Chinese new year in chinese word

We’ve talked a lot about the Chinese New Year – more commonly referred to as the Spring Festival (春节 – chūn jié) in Chinese – over the years here. For those who are relatively new to the blog, you should go ahead and browse through our Beginner’s Guide to the Spring Festival, which has links to past posts detailing the history, traditions, superstitions, and much more. Read through those, and you’ll be an expert on the most important holiday in the Middle Kingdom. While you’re at it, you might as well read about my Very Chinese Chinese New Year last year to get a feel for what it’s like celebrating the holiday in a village.

As this is a blog focused on both culture and language, I thought I’d go ahead and post about Spring Festival in Chinese. Here are ten sentences describing the Spring Festival, each in Chinese, pinyin, and English for you to study.

春节是最重要的节日在中国.
chūn jié shì zuì zhòng yào de jié rì zài zhōng guó
Spring Festival is the most important holiday in China.

春节也叫中国新年.
chūn jié yě jiào zhōng guó xīn nián
Spring Festival is also called Chinese New Year.

每个人要回老家过年.
měi gè rén yào huí lǎo jiā guò nián
Everyone wants to return to their hometown to celebrate the New Year.

因为么个人要回家，所以买车票特别难.
yīn wèi měi gè rén yào huí jiā, suǒ yǐ mǎi chē piào tè bié nán
Because everyone wants to go home, it’s very difficult to buy tickets.

除夕的时候，家人在一起吃年夜饭.
chú xì de shí hòu, jiā rén zài yī qǐ chī nián yè fàn
On New Year’s Eve, family members eat a New Year dinner together.

北方人喜欢吃饺子，南方人喜欢吃年糕.
běi fāng rén xǐ huān chī jiǎo zi, nán fāng rén xǐ huān chī nián gāo
Northerns like to eat dumplings, Southerners like to eat New Year cakes.

每年很多人看“春晚”.
měi nián hěn duō rén kàn “chūn wǎn”
Every year many people watch “Chun Wan” (CCTV New Year’s Gala).

孩子们很喜欢春节，因为家人给他们红包.
hái zi men hěn xǐ huān chūn jié, yīn wéi jiā rén gěi tā men hóng bāo
Children really like Spring Festival, because family members give them red envelopes.

红包里面有压岁钱.
hóng bāo lǐ miàn yǒu yā suì qián
Inside the red envelopes there’s lucky money.

春节有很多传统，比如放鞭炮，舞龙，和春联.
chūn jié yǒu hěn duō chuán tǒng, bǐ rú fàng biān pào, wǔ lóng, hé chūn lián
Spring Festival has many traditions, for example lighting firecrackers, dragon dances, and Spring Festival couplets.

Now you’re definitely ready to ring in the Chinese New Year! Wherever you are, I hope you get to partake in some Spring Festival celebrations. You don’t have to be in China to celebrate, as I’ll detail in my next post about Chinese New Year around the world.

This article is about the festival observed on the traditional Chinese calendar. For the first day of the year observed on other lunar or lunisolar calendars, see Lunar New Year.

Chinese New Year
Clockwise from the top: Fireworks over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, lion dance in Boston Chinatown, red Lanterns on display, dragon dance in San Francisco, red envelopes, firecrackers exploding, spring couplet
Also called	Spring Festival, Lunar New Year
Observed by	Chinese people and Sinophone communities[1]
Type	Cultural Religious (Chinese folk religion, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, some Christian communities)
Celebrations	Lion dances, dragon dances, fireworks, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives, giving red envelopes, decorating with chunlian couplets
Date	First day of the first lunar month
2022 date	1 February
2023 date	22 January
2024 date	10 February
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Lantern Festival, which concludes the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar), Tibetan New Year (Losar), Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu), Korean New Year (Seollal), Vietnamese New Year (Tết), Indigenous Assamese New Year (Rongali Bihu)

Chinese New Year
«Chinese New Year» in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	春節
Simplified Chinese	春节
Literal meaning	«Spring Festival»
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chūn jié Bopomofo ㄔㄨㄣ   ㄐㄧㄝˊ Wade–Giles Ch’un1 chieh2 IPA [ʈʂʰwə́n tɕjě] Wu Romanization Tshen tsiq Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Chēun jit Jyutping Ceon1 zit3 IPA [tsʰɵ́n tsīːt̚] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chhun cheh Tâi-lô Tshun tseh
Agricultural Calendar New Year
Traditional Chinese	農曆新年
Simplified Chinese	农历新年
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin nónglì xīnnián
Traditional Chinese New Year
Traditional Chinese	中國傳統新年
Simplified Chinese	中国传统新年
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōngguó chuántǒng xīnnián

Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. In Chinese, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival (traditional Chinese: 春節; simplified Chinese: 春节; pinyin: Chūnjié)^[2] as the spring season in the lunisolar calendar traditionally starts with lichun, the first of the twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of the Chinese New Year.^[3] Marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season, observances traditionally take place from New Year’s Eve, the evening preceding the first day of the year to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.^{[note 1]}

Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and has strongly influenced Lunar New Year celebrations of its 56 ethnic groups, such as the Losar of Tibet (Tibetan: ལོ་གསར་), and of China’s neighbours, including the Korean New Year (Korean: 설날; RR: Seollal), and the Tết of Vietnam,^[5] as well as in Okinawa.^[6] It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries that house significant Overseas Chinese or Sinophone populations, especially in Southeast Asia. These include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,^[7] the Philippines,^[8] Singapore,^[9] Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also prominent beyond Asia, especially in Australia, Canada, Mauritius,^[10] New Zealand, Peru,^[11] South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as various European countries.^[12][13][14]

The Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honor deities as well as ancestors.^[15] Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the New Year vary widely,^[16] and the evening preceding the New Year’s Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also a tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. Another custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets. Popular themes among these paper-cuts and couplets include good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes.

