Ng in China. How to celebrate Chinese New Year

On January 25, 2020, China will celebrate on a grand scale the most important holiday in the country ─ New Year of the White Metal Rat. Actually, this is all that a simple layman knows about this holiday. We talk about the most unusual and beautiful holiday traditions in China.

New Year in China is considered the most important holiday of the year, it has been celebrated grandiosely, on a grand scale, for several millennia. Once upon a time, celebrations lasted more than a month, because there was no agricultural work in winter. Now that the rhythm of life has changed, the weekend has been reduced to a week and a half. However, this fact does not exclude the general fun.

The oldest, most important

Due to the great popularity of the "international" New Year, celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1, the Chinese decided to rename their national New Year, the celebration of which often falls on the second half of the not too cold winter in this region, to the Spring Festival. It happened over a hundred years ago.

By the way, the Chinese New Year has another distinctive feature - it does not have a fixed day. The specific date of the celebration varies from January 21 to February 21 and depends on the lunar calendar: in Chinese, the New Year starts on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. It is difficult to realize this, but the Chinese for so many years have learned to understand the dates without much difficulty. So, for example, the year of the White Metal Rat will actually begin on January 26th.

Don't sleep, you'll freeze

Unusual traditions of celebrating the New Year are present in every country, in Catalonia, logs are planted at the table, in Austria they are chasing a mythical monster, but in China, on the night before a significant date, you can’t go to bed. After all, judging by the belief, on the last day before the start of the New Year, all troubles and misfortunes go hunting to attack the gaping Chinese in the truest sense of the word. So if you want to spend a year without facing big problems, stay up. Especially if you live in China.

And the Chinese are not advised to buy new shoes before the holiday and cut their hair - all for the same reason. According to them, those who break the rules will face continuous failures next year.

No fireworks? Noise!

Traditions demand: the holiday should be noisy. These days there is no big problem with this, because the Chinese are real fireworks masters, and the roar from them is more than enough (even too much). By the way, some time ago, during the celebration of the International New Year (no less beloved by modern Chinese), a local landmark, a tower that was almost 600 years old, even suffered from fireworks. The version that it caught fire precisely from firecrackers still remains unproven, but given that the fire happened in the midst of the holiday, the conclusions suggest themselves...

But here’s what’s interesting: at the time of the birth of the “loud” tradition, fireworks simply did not exist, but it was still necessary to make noise. The resourceful Chinese did not get lost - after all, by and large, noise can be created with the help of the most everyday items.

And it is also customary for the Chinese to burn bamboo sticks in ovens: when burned, they emit a kind of crack that scares away evil spirits. Today, firecrackers and sparklers have come to replace chopsticks.

Mythic Nian

One entertaining myth is connected with the celebration of the New Year in China - about a magical monster, which the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire called Nian. The monster is especially angry and hungry on the first day of the year and, according to legend, is not at all averse to feasting on not only cattle, but also their owners (yes, it obviously didn’t work out with the good Santa Claus in the Middle Kingdom). Nian especially likes small children who behaved inappropriately last year. To appease the monster, villagers leave food and drinks on the threshold of houses and temples - the only way to avoid a sad fate and not be eaten.

We hide brooms and mops

Another entertaining tradition associated with the celebration of the Chinese New Year is to hide all cleaning items. The day before the celebration, the house must be put in perfect order, and on the eve of New Year's Eve, it is customary to hide all brooms, rags and brushes so that they do not catch the eye. This ritual is associated with the legend that on New Year's Eve, the gods bring happiness and good luck to families for the whole coming year. This luck settles in the house in the form of dust, therefore, in order not to brush off luck, it is impossible to clean it immediately after the New Year. In addition, to avoid bad luck in the coming year, the festive night cannot be spent in their own bedroom - so even the elderly leave their rooms to join their family at the festive table.

