February
2026 / 02 / 17
Festival
Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most significant traditional holiday in China and many other Asian countries, marking the beginning of the new year according to the lunar calendar. Its history can be traced back to sacrificial ceremonies at the end and beginning of the year during the Shang Dynasty. It carries profound cultural connotations of bidding farewell to the old year, welcoming the new, family reunion, and praying for good fortune and prosperity. The core significance of the Lunar New Year lies in family reunions and auspicious wishes for the future. Traditional celebrations are rich and varied, starting from the "Little New Year" on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month with offerings to the Kitchen God. Activities culminate on New Year's Eve with the family reunion dinner, staying up late ("Shou Sui"), and giving red envelopes containing money ("Ya Sui Qian"). The festivities continue through the first month with visits to relatives and friends, lion and dragon dances, temple fairs, and lantern displays. The festival reaches another climax and concludes with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, featuring lantern viewing and eating sweet rice bs ("Yuanxiao"). Red is the dominant color, symbolizing luck and joy. Spring couplets, paper-cuttings, and firecrackers (now often replaced by electronic or eco-friendly alternatives) are essential elements. This festival is not merely a temporal marker but a concentrated embodiment of cultural values such as family ethics, reverence for heaven and ancestors, and harmony with nature in Chinese culture.
This result was generated by AI