Dates in Chinese lunisolar calendar[edit]

The Chinese calendar defines the lunar month containing the winter solstice as the eleventh month, meaning that Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice (rarely the third if an intercalary month intervenes).^[17] In more than 96 percent of the years, Chinese New Year’s Day is the closest date to a new moon to lichun (Chinese: 立春; lit. ‘establishment of spring’) on 4 or 5 February, and the first new moon after dahan (Chinese: 大寒; lit. ‘major cold’). In the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese New Year begins at the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February.^[18]

Gregorian	Date	Animal	Day of the week
2023	22 Jan	Rabbit	Sunday
2024	10 Feb	Dragon	Saturday
2025	29 Jan	Snake	Wednesday
2026	17 Feb	Horse	Tuesday
2027	6 Feb	Goat	Saturday
2028	26 Jan	Monkey	Wednesday
2029	13 Feb	Rooster	Tuesday
2030	3 Feb	Dog	Sunday
2031	23 Jan	Pig	Thursday
2032	11 Feb	Rat	Wednesday
2033	31 Jan	Ox	Monday
2034	19 Feb	Tiger	Sunday

Mythology[edit]

According to legend, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival. The Nian would eat villagers, especially children in the middle of the night.^[19] One year, all the villagers decided to hide from the beast. An older man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night and would get revenge on the Nian. The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers. The day after, the villagers came back to their town and saw that nothing had been destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them. The villagers then understood that Yanhuang had discovered that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises.^[19] Then the tradition grew when New Year was approaching, and the villagers would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and red spring scrolls on windows and doors and used firecrackers and drums to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk.^[20]

History[edit]

Before the new year celebration was established, ancient Chinese gathered and celebrated the end of harvest in autumn. However, this was not the Mid-Autumn Festival, during which Chinese gathered with family to worship the Moon. In the Classic of Poetry, a poem written during Western Zhou (1045 BC – 771 BC) by an anonymous farmer, described the traditions of celebrating the 10th month of the ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn.^[21] According to the poem, during this time people clean millet-stack sites, toast guests with mijiu (rice wine), kill lambs and cook their meat, go to their masters’ home, toast the master, and cheer the prospect of living long together. The 10th-month celebration is believed to be one of the prototypes of Chinese New Year.^[22]
The records of the first Chinese new year celebration can be traced to the Warring States period (475 BC – 221 AD). In the Lüshi Chunqiu, in Qin state an exorcism ritual to expel illness, called «Big Nuo» (大儺), was recorded as being carried out on the last day of the year.^[23][24] Later, Qin unified China, and the Qin dynasty was founded; and the ritual spread. It evolved into the practice of cleaning one’s house thoroughly in the days preceding Chinese New Year.

The first mention of celebrating at the start of a new year was recorded during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). In the book Simin Yueling (四民月令), written by the Eastern Han agronomist Cui Shi (崔寔), a celebration was described: «The starting day of the first month, is called Zheng Ri. I bring my wife and children, to worship ancestors and commemorate my father.» Later he wrote: «Children, wife, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all serve pepper wine to their parents, make their toast, and wish their parents good health. It’s a thriving view.»^[25] The practice of worshipping ancestors on New Year’s Eve is maintained by Chinese people to this day.^[26]

Han Chinese also started the custom of visiting acquaintances’ homes and wishing each other a happy new year. In Book of the Later Han, volume 27, a county officer was recorded as going to his prefect’s house with a government secretary, toasting the prefect, and praising the prefect’s merit.^[27][28]

During the Jin dynasty (266 – 420 AD), people started the New Year’s Eve tradition of all-night revelry called shousui (守歲). It was described in Western Jin general Zhou Chu’s article Fengtu Ji (風土記 “Notes on Local Conditions”): «At the ending of a year, people gift and wish each other, calling it Kuisui (饋歲 “gift time”); people invited others with drinks and food, calling it Biesui (別歲 “others time”); on New Year’s Eve, people stayed up all night until sunrise, calling it Shousui (守歲 “guard the year”).»^[29] The article used the word chu xi (除夕) to indicate New Year’s Eve, and the name is still used until this day.

The Northern and Southern dynasties book Jingchu Suishiji described the practice of firing bamboo in the early morning of New Year’s Day,^[30] which became a New Year tradition of the ancient Chinese. Poet and chancellor of the Tang dynasty Lai Gu also described this tradition in his poem Early Spring (早春): «新曆才将半纸开，小亭猶聚爆竿灰», meaning «Another new year just started as a half opening paper, and the family gathered around the dust of exploded bamboo pole».^[31] The practice was used by ancient Chinese people to scare away evil spirits, since firing bamboo would noisily crack or explode the hard plant.

During the Tang dynasty, people established the custom of sending bai nian tie (拜年帖), which are New Year’s greeting cards. It is said that the custom was started by Emperor Taizong of Tang. The emperor wrote «普天同慶» (whole nation celebrate together) on gold leaves and sent them to his ministers. Word of the emperor’s gesture spread, and later it became the custom of people in general, who used Xuan paper instead of gold leaves.^[32] Another theory is that bai nian tie was derived from the Han dynasty’s name tag, «門狀» (door opening). As imperial examinations became essential and reached their heyday under the Tang dynasty, candidates curried favour to become pupils of respected teachers, in order to get recommendation letters. After obtaining good examination marks, a pupil went to the teacher’s home with a men zhuang (门状) to convey their gratitude. Therefore, eventually men zhuang became a symbol of good luck, and people started sending them to friends on New Year’s Day, calling them by a new name, bai nian tie (拜年帖, New Year’s Greetings).^[33]

The Chunlian (Spring Couplets) was written by Meng Chang, an emperor of the Later Shu (935–965 AD), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period：»新年納餘慶，嘉節號長春» (Enjoying past legacies in the new year, the holiday foreseeing the long-lasting spring). As described by Song dynasty official Zhang Tangying in his book Shu Tao Wu, volume 2: on the day of New Year’s Eve, the emperor ordered the scholar Xin Yinxun to write the couplets on peach wood and hang them on the emperor’s bedroom door.^[34][35] It is believed that placing the couplets on the door to the home in the days preceding the new year was widespread during the Song dynasty. The famous Northern Song politician, litterateur, philosopher, and poet Wang Anshi recorded the custom in his poem «元日» (New Year’s Day).^[36]

爆竹聲中一歲除， 春風送暖入屠蘇。 千門萬戶瞳瞳日， 總把新桃換舊符。	Amid the sound of firecrackers a year has come to an end, The spring wind has wafted warm breath to the Tusu wine. While the rising sun shines over each and every household, People get rid of the old couplets and put up the new ones.
—王安石, 元日	—Wang Anshi, New Year’s Day