Pair of tangerines

In addition to traditional sweets and other nice gifts, in China, on the national New Year, it is customary to give two tangerines upon arrival. And leaving the hospitable house, you need to take with you the other two tangerines, already accepted as a gift from other participants in the celebration. The clue to the strange rite is simple: it turns out that in Chinese, “a pair of tangerines” sounds exactly like the word “gold”, so a present in the form of delicious fruits symbolizes a wish for wealth and prosperity in the coming year.

If wishes are not shouted out, they will not come true.

Chinese is one of the most difficult languages in the world. And not only thanks to the record number of hieroglyphs, which a European seems to be unable to remember, but also due to an unusual pronunciation. Have you ever noticed that the Chinese speak too loudly? Sometimes such behavior seems to be a manifestation of bad manners and even annoying. In fact, in this language, some words really need to be shouted out, because if you pronounce them quietly, there is a risk that no one will understand you. The story is the same with wishes for the Chinese New Year: they must be shouted out, the louder, the greater the chance that everything will come true in the very near future.

Tree of Light instead of a Christmas tree

Red is one of the favorite colors in China. It is believed that it brings good luck, and since there is no traditional New Year tree in China, the most common tree, which in China is called the Tree of Light, is decorated with red balls and lanterns.

Dragons are the main guests

One of the most important events that takes place every year in all cities and villages of China is the Dragon Dance. For the first time, judging by the research, the Dragon dance appeared back in the 12th century - for the Chinese it is of great importance, because it has long been believed that certain body movements protect from grief and misfortune in the New Year. Dragons are made of paper and wire: the long body can be up to 10 meters long. The segments of the dragon's body are made separately, with a pole attached to each, which is controlled by the artists.

One of the longest and funniest holidays in China and in many other countries of East Asia is the Chinese New Year. Despite its Western counterpart, this holiday does not have a specific day of celebration. Every year it is celebrated on different days.

The first day of the feast falls on the second new moon, which comes after the winter solstice. According to the Gregorian calendar, this day falls somewhere between January 21st and February 21st. Usually, the holiday lasts for 15 days.

This year, the New Year's holiday began on February 16, 2018 and will end on February 4 of the next year. The celebration will take place from February 16 to March 2, 2018. But, the Chinese will officially rest only for 7 days, starting from February 15 and ending on February 21.

As already known, the Chinese New Year began on February 16, just at that time the second new moon after the winter solstice occurred.

Every year, China has its own combination, which can only be repeated once in 60 years. This combination represents one of the 12 available zodiacal animals of a certain color, which will correspond to one of the available 5 elements: earth, fire, wood, water and metal. This year, the symbol of the year is the dog, and the element is earth, the main color is yellow.

It should be said that all 60-year circles begin with a wooden rat and end with a water pig. Such a circle began on February 2, 1984, and will end on January 29, 2044.

If you believe the old myths, then with the onset of the New Year, all Chinese must hide from the monster, which is called Nian (translated from Chinese as “Year”). He always comes on the first day of the celebration and ruins all the settlements: he eats cattle, crops, and also the villagers.

To protect themselves and their home from this monster, all Chinese people decorate their homes in advance. They cover them with beautiful red patterns with different inscriptions, hang pictures with wishes, and also hang red lanterns. Red has its own legend.

As you know, Nian, who always loved to feast on children, once saw a child in a red robe and was frightened of him. After that, everyone concluded that the monster is afraid of red. In addition, all families, before the arrival of the holiday, try to carefully clean their homes in order to cleanse their lives of various failures and make room for happiness.

As has long been accepted, all families in China gather at the same table. In the Celestial Empire, it is suitable to set a chic table for the holidays. All housewives try to cook the favorite dish of their household. On the table without fail there must be fish and meat, as well as dumplings.

Even those family members who study or work in another country or city return to this holiday. All Chinese people celebrate the New Year with their parents. Because of this, all transport in the country is overcrowded and it is impossible to buy a ticket.

The festive night ends with fireworks that scare away evil spirits and bring happiness and peace to the family.

