The Chinese Spring Festival and the Western Christmas

Every nation has its own folk festivals. Those festivals give people a chance to be away from their regular work and everyday worries to enjoy them and to develop kinship and friendship. The Christmas is the most important day in the western world, while Spring Festival is the most important day in China. I believe that every one of you is familiar with the Christmas, but have you ever heard something about the Chinese spring festival? Do you want to know more?

According to legend, in ancient China, a man-eating beast from the mountain could silently infiltrate houses to prey on humans. The people later learned that the Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and use of the color red. These customs led to the first New Year celebration, which means to celebrate the new year, literally means the passing of the Nian beast.

Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chu Xi. Chu literally means "change" and xi means "eve". It is such a great festival that it is celebrated internationally in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for Chinese as well as for ethnic groups who were strongly influenced by Chinese culture. This includes Japanese, Koreans, Mongolians, Vietnamese, the Nepalese and the Bhutanese.

Chinese Spring Festival is also known as Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year, and it is the most important traditional Chinese holidays. The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th, on the Lantern Festival, which means rest and relaxation between winter and spring after a year's toil and means celebration as well.

Before the Spring Festival, overseas Chinese all around the world will try their best to travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year's eve. For those people in China, they will clean their houses, put red couplets on their gates, and set off firecrackers, according to fairy tale, for driving the demon away. On the eve of the Spring Festival, a get-together banquet is ready. Once upon a time, the most popular food was Jiaozi, which is supposed to bring good fortune. With the development of the economy and society, people’s living standard has improved a lot; therefore they can buy or make various delicious foods which they like. On the first day of the New Year, everybody wears their new clothes, and go out to greet relatives and friends with bows and congratulations, they all hope that every one enjoys the coming new year. 

Do you like this information about the spring festival (http://www.dinodirect.com/se-Chinese-knot/ )? Do you want to experience it? You may have a trip to China with your friends or relatives, and I believe that it will be an unforgettable experience for you.