The poem Yuan Ri (元日) also includes the word «爆竹» (bao zhu, exploding bamboo), which is believed to be a reference to firecrackers, instead of the previous tradition of firing bamboo, both of which are called the same in the Chinese language. After gunpowder was invented in the Tang dynasty and widely used under the Song dynasty, people modified the tradition of firing bamboo by filling the bamboo pole with gunpowder, which made for louder explosions. Later under the Song, people discarded the bamboo and started to use paper to wrap the gunpowder in cylinders, in imitation of the bamboo. The firecracker was still called «爆竹», thus equating the new and old traditions. It is also recorded that people linked the firecrackers with hemp rope and created the «鞭炮» (bian pao, gunpowder whip) in the Song dynasty. Both «爆竹» and «鞭炮» are still used by present-day people to celebrate the Chinese New Year and other festive occasions.^[37]

It was also during the Song dynasty that people started to give money to children in celebration of a new year. The money was called sui nian qian (随年钱), meaning «the money based on age». In the chapter «Ending of a year» (歲除) of Wulin jiushi (武林舊事), the writer recorded that concubines of the emperor prepared a hundred and twenty coins for princes and princesses, to wish them long lives.^[38]

The new year celebration continued under the Yuan dynasty, when people also gave nian gao (年糕, year cakes) to relatives.^[39]

The tradition of eating Chinese dumplings jiaozi (餃子) was established under the Ming dynasty at the latest. It is described in the book Youzhongzhi (酌中志): «People get up at 5 in the morning of new year’s day, burn incense and light firecrackers, throw door latch or wooden bars in the air three times, drink pepper and thuja wine, eat dumplings. Sometimes put one or two silver currency inside dumplings, and whoever gets the money will attain a year of fortune.»^[40] Modern Chinese people also put other food that is auspicious into dumplings: such as dates, which prophesy a flourishing new year; candy, which predicts sweet days; and nian gao, which foretells a rich life.

In the Qing dynasty, the name ya sui qian (壓歲錢, New Year’s Money) was given to the lucky money given to children at the new year. The book Qing Jia Lu (清嘉錄) recorded: «elders give children coins threaded together by a red string, and the money is called Ya Sui Qian.»^[41] The name is still used by modern Chinese people. The lucky money was presented in one of two forms: one was coins strung on red string; the other was a colorful purse filled with coins.^[42]
In 1928, the ruling Kuomintang party decreed that the Chinese New Year would fall on 1 Jan of the Gregorian Calendar, but this was abandoned due to overwhelming popular opposition. In 1967, during the Cultural Revolution, official Chinese New Year celebrations were banned in China. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China announced that the public should «change customs»; have a «revolutionized and fighting Spring Festival»; and since people needed to work on Chinese New Year Eve, they did not need holidays during Spring Festival day. The old celebrations were reinstated in 1980.^[43]

Naming[edit]

While «Chinese New Year» remains the official name for the festival in Taiwan, the name «Spring Festival» was adopted by the People’s Republic of China instead. On the other hand, some in the Chinese diaspora use the term «Lunar New Year», while «Chinese New Year» remains a popular and convenient translation for people of non-Chinese cultural backgrounds. Along with the Han Chinese in and outside Greater China, as many as 29 of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China also celebrate Chinese New Year. Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines celebrate it as an official festival.^[44]

Public holiday[edit]

Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories where there is a sizable Chinese population. Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. In some countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day if the New Year (as a public holiday) falls on a weekend, as in the case of 2013, where the New Year’s Eve (9 February) falls on Saturday and the New Year’s Day (10 February) on Sunday. Depending on the country, the holiday may be termed differently; common names in English are «Chinese New Year», «Lunar New Year», «New Year Festival», and «Spring Festival».

For New Year celebrations that are lunar but are outside of China and Chinese diaspora (such as Korea’s Seollal and Vietnam’s Tết), see the article on Lunar New Year.

For other countries and regions where Chinese New Year is celebrated but not an official holiday, see the table below.

Country and region	Official name	Description	Number of days
Malaysia	Tahun Baru Cina	The first 2 days of Chinese New Year.[45]	2[46][45]
Singapore	Chinese New Year	The first 2 days of Chinese New Year.[47]	2
Brunei	Tahun Baru Cina	Half-day on Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first day of Chinese New Year.[48]	1
Hong Kong	Lunar New Year	The first 3 days of Chinese New Year.[49]	3
Macau	Novo Ano Lunar	The first 3 days of Chinese New Year[50]	3
Indonesia	Tahun Baru Imlek (Sin Cia)	The first day of Chinese New Year.[51][52]	1
China	Spring Festival (Chūn Jié)	The first 3 days of Chinese New Year. Extra holiday days are de facto added adjusting the weekend days before and after the three days holiday, resulting in a full week of public holiday known as Golden Week.[53][54] During the Chunyun holiday travel season.	3 (official holiday days) / 7 (de facto holiday days)
Philippines	Chinese New Year	Half-day on Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first day of Chinese New Year.[55]	1
South Korea	Korean New Year (Seollal)	The first 3 days of Chinese New Year.	3
Taiwan	Lunar New Year / Spring Festival	Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first 3 days of Chinese New Year; will be made up on subsequent working days if any of the 4 days fall on Saturday or Sunday. The day before Chinese New Year’s Eve is also designated as holiday, but as a bridge holiday, and will be made up on an earlier or later Saturday. Additional bridge holidays may apply, resulting in 9-day or 10-day weekends.[56][57][58]	4 (legally), 9–10 (including Saturdays and Sundays)[59]
Thailand	Wan Trut Chin (Chinese New Year’s Day)	Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector. Usually celebrated for three days, starting on the day before the Chinese New Year’s Eve. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun[60] and Songkhla Provinces.[47]	1
Vietnam	Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnamese New Year)	The first 3 days of Chinese New Year.	3
California, United States	Lunar New Year	The first day of Chinese New Year.	1
Suriname	Maan Nieuwjaar	The first day of Chinese New Year.	1

Festivities[edit]

Red couplets and red lanterns are displayed on the door frames and light up the atmosphere. The air is filled with strong Chinese emotions. In stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities, products of traditional Chinese style have started to lead fashion trend[s]. Buy yourself a Chinese-style coat, get your kids tiger-head hats and shoes, and decorate your home with some beautiful red Chinese knots, then you will have an authentic Chinese-style Spring Festival.