The next morning, children try to wake up as early as possible to congratulate their parents on the holiday, and also tell them a lot of pleasant and warm words. Parents respond to their children and give them red envelopes containing money, the rosregistr website reports.

After this ritual, the whole family gathers and goes to visit their relatives or neighbors. It takes them five days to make such walks. It is not customary to come to the house without a gift, so they prepare gifts for their friends and relatives in advance. In the Celestial Empire, it has long been customary to give paired gifts that symbolize unity and family harmony.

Chinese New Year is perhaps one of the most hyped New Year brands in the world. Various rumors circulate around the holiday, ranging from the fact that the New Year in China is celebrated for a whole month, to the fact that it is the Chinese who invented the Christmas tree, the Snow Maiden and Santa Claus. Let's try to understand the mass of incorrect information, and at the same time learn a little more about the Chinese New Year.

New Year in China: Traditions

There is only one thing that the rumor buffs are 100% right about: Chinese New Year is one of the most ancient traditions that has come down to us. New Year in China is a traditional time for sacrifices and commemoration. The final tradition was formed at the very beginning of the 15th century, during the reign of the Shang Dynasty, and this festival of sacrifice and commemoration was called Xinyan or New Year. Many centuries later, at the beginning of the last century, the Chinese changed the chronology and, in order to be different from the whole world, they called the New Year the Spring Festival. With the advent of the New Year, a revival takes place, nature comes to life and is filled with new life, and therefore with meaning. And the most suitable time for the onset of the New Year is spring.

Spring Festival

Gongyan is the Chinese word for Spring Festival. According to legend, Gongyan is not an abstract concept of a holiday, but a real terrible beast that brought grief and misfortune to people. He was feared not only by people, but also by animals and even plants. This is how the Chinese explain the reasons why the trees shed their leaves, and the frightened earth ceased to give new life. When Gongyan went away, nature revived again, leaves appeared, fruits ripened and animals bore offspring. But people did not want to put up with this state of affairs and thought how they could quickly drive out Gonyan and help nature quickly restore its strength. In the end, we decided that the best way to drive the beast away is to act by its own methods, namely by intimidating or launching loud firecrackers. This is where the tradition of celebrating the New Year with loud explosions of firecrackers came from. So if your neighbors scold you for launching numerous loud firecrackers on New Year's Eve, tell them about this legend.

Christmas decorations in China

The main color of the holiday is bright red, which personifies joy and fun among the Chinese. On New Year's Eve, this range can be found everywhere. Even the congratulations that the Chinese leave for friends and relatives are written on red paper. And they wish on this day, of course, well-being, health and happiness. Numerous shops, shops and restaurants are decorated with holiday wishes, the so-called paired hieroglyphs with simple text wishing longevity, wealth and health. Literally, everything is dotted with these hieroglyphs, from store shelves to sales receipts. Even if the Chinese decided to write a congratulation on white paper, the hieroglyphs must certainly be red. In addition to messages with a positive message for the future, Chinese people decorate their homes with pictures of happiness, which depict various bizarre patterns and ornaments.

New Year's decoration

A special place in the New Year's decoration is given to animals. The Chinese have a preference for dogs and figurines of this pet can be found everywhere. But with the usual Christmas tree, the Chinese have a hard time. You will not meet this green beauty in any of the houses, but the generous hosts will certainly treat you to tangerines and oranges. Moreover, citrus fruits are presented in such a huge amount that the houses are more like a vegetable base. The Chinese lay out fruits in dozens of dishes (at least 8 pieces for each), and oranges and tangerines must be laid out in a strictly defined order in the form of a circle or an octagon. Why are there eight fruits on the dishes? It turns out that this number in China is considered lucky and promises the fulfillment of desires. In addition to oranges, other fruits or even artificial trees that dress up with nuts, candied fruits and dried fruits are suitable as decorations. According to ancient belief, dried fruits bring positive energy into the house, and what exactly a person wants to get in the new year depends on the choice of fruit. For example, a melon brings health, watermelon seeds bring happiness, and lotus flowers promise an increase in offspring. If you want to live the whole next year in peace and harmony, then decorate your house with coconuts.

