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Among the biggest festivals of China the Chinese New Year undoubtedly is one of the major ones. Celebrated every year during late January and early February, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in a grand scale in China. During this time of the year, the festive spirit prevails in the air and preparations for the coming New Year start a few weeks before the actual festivals. As a part of the preparations for the New Year, people clean their houses; buy tangerine plants, flower vases and Chinese paintings for decorations and the air becomes full of the festive spirit. During the Chinese New Year celebrations, Hong Kong gets draped in vivid colors and customers line up before the shops to clear their debts to welcome the New Year in style.
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, prayers are offered at the temples and homage is paid to Tso Kwan, who would present a report on the behavior of the humans on earth for that year to the heavens.Finally, when the New Year arrives, people meet close friends and relatives and worship gods and ancestors. Many wear new clothes and shoes and exchange red packets containing small of money are exchanged. On the second day of the New Year people usually spend time with their relatives. On the third day also called the “Kai Nien” or “Squabble Day”, it is believed that if you quarrel with someone then the whole year would be full of quarrels and disputes. On the fourth day, Tso Kwan or the Kitcen God is welcomed back to the earth from his tiring trip to the Heaven by hanging a new picture in the kitchen. Apart from these, people also worship the God of wealth. According to popular belief, it is auspicious to do so as it would bring great fortune to the family in the coming months. On the seventh day of the New Year, which is also called as All Person’s Day, the celebration of birth of all the people in the country is observed.
With the passage of time, the festivities surrounding the New Year gain pace. For example, starting from the fifteenth day of the festivities, a special three day lantern festival is observed. Symbolic lanterns of good fortune, happiness and health are hung across all the houses in China.
With the lantern festival, the Chinese New Year festivities come to an end and people get back to their lives with renewed vigor and excitement.
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