The Spring Festival is the biggest festival in China just like Christmas in the west. It starts on the first day of every new year in lunar calendar, often one month later than the solar calendar. And it will last till 15 days in a row though only 7 days¡¯ vacation is given. Generally speaking, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first 3 days. On Spring Festival Eve, all the family members always go home and stay together for a great supper, greater than usual, which is probably the most event in the Spring Festival. And after dinner, it¡¯s a custom to stay up and chat or watch Spring Festival party on CCTV throughout the world for all Chinese. When the new year comes, people always wear new suits and children are given money wrapped in a red package as a new year gift by parents and older relatives, which is an old tradition. During the festival, people in northern China always eat dumplings and in southern people would like to eat ¡°niangao¡± (New Year cake made of rice flour) because its pronounciation means ¡°higher and higher, one year after another.¡± And it¡¯s a good time to send greetings, wishes and gifts to relatives, friends, classmates or colleagues during festival. Even a phone call show your regard. Another tradition is the fireworks burning. Although in security reason it has been banned several years, it has so long a history that it cannot be totally forbidden and government are putting some limited areas in which people can burn fireworks. As Christmas is as important as the Spring Festival. I think it's wise for Yao to sent a card to Shaq. That must be sweet,right? And plus,I think one of the things that make me really happy is that I can watch NBA games during the Spring Festival.I'm really gonna miss the past SF.
Interesting. Thanks for the insight into your culture. Happy Spring Festival. I will go eat chinese food today for lunch to celebrate with you.
yep, that pretty much summed up chinese news years as what i know from it. growing up in houston, we didn't celebrate it a whole lot, but 3 yrs ago, i celebrated with my family in Taiwan and it was awesome!! we started buying food and preparing meals 5-7 days before new years, had dumplings on the eve, ate a TON of food the next 3 days, saw all my family and their families, got red envelopes, etc. good times.