Flappers against evil spirits

New Year in China is celebrated for only a few days and during this time the Chinese are engaged in the most common pre-holiday chores: they go shopping in search of gifts and treats to the table, tidy their own homes, and decorate their houses. The Chinese also love to make some noise, so in their New Year's arsenal there is a large supply of loud crackers, a variety of fireworks and other noise accompaniment. And another old tradition prescribes to tightly close the windows and seal them tightly. Thus, the Chinese are trying to protect their own home from evil spirits, which, according to legend, stay on the street until midnight and roam in search of shelter. Speaking of crackers. It is believed that this is the best weapon against evil spirits. Therefore, as soon as the New Year has come, all the Chinese go out into the streets and tirelessly rattle various firecrackers, scaring away evil spirits. The brighter, noisier and more fun the celebration of the New Year, the less chance for evil spirits to capture a person, so the main remedy against negativity is to exude joy and fun all night long. And so that the spirits do not have a single chance, the Chinese celebrate the New Year until dawn. And all this New Year's disgrace is called "Show Sui", which can be translated as New Year's expectation. Having had plenty of fun, the Chinese do not rush to the side, but instead of a sound and serene sleep, they prefer to have a good meal. For a hearty, first breakfast of the year, homemade zaozi dumplings are suitable. In their form, they are similar to gold or silver ingots and, as you might guess, they symbolize prosperity. Therefore, not only satiety and peace, but also the amount of money depends on the number of dumplings eaten. Well, after breakfast, full and satisfied Chinese again leave their homes and go to visit.

It's time to visit

Whoever visits in the morning acts wisely, because the main purpose of the morning visit is reconciliation. Therefore, if you are in a quarrel with one of your friends or relatives, be sure to visit them in the afternoon of the New Year. All old grievances will surely remain in the past if you are the first to extend a hand of friendship, especially if you squeeze some good gift in it. Unlike ours, the most reading nation in the world, the Chinese do not believe that the best gift is a book. They prefer to give real money, always wrapped in red paper. Moreover, they even give money to children, hinting that the main thing in life is prosperity. According to one ancient legend, for the first time parents gave money to a child in the city of Zaxing. Until old age, God did not give them a child, and only at the end of their lives did they have a son. Husband and wife valued their treasure so much that they tirelessly guarded near his bed, fearing that evil spirits would harm him. To protect the baby, they taught him to wrap coins in red paper and, wrapping a few of them, put them next to the baby. After the parents fell asleep, the evil spirit appeared at the child's bed and was about to put his hands on him, but suddenly a bright, golden beam of light burst out of the red bag of coins. The evil spirit "Sui" did not expect such a development and fled. Since then, a tradition has emerged to give children money for the New Year.

holiday carnival

The New Year's Spring Festival is accompanied by a real carnival, when dozens and hundreds of dragons walk through the streets of cities, around which festive land boats float and numerous performances on stilts take place. All participants of the Chinese carnival have special spikelets of rice fixed on their chests, a bit reminiscent of boutonnieres. The artists participating in the carnival solemnly bow to each other, symbolizing the seating of rice. With this traditional number, they remind that agricultural work will begin very soon.

Previously, the Chinese celebrated the New Year for at least a month, but now, when having fun 30 days a year has become unprofitable and completely unnecessary, the holiday has been reduced, leaving only a week of uninterrupted days off. If you think that immediately after the New Year, the Chinese return to their usual life, then this is not so. Immediately after the Spring Festival comes the Lantern Festival or Yuansao. All night long, the Chinese launch world-famous lanterns into the sky and, admiring the incredible picture of what is happening, feast on sweet pies. And after the Lantern Festival, the Chinese are gradually returning to the normal course of life.