— Xinwen Lianbo, January 2001, quoted by Li Ren, Imagining China in the Era of Global Consumerism and Local Consciousness^[61]

During the festival, people around China will prepare different gourmet dishes for their families and guests. Influenced by the flourished cultures, foods from different places look and taste totally different. Among them, the most well-known ones are dumplings from northern China and Tangyuan from southern China.^{[citation needed]}

Preceding days[edit]

On the eighth day of the lunar month prior to Chinese New Year, the Laba holiday (simplified Chinese: 腊八; traditional Chinese: 臘八; pinyin: làbā), a traditional porridge, Laba porridge (simplified Chinese: 腊八粥; traditional Chinese: 臘八粥; pinyin: làbā zhōu), is served in remembrance of an ancient festival, called La, that occurred shortly after the winter solstice.^[62] Pickles such as Laba garlic, which turns green from vinegar, are also made on this day. For those that practice Buddhism, the Laba holiday is also considered Bodhi Day. Layue (simplified Chinese: 腊月; traditional Chinese: 臘月; pinyin: Làyuè) is a term often associated with Chinese New Year as it refers to the sacrifices held in honor of the gods in the twelfth lunar month, hence the cured meats of Chinese New Year are known as larou (simplified Chinese: 腊肉; traditional Chinese: 臘肉; pinyin: làròu). The porridge was prepared by the women of the household at first light, with the first bowl offered to the family’s ancestors and the household deities. Every member of the family was then served a bowl, with leftovers distributed to relatives and friends.^[63] It’s still served as a special breakfast on this day in some Chinese homes. The concept of the «La month» is similar to Advent in Christianity. Many families eat vegetarian on Chinese New Year eve, the garlic and preserved meat are eaten on Chinese New Year day.

On the days immediately before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their homes a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying «Wash away the dirt on nin ya baat» (Chinese: 年廿八，洗邋遢; pinyin: nián niàn bā, xǐ lātà; Jyutping: nin4 jaa6 baat3, sai2 laap6 taap3 (laat6 taat3)), but the practice is not restricted to nin ya baat (the 28th day of month 12). It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that the newly arrived good luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-frames a new coat of red paint; decorators and paper-hangers do a year-end rush of business prior to Chinese New Year.^[64] Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing and shoes also symbolize a new start. Any hair cuts need to be completed before the New Year, as cutting hair on New Year is considered bad luck due to the homonymic nature of the word «hair» (fa) and the word for «prosperity». Businesses are expected to pay off all the debts outstanding for the year before the new year eve, extending to debts of gratitude. Thus it is a common practice to send gifts and rice to close business associates, and extended family members.

In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is observed, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and decorations used to adorn altars over the past year are taken down and burned a week before the new year starts on Little New Year, to be replaced with new decorations. Taoists (and Buddhists to a lesser extent) will also «send gods back to heaven» (Chinese: 送神; pinyin: sòngshén), an example would be burning a paper effigy of Zao Jun the Kitchen God, the recorder of family functions. This is done so that the Kitchen God can report to the Jade Emperor of the family household’s transgressions and good deeds. Families often offer sweet foods (such as candy) in order to «bribe» the deities into reporting good things about the family.

Prior to the Reunion Dinner, a prayer of thanksgiving is held to mark the safe passage of the previous year. Confucianists take the opportunity to remember their ancestors, and those who had lived before them are revered. Some people do not give a Buddhist prayer due to the influence of Christianity, with a Christian prayer offered instead.

Chinese New Year’s Eve[edit]

The day before the Chinese New Year (Chinese: 除夕) usually accompanied with a dinner feast, consisting of special meats are served at the tables, as a main course for the dinner and as an offering for the New Year. This meal is comparable to Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. and remotely similar to Christmas dinner in other countries with a high percentage of Christians.

In northern China, it is customary to make jiaozi, or dumplings, after dinner to eat around midnight. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape resembles a Chinese sycee. In contrast, in the South, it is customary to make a glutinous new year cake (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days. Niángāo [Pinyin] literally means «new year cake» with a homophonous meaning of «increasingly prosperous year in year out».^[65]

After dinner, some families may visit local temples hours before midnight to pray for success by lighting the first incense of the year; however in modern practice, many households held parties to celebrate. Traditionally, firecrackers were lit to ward evil spirits when the household doors sealed, and are not to be reopened until dawn in a ritual called «opening the door of fortune» (simplified Chinese: 开财门; traditional Chinese: 開財門; pinyin: kāicáimén).^[66] A tradition of staying up late on Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as shousui (Chinese: 守岁), which is still practised as it is thought to add on to one’s parents’ longevity.

First day[edit]

The first day, known as the «Spring Festival» (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節) is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and Earth on midnight. It is a traditional practice to light fireworks, burn bamboo sticks and firecrackers, and lion dance troupes, were done commonly as a tradition to ward off evil spirits.

Typical actions such as lighting fires and using knives are considered taboo, thus all consumable food has to be cooked prior. Using the broom, swearing, and breaking any dinnerware without appeasing the deities are also considered taboo.^[67]

Normal traditions occurring on the first day involve house gatherings to the families, specifically the elders and families to the oldest and most senior members of their extended families, usually their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, and trading Mandarin oranges as a courtesy to symbolize wealth and good luck. Members of the family who are married also give red envelopes containing cash known as lai see (Cantonese: 利事) or angpow (Hokkien and Teochew), or hongbao (Mandarin: 红包), a form of a blessing and to suppress both the aging and challenges that were associated with the coming year, to junior members of the family, mostly children and teenagers. Business managers may also give bonuses in the form of red packets to employees.^[68] The money can be of any form, specifically numbers ending with 8, which sounded as huat (Mandarin: 发), meaning prosperity, but packets with denominations of odd numbers or without money are usually not allowed due to bad luck, especially the number 4 which sounded as si (Mandarin: 死), which means death.^[69][68]

While fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally very popular, some regions have banned them due to concerns over fire hazards. For this reason, various city governments (e.g., Kowloon, Beijing, Shanghai for a number of years) issued bans over fireworks and firecrackers in certain precincts of the city. As a substitute, large-scale fireworks display have been launched by governments in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Second day[edit]

The second day, entitled «a year’s beginning» (simplified Chinese: 开年; traditional Chinese: 開年; pinyin: kāinián),^[70] oversees married daughters visiting their birth parents, relatives and close friends, often renew family ties and relationship. (Traditionally, married daughters didn’t have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.)

