The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival as it is sometimes known is a very important holiday to Asian cultures all over the world.
In some countries with a sizable Chinese population the Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday,
and many businesses will close for a few days during the celebrations.

According to legend, in ancient China, a legendary man-eating beast named the Nián came out every 12 months from the mountains somewhere close to winter to prey on humans. The people later believed that the Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the colour red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the colour red.
It was these customs led to the first New Year celebrations.
Guò nián, which means to celebrate the new year, literally means the passover of the Nian.

The actual celebration lasts for a total of fifteen days, starting on the actual New Year's day, and ending fourteen days later with a festival named the Lantern Festival, where children would go out carrying bright lanterns often with messages or puzzles written on them for people to read and try to solve. In the middle ages these lanterns were usually very simple, since only the emperor or noblemen could afford large ornate ones, although today they can be seen in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

There are many traditional celebrations during the New Year including, but not limited to, Dragon Dances, Fireworks, Family Gatherings, Family Meal, Visiting friends and relatives, giving out red envelopes and many more other lesser known festivities.

Dragon & Lion Dances

Aside from just Dragon Dances, Lion Dances are also somewhat popular at New Years, although both are very similar in tradition although the number of dancers varies depending on the size of the costume.

In the dance, a team of Chinese people carry the dragon — which is an image of the Chinese dragon — on poles. The lead dancers lift, dip, thrust, and sweep the head, which may contain animated features controlled by a dancer and is sometimes rigged to belch smoke from pyrotechnic devices. The dance team mimics the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolise historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.

Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which is reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority.

The Lion dance is another form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume.
The costume itself may be operated by a single dancer, or more frequently by a pair of dancers.
The single dancer springs about while energetically moving and shaking the head and operating the jaws and eyes.
The pair of dancers, forming the back and fore legs of the beast, mimic the motions of a single animal.
The dance is traditionally accompanied by gongs, drums and firecrackers, representing the descent of good luck.

Fireworks / Firecrackers

In ancient and medieval China, Bamboo stems were filled with gunpowder and then burnt to create small explosions to scare away evil spirits - This practice survives today although in a more modern variety of firecrackers.

The Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for its deafening explosions that it is thought to scare away evil spirits.

In many countries this practice has since been banned, particularly in urban areas as with such a large amount of firecrackers; accidents have on occasion occurred causing people extreme harm to the extent of blindness or loss of body parts.
Some countries have since relaxed or lifted the ban, however for many places the use of fireworks is only allowed under very strictly controlled conditions, and often by agencies with licensing from the government to launch the fireworks.

Floral Decorations

One traditional decoration during the Chinese New Year were flowers, and each had a different symbolic meaning.
Some of these are also given as a gift to wish their symbolic meaning to another person, traditionally a family member.

Flower	Meaning
Plum blossom	Symbolizes luck
Kumquat	Symbolizes prosperity
Narcissus	Symbolizes prosperity
Chrysanthemum	Symbolizes longevity
Bamboo	A plant used for any time of year
Sunflower	Means to have a good year

Family Gatherings, and Visiting Friends

One common tradition during the Chinese new year celebrations is called the Chunyun, referring to what most would call the time of the largest human migration since migrant workers in China, and other overseas Chinese cultures would travel home for a reunion dinner with their families on the eve of the New Year.

The family members will typically meat close to or in the home of the senior member of the family, and meals served traditionally include either chicken or fish - Other food items are also included such as Longevity Noodles, although some others are only eaten during certain particular days over the new year, among other traditions - although some days do not hold festivities.

Clothing mainly featuring the colour red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year, especially when visiting family and friends because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits, such as the Nián, and bad fortune.
In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year.

Days of the New Year

Before the New Year

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cut-outs of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets.

A week before the new year altar decorations from the previous year are also taken down, burned, and replaced with new decorations.

First day of the New Year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth.
Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them as they won't be eating another animal or creature, nor the fat of that animal.
 Some also consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be eaten is cooked the day before.

Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year and evict bad spirits from the premises.
Members of the family who are married also give red packets containing cash to junior members of the family.
These Red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals.

The amount of money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4 since the number 4 is considered bad luck.
The word for four is a homophone for death. However, the number 8 is considered lucky since the word for fight is a homophone for wealth, and so $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes.

Second day of the New Year

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. The prayer is done to pray that they'll be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year.

The second day of the Chinese New Year is also a day for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently but will make arrangements to do so on this day.

Third and Fourth days of the New Year

The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives and friends.

Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead since the third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead and some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all.

The time over these two days is also called the "chì kŏu" meaning easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visits already during the first two days of the New Year celebrations.

Fifth day of the New Year

In northern China, people eat Jiăozi (dumplings) on the morning of "Po Wu" to celebrate the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth.
In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.

Jiaozi Dumplings typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together or by crimping - It is believed your packaging luck into the dumpling and by consuming them at a later time then you will be lucky for the coming year.

Seventh day of the New Year

The seventh day, traditionally known as "Renri", the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older.
It is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. This is a custom primarily among the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.

The yusheng salad was first invented in the early middle ages, and consists primarily of strips of Salmon fish, mixed with a range of shredded vegetables combined with a range of sauces, and other ingredients such as rice or pasta, although these are less common.

Nineth day of the New Year

The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven in the Taoist Pantheon, and is especially important to Hokkiens (Min Nan speakers). Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, the Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will most often include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago.
Tea is also served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.

Fifteen day of the New Year

The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié, otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect.
Rice dumplings named Tangyuan, a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten on this day.
Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns.

This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities and is named the Lantern Festival.