Symbols of the Chinese New Year in 2020

In 2020, the symbol of the Chinese New Year will be the White Metal Rat.

When is Chinese New Year celebrated in 2020

When to celebrate the New Year in China is decided by the lunar calendar. This holiday is always celebrated between January 21 and February 21 and occurs during the second new moon after the winter solstice.

The history of the celebration of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar originated in antiquity.

He does not have a fixed date, it is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar and occurs on one of the days in the interval from January 21 to February 21. In 2019, it will come on the night of February 5th.

The onset of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar is eagerly awaited not only in Asian countries. The whole world froze in anticipation of the new patron of the year, but few people know the history of the origin of this holiday.

Story

Chun Jie has an ancient history dating back to the rites of sacrifice to deities and remembrance of ancestors, which were performed at the end and beginning of the year in the Shang era of 1600-1100 BC.

According to legend, a terrible monster named Chun or Nian (in Chinese means "year"), with horns on its head, which lived in the depths of the sea, got into the habit of crawling to the nearest village on New Year's Eve and devouring everything - animals, grain, supplies and even people.

People were afraid of the monster and prepared for its annual appearance in advance. To protect their families, on the eve of the holiday, they put food at the doorstep of their house. It was believed that the more you put, the more likely it was that the beast would be satisfied with the offering and it would not touch people. And they themselves, taking with them the most important things, left the village for the mountains.

This went on for many years. One day, on the eve of the day when the monster was supposed to emerge from the sea, an old man appeared in the village with a bag over his shoulders, a gray mustache and a staff.
However, due to the hustle and bustle, no one paid any attention to him. Only one old woman advised him to leave quickly, as Nian would soon appear. He replied that if he was left for the night, he would drive the monster away once and for all. The woman let the old man into her house, gave him food and left him to spend the night, while not hoping to find him alive in the morning.

The surprise of the returned villagers knew no bounds when the grandfather, safe and sound, moreover, having driven out the terrible monster, peacefully rested on the threshold of the house in a red painted robe.

The fire crackled merrily in the hut, the front door was painted red, and the remains of firecrackers lay on the floor. The old man said that Chun was most afraid of the color red and loud noise.

Other versions are also told that supposedly the boy in red scared the monster. Whether this is true or a beautiful fiction is unknown, but since then no one has seen the monster.

And the Chinese to this day decorate their houses with lanterns and red scrolls and celebrate the New Year cheerfully and noisily, with crackers, with lights of garlands and other tinsel that exorcise evil spirits.

Later, fireworks were used to scare Chun away.

How they prepare

The Chinese begin preparations for the celebration of the New Year by cleaning their homes, during which they throw out all the rubbish and unnecessary things that have accumulated over the year. Together with garbage and rubbish, they throw out the old stagnant energy, giving way to a new and living one.

Particular attention is paid to decorating the house with traditional red and its shades. The Chinese have a special ritual - paired inscriptions are pasted at the entrance to the house, the walls of apartments and houses are decorated with special paintings made of paper patterns.

REUTERS/ Sheng Li

It is customary to decorate houses with ripe juicy tangerines in the amount of 8 pieces, as this figure symbolizes infinity.

Not only dwellings are decorated with red - it is customary to wear special red clothes. After all, it is this color, according to legend, that drives away misfortunes and sorrows from the house.

The Chinese do not put up a Christmas tree - they replace it with trays of oranges and tangerines. But you need to stack them in a special way - be sure to circle and each of the fruits should be exactly 8 pieces, no less and no more.

However, more and more often you can meet those who, instead of citrus fruits, dress up small artificial trees, which are decorated with dried fruits or fresh fruits in sugar.

How they celebrate

In the old days, the holiday lasted a whole month; nowadays, the Chinese have halved the number of days off. Therefore, the holiday ends on the fifteenth day - the grand Chinese Lantern Festival.

Traditionally, China celebrates a holiday of 15 days, each of which has its own traditions and customs.

