices and schools close for a week and more. Therefore a year end cleaning is needed to drive the old things or the bad luck away from the house and get ready for a new start.