The second day also saw giving offering money and sacrifices to God of Wealth (Chinese: 财神) to symbolize a rewarding time after hardship in the preceding year. During the days of imperial China, «beggars and other unemployed people circulate[d] from family to family, carrying a picture [of the God of Wealth] shouting, «Cai Shen dao!» [The God of Wealth has come!].»^[71] Householders would respond with «lucky money» to reward the messengers. Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a ‘Hoi Nin’ prayer to start their business on the second day of Chinese New Year, blessing business to strive in the coming year.

As this day is believed to be The Birthday of Che Kung, a deity worshipped in Hong Kong, worshippers go to Che Kung Temples to pray for his blessing. A representative from the government asks Che Kung about the city’s fortune through kau cim.

Third day[edit]

The third day is known as «red mouth» (Chinese: 赤口; pinyin: Chìkǒu). Chikou is also called «Chigou’s Day» (Chinese: 赤狗日; pinyin: Chìgǒurì). Chigou, literally «red dog», is an epithet of «the God of Blazing Wrath» (Chinese: 熛怒之神; pinyin: Biāo nù zhī shén). Rural villagers continue the tradition of burning paper offerings over trash fires. It is considered an unlucky day to have guests or go visiting.^[72] Hakka villagers in rural Hong Kong in the 1960s called it the Day of the Poor Devil and believed everyone should stay at home.^[73] This is also considered a propitious day to visit the temple of the God of Wealth and have one’s future told.

Fourth day[edit]

In those communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for 15 days, the fourth day is when corporate «spring dinners» kick off and business returns to normal. Other areas that have a longer Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate and welcome the gods that were previously sent on this day.

Fifth day[edit]

This day is the god of Wealth’s birthday. In northern China, people eat jiaozi, or dumplings, on the morning of powu (Chinese: 破五; pinyin: pòwǔ). In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on the next day (the sixth day), accompanied by firecrackers.

It is also common in China that on the 5th day people will shoot off firecrackers to get Guan Yu’s attention, thus ensuring his favor and good fortune for the new year.^[74]

Sixth day[edit]

The sixth day is Horse’s Day, on which people drive away the Ghost of Poverty by throwing out the garbage stored up during the festival. The ways vary but basically have the same meaning—to drive away the Ghost of Poverty, which reflects the general desire of the Chinese people to ring out the old and ring in the new, to send away the previous poverty and hardship and to usher in the good life of the New Year.^[75]

Seventh day[edit]

The seventh day, traditionally known as Renri (the common person’s birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older. In some overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten for continued wealth and prosperity.

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat, the seventh day commemorating the birth of Sakra, lord of the devas in Buddhist cosmology who is analogous to the Jade Emperor.

Eighth day[edit]

Another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. People normally return to work by the eighth day, therefore the Store owners will host a lunch/dinner with their employees, thanking their employees for the work they have done for the whole year.

Ninth day[edit]

The ninth day is traditionally known as the birthday of the Jade Emperor of Heaven (Chinese: 玉皇; pinyin: Yù Huáng) and many people offered prayer in the Taoist Pantheon as thanks or gratitude.,^[76] and it is commonly known as called Ti Kong Dan (Chinese: 天公誕; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thiⁿ-kong Tan), Ti Kong Si (Chinese: 天公生; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thiⁿ-kong Siⁿ/Thiⁿ-kong Seⁿ) or Pai Ti Kong (Chinese: 拜天公; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pài Thiⁿ-kong), which is especially important to Hokkiens other than the first day of the Chinese New Year.^[77]

A prominent requisite offering is sugarcane.^[77] Legends holds that the Hokkien were spared from a massacre by Japanese pirates by hiding in a sugarcane plantation between the eighth and ninth days of the Chinese New Year, coinciding with the Jade Emperor’s birthday.^[77] «Sugarcane» (Chinese: 甘蔗; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kam-chià) is a near homonym to «thank you» (Chinese: 感謝; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kám-siā) in the Hokkien dialect.^[77]

In the morning (traditionally anytime between midnight and 7 am), Taiwanese households set up an altar table with three layers: one top (containing offertories of six vegetables (Chinese: 六齋; pinyin: liù zhāi; those being noodles, fruits, cakes, tangyuan, vegetable bowls, and unripe betel), all decorated with paper lanterns) and two lower levels (five sacrifices and wines) to honor the deities below the Jade Emperor.^[76] The household then kneels three times and kowtows nine times to pay obeisance and wish him a long life.^[76]

Incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and gold paper, are served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.

Tenth day[edit]

The nation celebrates the Jade Emperor’s birthday on this day.

Fifteenth day[edit]

The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival (simplified Chinese: 元宵节; traditional Chinese: 元宵節; pinyin: Yuán xiāo jié), the Shangyuan Festival (simplified Chinese: 上元节; traditional Chinese: 上元節; pinyin: Shàng yuán jié), and Chap Goh Meh (Chinese: 十五暝; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Cha̍p-gō͘-mê; lit. ‘the fifteen night’ in Hokkien). Rice dumplings, or tangyuan (simplified Chinese: 汤圆; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: tang yuán), a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. Families may walk the streets carrying lanterns, which sometimes have riddles attached to or written on them as a tradition.^[78]

In China and Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Valentine’s Day.^[79] Nowadays, single women write their contact number on mandarin oranges and throw them in a river or a lake after which single men collect the oranges and eat them. The taste is an indication of their possible love: sweet represents a good fate while sour represents a bad fate.

This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

Traditional food[edit]

A reunion dinner (nián yè fàn) is held on New Year’s Eve during which family members gather for a celebration.^[80] The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish. Most reunion dinners also feature a communal hot pot as it is believed to signify the coming together of the family members for the meal. Most reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) also prominently feature specialty meats (e.g. wax-cured meats like duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for this and other special occasions during the remainder of the year. In most areas, fish (simplified Chinese: 鱼; traditional Chinese: 魚; pinyin: yú) is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase «may there be surpluses every year» (simplified Chinese: 年年有余; traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; pinyin: niánnián yǒu yú) sounds the same as «let there be fish every year.» Eight individual dishes are served to reflect the belief of good fortune associated with the number. If in the previous year a death was experienced in the family, seven dishes are served.