The first day of the Chinese New Year begins with a festive dinner, loud fireworks and noisy festivities. Be sure to burn bamboo sticks with the whole family. The Chinese believe that the louder the holiday, the happier and more joyful the year will be. Also on this day they go to the cemetery to their relatives in order to honor their memory.

The second day begins with a prayer: family members ask for health and happiness to all their loved ones; old people - longevity; business people and businessmen - prosperity and enrichment. For the poor, the second day of the holiday is a great success, because they can come to visit and ask for food and alms.

In the next two days, the Chinese try to respect all their friends and relatives and wish them a Happy New Year. They believe that this day should be spent with loved ones in order to be together next year. From this period, all large corporations start their work and everything is gradually returning to its normal course.

The fifth and sixth are dedicated to wealth and business, which is why the rest of the companies start working, but they go to work for a reason, but they always set off fireworks.

The seventh day of the holiday, like the second, is customary to begin with prayer and worship of God. It is believed that man was created on this day. In order for incomes to only increase and business to flourish, the Chinese prepare a special raw fish salad called "Yusheng".

Eighth, ninth, tenth - all the Chinese are already returning to work, and in the evenings they arrange small family festive dinners, always with a prayer, after which they go to the temple to light special incense candles.

The eleventh day is the day of the son-in-law, when the father-in-law necessarily arranges a noisy and rich holiday for the husband of his daughter. Every father tries to respect him and arrange the best holiday for him.

The next three days are mostly busy preparing for the main holiday - the Lantern Festival. Everyone buys decorations, lanterns, lantern sheds and so on.

On the fifteenth last day, they usually arrange concerts, theatrical performances, people with lit lanterns walk around the square with their families, and fireworks, firecrackers and firecrackers rattle around.

Traditions

On New Year's Eve, all family members, wherever they are, come home and gather at a richly laid festive table. Therefore, the Chinese call this holiday "meeting after parting." This is the most enduring tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year.

The whole family discusses the outgoing year - what they have achieved, what they have learned and what remains to be done.

The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire believe that on New Year's Eve the spirits of deceased ancestors are present at the table, who are also participants in the holiday.

The main dish on the New Year's table is dumplings, which are shaped like a gold ingot. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire are sure that this symbol of prosperity and wealth will bring good luck with the first minutes of the new year according to the Chinese calendar 2019.

Treats such as fish and soy tofu should also be on the table. With these dishes, the Chinese thank the patron of the outgoing year for his generosity and indulgence.

Festive clothes must be bright colors - red, gold, pink, green. The brighter the outfit, the more likely it is that an insidious and cunning spirit that can bring grief and loss will not enter the house.

It is not customary to give serious gifts on New Year's Eve. More often they present red envelopes with money, various souvenirs, charms and amulets, sweets and images of the symbol of the coming year.

Any gift, according to the rules, must be paired. The owner is always presented with two tangerines.

The color of the gift also plays a huge role. The main rule is that neither a gift nor gift paper should be white or blue. In this country, these colors represent death and burial.

The gift itself is presented only in private and with two hands. But it is necessary to give out presents not randomly, but from the oldest to the youngest.

It is indecent and to open a gift in front of everyone, this must be done in private so as not to offend the donor with a careless look or word.

In Singapore and Malaysia, there is an interesting and romantic tradition on this holiday. To do this, single ladies attach their phone number to the tangerine, and then send the fruit along the river. Single men, in turn, catch these tangerines, eat them, and then call to meet the lady.

What Not to Do

On New Year's Eve, during a festive feast, it is not customary to talk about the past year - all thoughts and conversations should be directed to the future.

Festive attire cannot be combined with black and white, since black is a symbol of failure, and white is the color of mourning.

The number "4" is also a symbol of death, so it should not be anywhere - neither on a gift, nor on money, and the number of bills should be either more or less.

On the first three days of the Chinese New Year, the house cannot be cleaned. Good deities appear in all houses during the New Year, give happiness and good luck, which settle in the form of dust.

