The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is a vibrant celebration filled with family reunions, cultural rituals, and joyful activities. Key traditions include reunion dinners, red envelopes (lucky money), lion dances, and fireworks, all symbolizing prosperity and good fortune for the coming year.
- Family Reunion Dinner: On New Year’s Eve, families gather for a feast featuring dishes like dumplings (symbolizing unity) and fish (representing surplus). A coin hidden in a dumpling brings extra luck to the finder.
- Red Envelopes (Hongbao): Elders give children money in red envelopes to ward off evil and bless them with prosperity.
- Spring Couplets: Red paper with auspicious phrases is pasted on doors for luck. Common themes include health, wealth, and happiness.
- Lion and Dragon Dances: These lively performances scare away bad spirits and welcome good luck, often seen in streets and temples.
- Fireworks and Firecrackers: Loud noises and bright lights traditionally drive away misfortune, though modern celebrations may limit them for safety.
- New Year Visits (Bai Nian): From the first to the fifteenth day of the lunar year, people visit relatives with gifts like paired oranges (symbolizing gold and harmony).
Embrace these traditions to share the warmth and cultural richness of the Spring Festival with global friends. Whether through a virtual greeting or joining local celebrations, the spirit of renewal and joy transcends borders.