This year, Chinese New Year (chūnjié 春节) will be on January 29th, 2025, starting the Year of the Snake (shé nián 蛇年). The Chinese Spring Festival (中国春节 | zhōng guó chūn jié), also called Chūn Jié (春节), marks the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year. It follows the lunisolar calendar and begins on the first day of the new year. In Chinese, this day is called “大年初一” (dà nián chū yī), and it is the most important festival in China.
In China, the Spring Festival is a time for families to come together. Almost everyone goes home to celebrate with their family for at least a week. For the Chinese, it is seen as the true start of the new year.
The Legend of Nián (年)
One popular story about the start of the Spring Festival is the legend of Nián (年), a scary monster that lived in the mountains or the sea. According to the story, Nián would come out on New Year’s Eve and scare people in villages. The people found out that Nián was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. To keep him away, they used torches, hit drums, and put up red decorations.
Because of this story, people have the tradition of setting off fireworks, lighting firecrackers (爆竹, bàozhú), and using red paper decorations during the celebrations. These customs are thought to chase away bad luck and bring in a new year with good luck.
The Lunar Calendar
The Spring Festival follows the Chinese lunar calendar. This calendar sets the New Year’s date based on the moon’s phases. Each month starts with a new moon, and a full lunar year can have either 12 or 13 months. Because of this, the date of Chinese New Year changes every year when compared to the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the sun.
The “Big Clean”
Before the Spring Festival, families take part in a tradition called the “Big Clean” (大扫除 | dà sǎo chú). They clean their homes from top to bottom. This tradition represents getting rid of the old and bad luck to make room for a fresh start in the new year. People throw away old, worn-out things and replace them with new items like bedding, pillows, and red-and-gold decorations to attract good luck.
Decorations
Red is the main color during Chinese New Year because it stands for happiness, wealth, and good luck. Popular decorations include red paper cuttings (剪纸, jiǎnzhǐ) with the character 福 (fú), which means “blessing” or “good fortune.” You’ll also see duìlián (对联), which are pairs of poetic lines with lucky messages, hung on doorways. Streets and homes are decorated with red lanterns (灯笼, dēnglóng), adding to the joyful and festive mood.
Shopping and Gifts
Before the New Year, markets are busy as families buy food and other important items. A key tradition is giving hóngbāo (红包), which are red envelopes filled with money. Usually, older family members give these to children and younger relatives. This act represents sharing blessings and good fortune with the next generation.
The Festival Period
The Spring Festival usually lasts for 15 days, but some days are extra special:
New Year’s Eve (除夕, Chúxī)
This is the most important night of the celebration. Families come together for a big reunion dinner (年夜饭, niányèfàn), which is the highlight of the festival. After dinner, many people watch the CCTV New Year Gala (中国中央电视台, Zhōngguó Zhōngyāng Diànshìtái). At midnight, fireworks and firecrackers light up the sky, symbolizing driving away bad luck and welcoming the new year.
New Year’s Day (初一, Chūyī)
On this day, people visit older relatives, like grandparents, to share good wishes for the new year. A common greeting is “恭喜发财” (Gōngxǐ fācái), which means “Congratulations and may you prosper!”
Days Leading Up to the Lantern Festival
Over the next two weeks, each day has its own traditions. People visit friends, cook special foods, and continue family customs. In northern China, dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi) are popular, while in the south, people enjoy glutinous rice balls (汤圆, tāngyuán).
Lantern Festival (元宵节, Yuánxiāo Jié)
On the 15th day, the festival ends with the Lantern Festival. Streets are filled with beautiful lanterns, and people have fun solving riddles written on them. Sweet rice balls (元宵, yuánxiāo or 汤圆, tāngyuán) are eaten, symbolizing family togetherness.
Food Traditions
Food is a big part of the Spring Festival. Different regions have their own special dishes, but some are popular everywhere because of their meanings:
- Dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi): Common in northern China, dumplings are eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Their shape looks like ancient Chinese gold ingots, symbolizing wealth.
- Fish (鱼, yú): The word for fish sounds like “surplus” or “abundance.” Serving a whole fish (and leaving some uneaten) represents hoping for prosperity all year.
- Glutinous Rice Cake (年糕, niángāo): The name sounds like “year high,” meaning rising success year after year.
- Spring Rolls (春卷, chūnjuǎn): These golden rolls look like gold bars and are thought to bring good luck.
Symbols and Rituals
Firecrackers and Fireworks:
Firecrackers (爆竹, bàozhú) were used in the past to scare away a monster called Nián (年). Though fireworks are limited in some cities for safety, they’re still a big part of the celebration in rural areas.
Red Color and Calligraphy:
Red is a lucky color, symbolizing happiness and energy. Handwritten calligraphy on red paper with lucky phrases is a key part of the festival.
Family Reunions:
Family is the heart of the Spring Festival. So many people travel home that it’s called the world’s largest human migration.
Common New Year Greetings
Here are some phrases you can use during the festival:
春节快乐！(Chūnjié kuàilè) — Happy Spring Festival!
过年好！(Guònián hǎo) — Have a good Spring Festival!
(Note: “过年” (guònián) means “celebrating the New Year.”)
恭喜发财！(Gōngxǐ fācái) — May you be happy and prosperous!
Commercialization
Like many holidays, the Spring Festival has become more commercial. Shopping malls have sales and promotions, and people send virtual red envelopes through apps like WeChat (微信, Wēixìn). Even with these modern changes, traditional customs like family reunions and honoring ancestors remain very important.