Usually, after the Chinese New Year, you can not buy shoes, so as not to cause trouble. And all because, "shoes" in Chinese is consonant with the Chinese "difficult".

Also, in the first month you can’t cut your hair, otherwise failures will fall like an avalanche on your uncle from my mother’s side.

In the early days of the New Year celebration, one should not use knives and other sharp objects, so as not to cut off one's happiness.

Washing your hair during the New Year holidays means washing away luck.

You can not quarrel, sort things out, swear, shout and swear.

Borrow money. You have to give away all the money you borrowed.

According to the Chinese calendar, on February 5, 4719 will come - the year of the Yellow Earth Pig, which will last until January 25, 2020, when it will be replaced by the year of the White Metal Rat.

The pig is a revered animal in the Celestial Empire. It symbolizes family happiness and wealth. The pig represents kindness, gentleness, peacefulness and patience.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

New Year is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world in a big way. In this regard, China is no exception.

But, the peculiarity of this country lies in the fact that this celebration is celebrated twice, both by Western standards and local ancient traditions. Therefore, it will be very interesting to know how the New Year is celebrated in China.

Winter celebrations in China - photo

Western and Chinese New Year, as well as Christmas, are celebrated at completely different times.

Story
Christmas and Western New Year are quite new, unusual and to some extent incomprehensible. They do not have any historical roots and traditions in China.
Western celebrations are usually celebrated only in business or youth circles, just to meet Western standards.

Chinese New Year has been celebrated for over two millennia and has a huge historical heritage, which includes a large number of traditions and rituals. The Chinese honor them very much and try to hold New Year's celebrations in full accordance with them.

How are the holidays?
Celebrations of Christmas, Chinese and European New Year in China are very different from each other.
Christmas
Christmas in China began to be celebrated quite recently. Unlike other countries, the Chinese have it not considered a family holiday. For the majority of the population, it is a romantic, overseas ritual, the essence of which is poorly understood.
The people gave the name to Christmas, which translates as "an evening of kindness and tranquility."

On this day, as a rule, only fun youth. They gather in friendly companies, visit cafes and give gifts to each other. Very often, people exchange apples, which, according to national traditions, are considered a symbol of peace.

European New Year's Eve
Before the advent of the Western New Year in China, supermarkets, restaurants and entertainment centers in the largest adorn:
small Christmas trees;
illumination;
figurines of Santa Claus and other New Year's attributes.

But this is done just to meet the Western standard, because at present the state is actively involved in world politics and the economy.
Special festive events and magnificent family feasts on January 1 not satisfied even though it is a public holiday. The holiday is only reminiscent of the broadcast on national television of a large reporting concert and the revelry of Europeanized Chinese youth.

Meeting the Chinese New Year: Traditions and Customs
But the Chinese New Year is one of the main and favorite family holidays countries. Plus, it lasts quite a long time.
A few weeks before the holiday, the Chinese begin a thorough cleaning your home and yard. At the same time, debris and dust must be swept away from the doors to the center. After everything is cleaned up, rags, panicles, washcloths and other equipment are hidden so that one of the household does not think of using them on New Year's holidays.
It is believed that during this period the gods distribute luck, which is scattered everywhere in the form of dust particles. If they are swept out of the house in the first days of the holiday, then luck will leave the residents for the whole coming year.
On the eve of the holiday it is customary to buy new clothes, which is first worn on New Year's Eve, it is desirable that it be red. It is believed that if a person enters the coming year clean and with new clothes, then he will be accompanied by success and prosperity.
It is believed that the red color will drive away various troubles from the home and attract prosperity.