Other traditional foods consists of noodles, fruits, dumplings,^[81] spring rolls,^[82] and Tangyuan^[80] which are also known as sweet rice balls. Each dish served during Chinese New Year represents something special. The noodles used to make longevity noodles are usually very thin, long wheat noodles. These noodles are longer than normal noodles that are usually fried and served on a plate, or boiled and served in a bowl with its broth. The noodles symbolize the wish for a long life. The fruits that are typically selected would be oranges, tangerines, and pomelos as they are round and «golden» color symbolizing fullness and wealth. Their lucky sound when spoken also brings good luck and fortune. The Chinese pronunciation for orange is 橙 (chéng), which sounds the same as the Chinese for ‘success’ (成). One of the ways to spell tangerine(桔 jú) contains the Chinese character for luck (吉 jí). Pomelos are believed to bring constant prosperity. Pomelo in Chinese (柚 yòu) sounds similar to ‘to have’ (有 yǒu), disregarding its tone, however it sounds exactly like ‘again’ (又 yòu). Dumplings and spring rolls symbolize wealth, whereas sweet rice balls symbolize family togetherness.

Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets contain money in an amount that reflects good luck and honorability. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.

Many families in China still follow the tradition of eating only vegetarian food on the first day of the New Year, as it is believed that doing so will bring good luck into their lives for the whole year.^[83]

Like many other New Year dishes, certain ingredients also take special precedence over others as these ingredients also have similar-sounding names with prosperity, good luck, or even counting money.

Food item	Simplified Chinese	Traditional Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Description
Buddha’s delight	罗汉斋	羅漢齋	Luóhàn zhāi	An elaborate vegetarian dish served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced «fat choy» in Cantonese, is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like «prosperity». Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk (Chinese: 扣肉; pinyin: kòuròu) and ngiong teu fu.
Chicken	鸡	雞	Jī	Boiled chicken is served because it is figured that any family, no matter how humble their circumstances, can afford a chicken for Chinese New Year.
Apples	苹果	蘋果	Píngguǒ	Apples symbolize peace because the word for apple («ping») is a homonym of the word for peace.
Fish	鱼	魚	Yú	Is usually eaten or merely displayed on the eve of Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of fish makes it a homophone for «surpluses»(simplified Chinese: 余; traditional Chinese: 餘; pinyin: yú).
Garlic	蒜	Suàn	Is usually served in a dish with rondelles of Chinese sausage or Chinese cured meat during Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of Garlic makes it a homophone for «calculating (money)» (Chinese: 算; pinyin: suàn). The Chinese cured meat is so chosen because it is traditionally the primary method for storing meat over the winter and the meat rondelles resemble coins.
Jau gok	油角	Yóu jiǎo	The main Chinese new year dumpling for Cantonese families. It is believed to resemble a sycee or yuánbǎo, the old Chinese gold and silver ingots, and to represent prosperity for the coming year.
Jiaozi	饺子	餃子	Jiǎozi	The common dumpling eaten in northern China, also believed to resemble sycee. In the reunion dinner, Chinese people add various food into Jiaozi fillings to represent good fortune: coin, Niangao, dried date, candy, etc.
Mandarin oranges	桔子	Júzi	Oranges, particularly mandarin oranges, are a common fruit during Chinese New Year. They are particularly associated with the festival in southern China, where its name is a homophone of the word for «luck» in dialects such as Teochew (in which 橘, jú, and 吉, jí, are both pronounced gik).[84]
Melon seed/Guazi	瓜子	Guāzi	Other variations include sunflower, pumpkin and other seeds. It symbolizes fertility and having many children.
Niangao	年糕	Niángāo	Most popular in eastern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) because its pronunciation is a homophone for «a more prosperous year (年高 lit. year high)». Niangao is also popular in the Philippines because of its large Chinese population and is known as tikoy (Chinese: 甜粿, from Min Nan) there. Known as Chinese New Year pudding, niangao is made up of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. The color of the sugar used determines the color of the pudding (white or brown).
Noodles	面条	麵條	Miàntiáo	Families may serve uncut noodles (making them as long as they can[85]), which represent longevity and long life, though this practice is not limited to the new year.
Sweets	糖果	Tángguǒ	Sweets and similar dried fruit goods are stored in a red or black Chinese candy box.
Rougan (Yok Gon)	肉干	肉乾	Ròugān	Chinese salty-sweet dried meat, akin to jerky, which is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then smoked for later consumption or as a gift.
Taro cakes	芋头糕	芋頭糕	Yùtougāo	Made from the vegetable taro, the cakes are cut into squares and often fried.
Turnip cakes	萝卜糕	蘿蔔糕	Luóbogāo	A dish made of shredded radish and rice flour, usually fried and cut into small squares.
Yusheng or Yee sang	鱼生	魚生	Yúshēng	Raw fish salad. Eating this salad is said to bring good luck. This dish is usually eaten on the seventh day of the New Year, but may also be eaten throughout the period.
Five Xinpan	五辛盘	五辛盤	Wǔ xīnpán	Five Xin include onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, mustard. As an ancient traditional folk culture, it has been existing since the Jin Dynasty. It symbolizes health. In a well-economic development dynasty, like Song, The Five Xinpan not only have five spicy vegetables. Also, include Chinese bacon and other vegetables. Moreover, it offered to the family’s ancestors to express respect and seek a blessing.[86]
Laba porridge	腊八粥	臘八粥	Làbā zhōu	This dish is eaten on Laba Festival, the eighth day of the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The congees are made of mixed walnut, pine nuts, mushrooms, persimmon. The congees are for commemorating the sacrifices of ancestors and celebrating the harvest.[87]

Practices[edit]

Red envelopes[edit]

