The Spring Festival starts in the 12th month of the lunar calendar and runs to the middle of the 1st lunar month of the following year. As the last day of the 12th lunar month (Chuxi) approaches, the Chinese start preparing to celebrate in the following ways:
Festive stuff
On the 26th day of the 12th lunar month, they begin preparing steamed cakes, fish, chickens and ducks and buy bowls and chopsticks and decorate the house with a calendar and flowers. In the past, people would make new clothes for the New Year, but now they just buy some.
Couplets
Pasting up couplets is a Chinese tradition with couplets with different expressions depending on the occasion. For Spring Festival, there are couplets pasted almost everywhere, on pillars, lintels, in hallways, on doors, in the kitchen, on cupboards and rice barrels. One tradition for a family that has just had a relative pass away is to put green couplets for the first year’s Spring Festival, pink for the second year and red after the third year, with expressions of mourning.
Sacrifices
New Year’s Day is also a time for people to remember their ancestors, so, they will kill a chicken and duck in the morning and in the afternoon provide sacrificial offerings, such as chicken, duck, fish, other meats, fruits, wine and cakes. They burn joss paper and set off firecrackers and the family members all kneel down together to worship their god and their ancestors and pray for safety and prosperity.
Reunion dinner
On New Year’s Eve, the entire family get together for a feast while the older members give the younger generation lucky money in a red envelope.
Jumping over the fire
One custom in rural parts of southern Fujian province is for every family to pile up straw in front of the gate to the house. Then they light it and family members jump over the fire one by one to symbolize the end of bad luck from the previous year and welcoming a lucky new year.
Staying up
Chinese are supposed to stay up the whole night of New Year’s Eve to represent two things: the elders ring out the old year and cherish the time, and the young wish their parents longevity. The lights remain on the whole night. But, these days, thanks to TV, the Chinese now watch the CCTV Spring Festival Gala all night.