After the pre-holiday chores are completed and all New Year's dishes are prepared, all family members gather for big table. Young people who work or study in other cities, if possible, try to come to their parents for the New Year.
According to popular beliefs on New Year's Eve can't sleep. On the first day of the coming year, it is also forbidden to wash your hair and cry, it is recommended to visit after the festive dinner and give gifts to relatives and friends, which are determined by traditions.
Second day The Chinese dedicate the New Year to fervent prayers, in which they ask for health, happiness, longevity and prosperity for themselves and their loved ones. They also honor the memory of deceased relatives.
During third and fourth days go to visit relatives and friends and give gifts. The fifth and sixth days of the New Year holiday in China are meant to appease the god in charge of wealth. Fireworks must be fired during this period.
Seventh day is considered the moment of the creation of man, and, like the previous ones, is dedicated to increasing prosperity. To do this, it is customary to prepare special dishes that contribute to long life and prosperity. These include, for example, long noodles and a national salad with raw fish. Also, to gain longevity, they use juice, which should include seven types of vegetables.
On the eighth day For most Chinese, it's the workday. But, for another week in the evening they arrange festive family dinners, pray and visit temples. Also at this time, active preparations are underway for the main event of the New Year holidays, which is called the Lantern Festival. People buy lanterns, awnings for them and other attributes, and starting from the twelfth day, they switch to a special diet that completely excludes meat dishes.
Fifteenth day marks the opening of the stunning Lantern Festival, which ends the celebration of the Chinese New Year. During the event organized:
concerts;
mass celebrations;
costume performances.

With the onset of evening, many lanterns are lit everywhere and a large number of fireworks are launched.

Decorations
In China, it is not customary to decorate a Christmas tree in houses. By tradition, the main New Year's decorations are trays in which eight oranges or tangerines, as this number signifies longevity and prosperity.
Some Chinese replace the Christmas tree with small artificial trees decorated with dried fruits, garlands and lanterns. This decoration is called "tree of light". Traditional paired inscriptions are pasted on the front door, and pictures from paper patterns are hung on the walls.

What are they giving?
red envelopes with money;
special kinds guilt wrapped in red silk;
charms and amulets;
sweets;
expensive tea.

Also, when meeting, it is customary to exchange two tangerines, which are associated with gold and are considered a symbol of wealth.

Table setting features: what is cooked and eaten?
New Year's table in China must be kept in red or gold colors. No items of white or blue color are allowed. It is advisable to set the table with expensive crockery and cutlery. A festive dinner should be accompanied by the light of red candles.
The Chinese New Year's table should be an abundance of a wide variety of dishes. But he can't do without traditional dishes:
jiaozi dumplings having a rectangular shape resembling gold bars (the filling for them is prepared from seafood, vegetables or meat);
whole fish, which is associated with a strong family;
baked chicken or duck, which are a symbol of a successful life and fidelity;
long and flat noodles, representing a long life, as well as soup with dumplings;
tusu wine, which is a drink intended for family feasts.

Rest on holidays
Going to China on New Year's Eve, you should find out which resort reigns best, and where it will be most interesting.
Weather
If you decide to celebrate the European New Year in China, then it would be useful to find out about the weather conditions in this period of time. Temperature indicators in January in the cities of the country will be as follows:
Beijing— 0°C during the day and -7°C at night;
Lhasa— -3°C during the day and -10°C at night;
— +19°C during the day and +14°C at night;
Sanya— +24°C during the day and +18°C at night;
Macau— +18°C during the day and +15°C at night.

Where to go?
Of course, the main place for celebrating the New Year is Beijing. It is there that the most large-scale and vibrant performances and shows are held.
Not far behind Beijing and other major cities of the country - Guangzhou, Macau, Hong Kong.

For lovers of a more relaxed atmosphere, China offers a holiday in the famous resort Sanya on an island with magnificent mountains, lakes and sea. Currently, it is gaining immense popularity, thanks to luxurious hotels and high quality service.
Those who decide to relax in China on New Year's Eve are advised to book a hotel room in a major city or purchase a ticket to a resort for about in two months before the holiday. At a later time, it will be much more difficult to do this, since every year more and more people want to visit the Celestial Empire at this time.
See also in this video How is New Year celebrated in China?