2016 Chinese New Year falls on February 8. It is the Year of the Monkey according to Chinese zodiac. Spring festival is the most important festival in China, officially there are only one week holiday, but follow traditional customs, most companies will give more than 1 week holiday, many company just off for holiday for a whole month. Hystou will holiday will start at Feb 1st and continue to 14th, totally 2 weeks, back to work at 15th. During these two weeks holiday, buyer can place order online same sa regular days, but shipment will be arranged after holiday only, qty orders pls arrange early.
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history. Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people. It is also the time for the whole families to get together, which is similar with Christmas Day to the westerners. Originating during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC), it celebrates family reunion and hopes the advent of spring and flowers blossomingrich with full of colorful activities. People from different regions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in their unique ways.
New Year Dates
It comes on the first day of the lunar calendar and lasts for almost half of a month. But in folk custom, this traditional holiday lasts from the 23rd day of the twelfth month to the 15th day of the first month (Lantern Festival) in the lunar calendar. Among these days, the Eve and the first day Spring Festival holiday is the peak time. The exact days are different in every year according to the lunar calendar. Schedule details in recent years are offered in the following table.
History
Festival Couplets and Decorations
Couplets and DecorationsIt is said that the custom of Chinese New Year started in when people offered sacrifice to ancestors in the last month of the lunar calendar. At that time, people prepared the sacrifice by doing thorough cleaning, having bathes and so on. Later, people began to worship different deities as well on that day. It is the time that almost all the farm works were done and people have free time. The sacrificing time changed according to the farming schedule and was not fixed until the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). The customs of worshipping deities and ancestors remains even though the ceremonies are not as grand as before. It is also the time that spring is coming, so people held all kinds of ceremonies to welcome it.
Legends
There are many legends about the Spring Festival. In folk culture, it is also called “guonian” (meaning “passing a year”). It is said that the “nian” (year) was a strong monster which was fierce and cruel and ate one kind of animal including human being a day. Human beings were scared about it and had to hide on the evening when the “nian” came out. Later, people found that “nian” was very scared about the red color and fireworks. So after that, people use red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “nian”. As a result, the custom of using red color and setting off fireworks remains.
Festivities Schedule
The preparation starts 7 days before the New Year’s Eve. According to the lunar calendar, people start to clean the house on Dec. 24, butcher on Dec. 26th and so on. People have certain things to do on each day. These activities will end Jan. 15th of the lunar calendar.
Customs and Activities
Paper Cut
Paper Cut of Character 'Fu' Meaning
Happiness and 'Feng' Meaning Harvest
Every family does a thorough house cleaning and purchases enough food, including fish, meat, roasted nuts and seeds, all kinds of candies and fruits, etc, for the festival period. Also, new clothes must be bought, especially for children. Red scrolls with complementary poetic couplets, one line on each side of the gate, are pasted at every gate. The Chinese character 'Fu' is pasted on the center of the door and paper-cut pictures adorn windows. People will also give red envelopes to kids and elders to share the blessing.
Ten Traditions You Don't Know
Modern Activities
New practices and activities take place in Chinese New Year experience as some old traditions fade away. The train and bus tickets can be scarcely purchased during the Spring Festival Travel Rush; newlyweds squabble over whose home to go; bachelors are so anxious and stressed that they rent a fake girlfriend home; socializing by phones are highly welcomed.
Taboos
As a start for a new year, it is regarded as the omen of a year. People have many taboos during this period. Many bad words related to “death”, “broken”, “killing”, “ghost” and “illness” or “sickness” are forbidden during conversations. In some places, there are more specific details. They consider it unlucky if the barrel of rice is empty, because they think they will have nothing to eat in the next year. Taking medicine is forbidden on this day, otherwise, people will have sick for the whole year and take medicine constantly.
Gift Ideas
Giving presents is an old tradition of Spring Festival. People will prepare gifts when visiting parents, parents-in-law, relatives and friends. Towards different receivers, the gifts are supposed to be selected cautiously. In general, alcohol, cigarettes, tea and fruits are safe choices, while items like sharp object, shoes, umbrella and clock should be avoided.
See Ten Gifts to be Avoided
Festival Food
Chinese Dumplings
Dumplings, Traditional Food of Spring Festival
Learn to Make Dumplings
Food during this happy event has its characteristics, which is the representative of Chinese festival food culture. Dumplings and the reunion dinner are indispensable at this time. Cold and hot dishes are all served. Fish is always an important dish then, which expresses people’s hope of having a wealthy year.
Best Places to Go
In China, different places have their own traditions and activities to celebrate this grand festival. Beijing, Guangzhou, Xian and Pingyao are some good places to go if one intends to come during the time period. If one does not want to travel so long, but still want to enjoy the festival's atmosphere, the local Chinatown is the best place.
