成人快手

Huilai, China on Chinese New Year

Angela is a 12-year-old girl from China.

She visits her grandmother in Huilai, China for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Exploring Huilai, China

Why is Chinese New Year celebrated?

Chinese New Year is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival ( Chūn Jié) in China as it marks the end of Winter ( Dōng tiān) and the beginning of Spring ( Chūn tiān).

It is one of the four most important traditional festivals in China and celebrates the beginning of a new year in the Chinese lunar calendar.

You can read the full story of Chinese New Year here.

When is the Chinese New Year?

The traditional Chinese calendar, also called the Chinese lunar calendar ( nóng lì), is based on the cycle of the moon ( yuè liang).

Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the new lunar year and, as such, the date changes each year.

It begins on the new moon that appears between late January and February.

The New Year celebrations last fifteen days, ending with the Chinese Lantern Festival.

During this time, you can say these greetings in Mandarin:

  • Xīn nián kuài lè! - Happy New Year!

  • Chūn jiē kuài lè! - Happy Spring Festival!

How do Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year?

Red envelopes ( hóng bāo) filled with money are often given to children during Chinese New Year to pass on the good fortune and blessings for the coming year

Cleaning is another tradition of the Chinese New Year.

This is because, in Mandarin, ‘dust’ ( 肠丑é苍) is a homophone (same pronunciation but different meaning) for the word for ‘oldness or staleness’ ( 肠丑é苍).

Chinese paper cuts
Image caption,
Chinese paper cuts

Paper cutting ( jiǎn zhǐ) is a form of traditional art in China.

People put them on their windows during Chinese New Year as a way to welcome Spring.

Why not try and make your own paper cuts?

The Spring Festival is a time for family ( jiā tíng) and as such the festival brings with it a travel rush, known as chūn yùn.

As a large part of the Chinese population returns home to reunite with their family, China faces one of the largest movement of humans on Earth.

Chinese paper cuts
Image caption,
Chinese paper cuts

What do Chinese people eat for the Chinese New Year?

Food plays a big part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Chinese dumplings
Image caption,
Chinese dumplings

Different foods represent different things in China:

  • Fish ( 测ú) - surplus (extra or remaining) and fortune

  • Chinese dumplings ( jiǎo zi) - wealth

  • Glutinous rice balls ( tāng yuán) - family reunion

You can make your own Chinese dumplings by following this recipe.

More on Culture

Find out more by working through a topic