Traditionally, red envelopes or red packets
(Mandarin: simplified Chinese: 红包; traditional Chinese: 紅包; pinyin: hóngbāo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âng-pau; Hakka: fung bao / Cantonese: Chinese: 利是, 利市 or 利事; pinyin: lìshì; Cantonese Yale: lai sze / lai see) are passed out during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors or children. During this period, red packets are also known as «yasuiqian» (simplified Chinese: 压岁钱; traditional Chinese: 壓歲錢; pinyin: yāsuìqián, which was evolved from simplified Chinese: 压祟钱; traditional Chinese: 壓祟錢; pinyin: yāsuìqián, literally, «the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit»).^[88] According to legend, a demon named Sui patted a child on the head three times on New Year’s Eve, and the child would have a fever. The parents wrapped coins in red paper and placed them next to their children’s pillows. When Sui came, the flash of the coin scared him away. From then on, every New Year’s Eve, parents will wrap the coin in red paper to protect their children.^[89]

Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Chinese superstitions favour amounts that begin with even numbers, such as 8 (八, pinyin: bā), a homophone for «wealth», and 6 (六, pinyin: liù), a homophone for «smooth»—but not the number 4 (四, pinyin: sì), which is a homophone of «death», and is, as such, considered unlucky in Asian culture. Odd numbers are also avoided, as they are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金, pinyin: báijīn).^[90][91] It is also customary for bills placed inside a red envelope to be new.^[92]

The act of asking for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 討紅包 tǎo-hóngbāo, 要利是 or (Cantonese): 逗利是. A married person would not turn down such a request as it would mean that he or she would be «out of luck» in the new year. Red packets are generally given by married couples to the younger non-married members of the family.^[82] It is custom and polite for children to wish elders a happy new year and a year of happiness, health and good fortune before accepting the red envelope.^[82] Red envelopes are then kept under the pillow and slept on for seven nights after Chinese New Year before opening because that symbolizes good luck and fortune.

In Taiwan in the 2000s, some employers also gave red packets as a bonus to maids, nurses or domestic workers from Southeast Asian countries, although whether this is appropriate is controversial.^[93][94]

In the mid-2010s, Chinese messaging apps such as WeChat popularized the distribution of red envelopes in a virtual format via mobile payments, usually within group chats.^[95][96] In 2017, it was estimated that over 100 billion of these virtual red envelopes would be sent over the New Year holiday.^[97][98]

Mythology[edit]

In ancient times, there is a monster named sui (祟) which comes out on New Year’s Eve and touches the heads of sleeping children. The child will be frightened by the touch and wake up and have a fever. The fever eventually will cause the child to have intellectual disabilities. Hence, families will light up their homes and stay awake, leading to a tradition of 守祟, to guide against sui from harming their children.

A folklore tale of sui is about an elderly couple with a precious son. On the night of New Year’s Eve, since they were afraid that sui would come, they took out eight pieces of copper coins to play with their son in order to keep him awake. Their son was very sleepy, however, so they let him go to sleep after placing a red paper bag containing the copper coins under the child’s pillow. The two older children also stayed with him for the whole night. Suddenly, the doors and windows were blown open by a strange wind, and even the candlelight was extinguished. It turned out to be a sui. When the sui was going to reach out and touch the child’s head, the pillow suddenly brightened with the golden light, and the sui was scared away, so the exorcism effect of «red paper wrapped copper money» spread in the past China^[99] (see also Chinese numismatic charms). The money is then called «ya sui qian (壓歲錢)», the money to suppress sui.

Another tale is that a huge demon was terrorising a village and there was nobody in the village who was able to defeat the demon; many warriors and statesmen had tried with no luck. A young orphan stepped in, armed with a magical sword that was inherited from his ancestors, and battled the demon, eventually killing it. Peace was finally restored to the village, and the elders all presented the brave young man with a red envelope filled with money to repay the young orphan for his courage and for ridding the village of the demon.^[100]

Gift exchange[edit]

In addition to red envelopes, which are usually given from older people to younger people, small gifts (usually food or sweets) are also exchanged between friends or relatives (of different households) during Chinese New Year. Gifts are usually brought when visiting friends or relatives at their homes. Common gifts include fruits (typically oranges, but never trade pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and candies. Gifts are preferred to be wrapped with red or golden paper, which symbolises good luck.

Certain items should not be given, as they are considered taboo. Taboo gifts include:^{[101][102][103]}

• items associated with funerals (i.e. handkerchiefs, towels, chrysanthemums, items colored white and black)
• items that show that time is running out (i.e. clocks and watches)
• sharp objects that symbolize cutting a tie (i.e. scissors and knives)
• items that symbolize that you want to walk away from a relationship (examples: shoes and sandals)
• mirrors
• homonyms for unpleasant topics (examples: «clock» sounds like «the funeral ritual» or «the end of life», green hats because «wear a green hat» sounds like «cuckold», «handkerchief» sounds like «goodbye», «pear» sounds like «separate», «umbrella» sounds like «disperse», and «shoe» sounds like a «rough» year).

Markets[edit]

Markets or village fairs are set up as the New Year is approaching. These usually open-air markets feature new year related products such as flowers, toys, clothing, and even fireworks and firecrackers. It is convenient for people to buy gifts for their new year visits as well as their home decorations. In some places, the practice of shopping for the perfect plum tree is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a Christmas tree.

Fireworks[edit]

Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that was burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. In modern times, this method has eventually evolved into the use of firecrackers during the festive season. Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits. The burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations.^[104] Since the 2000s, firecrackers have been banned in various countries and towns.

Music[edit]

«Happy New Year!» (Chinese: 新年好呀; pinyin: Xīn Nián Hǎo Ya) is a popular children’s song for the New Year holiday.^[105] The melody is similar to the American folk song, Oh My Darling, Clementine. Another popular Chinese New Year song is Gong Xi Gong Xi(Chinese: 恭喜恭喜！; pinyin: Gongxi Gongxi!)
.

Movies[edit]

Watching Chinese New Year films is an expression of Chinese cultural identity. During the New Year holidays, the stage boss gathers the most popular actors whom from various troupes let them perform repertories from Qing dynasty. Nowadays many people celebrate the new year by watching these movies.^[106]

Hong Kong filmmakers also release Chinese New Year films, mostly comedies, at this time of year.

