Spring Festival in China , Amazing celebrations

Spring Festival is the day of meeting for all members of the family. People who have left their native country have to go home. That's why each year, more than ten days before the party, the transport is more intensive than ever. On those days, crowds flock like waves to railway stations, coach stations and airports.

The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Year, which is about twenty to a day late on the New Year's Gregorian calendar. Dating back to the Shang Dynasty (about 17th-11th centuries BCE), it was born from activities that consisted in offering a sacrifice to deities or ancestors at the beginning of the year.

The Spring Festival has many habits and customs that are maintained for one part today and weaken for another part.

On the 8th of the 12th month of the moon, it is customary to make porridge with glutinous rice, millet, jujubes, lotus seeds, red beans, longan pulp and ginkgo seeds.

The 23rd of the 12th lunar month is also called "Little New Year". That day, a sacrifice must traditionally be offered to the genie of the home. But today, most families prepare a hearty meal for themselves.

After this day, preparations to host the Lunar New Year officially begin.

All families start buying rice, wheat flour, chicken, duck, fish, meat, fruit, sweets and cakes, and ornaments. We also buy new clothes for his children and gifts for his parents and friends.

Then we decorate the rooms clean to have a party atmosphere. On the door jambs are glued the parallel motives calligraphed on the red papers to express the wishes or the aspiration of the master of the house to happiness; the portrait of the guardian god or the god of Fortune, or the inverted Chinese character "happiness," which signifies the arrival of happiness, is also glued to the door; two red lanterns are suspended at the entrance of the house; cut papers are put on the windows; and brightly colored paintings giving a propitious meaning hang on the wall.

Lunar New Year's Eve is considered the most important moment in which all family members have dinner together. The meal is much more plentiful than that of ordinary days. Chicken, fish and soy cheese are the indispensable dishes, because they signify, according to the homonymy of Chinese, the auspiciousness and excess of grains and silver. After dinner, we talk, sometimes watching television, especially the gala evening organized by the national channel.


this video about the most beautiful celebration