Clothing[edit]

The color red is commonly worn throughout Chinese New Year; traditional beliefs held that red could scare away evil spirits.^[82] The wearing of new clothes is another clothing custom during the festival;^[107] the new clothes symbolize a new beginning in the year.^[82]

Family portrait[edit]

In some places, the taking of a family portrait is an important ceremony after the relatives are gathered.^[108] The photo is taken at the hall of the house or taken in front of the house. The most senior male head of the family sits in the center.

Symbolism[edit]

As with all cultures, Chinese New Year traditions incorporate elements that are symbolic of deeper meaning. One common example of Chinese New Year symbolism is the red diamond-shaped fu characters (Chinese: 福; pinyin: fú; Cantonese Yale: fuk1; lit. ‘blessings, happiness’), which are displayed on the entrances of Chinese homes. This sign is usually seen hanging upside down, since the Chinese word dao (Chinese: 倒; pinyin: dào; lit. ‘upside down’), is homophonous or nearly homophonous with (Chinese: 到; pinyin: dào; lit. ‘arrive’) in all varieties of Chinese. Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity.

For the Cantonese-speaking people, if the fu sign is hung upside down, the implied dao (upside down) sounds like the Cantonese word for «pour», producing «pour the luck [away]», which would usually symbolize bad luck; this is why the fu character is not usually hung upside-down in Cantonese communities.

Red is the predominant color used in New Year celebrations. Red is the emblem of joy, and this color also symbolizes virtue, truth and sincerity. On the Chinese opera stage, a painted red face usually denotes a sacred or loyal personage and sometimes a great emperor. Candies, cakes, decorations and many things associated with the New Year and its ceremonies are colored red. The sound of the Chinese word for «red» (simplified Chinese: 红; traditional Chinese: 紅; pinyin: hóng; Cantonese Yale: hung4) is in Mandarin homophonous with the word for «prosperous.» Therefore, red is an auspicious color and has an auspicious sound.
According to Chinese tradition, the year of the pig is a generally unlucky year for the public, which is why you need to reevaluate most of your decisions before you reach a conclusion. However, this only helps you get even more control over your life as you learn to stay ahead of everything by being cautious.^[109]

Nianhua[edit]

Nianhua can be a form of Chinese colored woodblock printing, for decoration during Chinese New Year.^[110] Nianhua uses a range of subjects to express and invite positive prospects as the new year begins. The most popular representatives of these prospects take inspiration from nature, religion, folklore, etc., and are portrayed in flashy and lively ways.^[111]

Flowers[edit]

The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets.

Floral Decor	Meaning
Plum Blossom	symbolizes luckiness
Kumquat	symbolizes prosperity
Calamondin	Symbolizes luck
Narcissus	symbolizes prosperity
Bamboo	a plant used for any time of year, its sturdiness represents strength
Sunflower	means to have a good year
Eggplant	a plant to heal all of your sicknesses
Chom Mon Plant	a plant which gives you tranquility
Orchid	represents fertility and abundance, as well as good taste, beauty, luxury and innocence

Each flower has a symbolic meaning, and many Chinese people believe that it may usher in the values that it represents.^[112] In general, except those in lucky colour like red and yellow, chrysanthemum should not be put at home during the new year, because it is normally used for ancestral veneration.^[113]

Icons and ornaments[edit]

Icons	Meaning	Illustrations
Lanterns	These lanterns that differ from those of Mid-Autumn Festival in general. They will be red in color and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns. Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colorful, and in many different sizes and shapes.
Decoration	Decorations generally convey a New Year greeting. They are not advertisements. Faichun, also known as Huichun—Chinese calligraphy of auspicious Chinese idioms on typically red posters—are hung on doorways and walls. Other decorations include a New year picture, Chinese knots, and papercutting and couplets.
Dragon dance and Lion dance	Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the Dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses in Hong Kong and Macau.
Fu Lu Shou	Nianhua of the Fu Lu Shou
Red envelope	Typically given to children, elderly and Dragon/Lion Dance performers while saying t 恭喜發財 j gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4, s 恭喜发财 p gōng xǐ fā cái
Shrubs	Citrus trees are typically used for decoration.

Spring travel[edit]

Traditionally, families gather together during the Chinese New Year. In modern China, migrant workers in China travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Owing to a large number of interprovincial travelers, special arrangements were made by railways, buses and airlines starting from 15 days before the New Year’s Day. This 40-day period is called chunyun, and is known as the world’s largest annual migration.^[114] More interurban trips are taken in China in this period than the total population of China.

In Taiwan, spring travel is also a major event. The majority of transportation in western Taiwan is in a north–south direction: long-distance travel between urbanized north and hometowns in the rural south. Transportation in eastern Taiwan and that between Taiwan and its islands is less convenient. Cross-strait flights between Taiwan and China began in 2003 as part of Three Links, mostly for «Taiwanese businessmen» to return to Taiwan for the new year.^[115]

Festivities outside China[edit]

Chinese New Year is also celebrated annually in many countries which houses significant Chinese populations. These include countries throughout Asia, Oceania, and North America. Sydney,^[116] London,^[117] and San Francisco^[118] claim to host the largest New Year celebration outside of Asia and South America.

Southeast Asia[edit]

Chinese New Year is a national public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries and considered to be one of the most important holidays of the year.

Malaysia[edit]

Chinese New Year’s Eve is typically a half-day holiday in Malaysia, while Chinese New Year is a two-day public holiday. The biggest celebrations take place in Malaysia (notably in Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Johor Bahru and Ipoh.^[119]

Singapore[edit]

In Singapore, Chinese New Year is officially a two-day public holiday. Chinese New Year is accompanied by various festive activities. One of the main highlights is the Chinatown celebrations. In 2010, this included a Festive Street Bazaar, nightly staged shows at Kreta Ayer Square and a lion dance competition.^[120] The Chingay Parade also features prominently in the celebrations. It is an annual street parade in Singapore, well known for its colorful floats and wide variety of cultural performances.^[121] The highlights of the Parade for 2011 include a Fire Party, multi-ethnic performances and an unprecedented travelling dance competition.^[122]

Philippines[edit]

In the Philippines, Chinese New Year (Philippine Hokkien Chinese: 咱人年兜; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lán-nâng Nî-tau) is considered as one of the important festivals for Chinese Filipinos, and its celebration has also extended to the majority non-Chinese Filipinos, especially since in 2012, Chinese New Year was included as a public regular non-working holiday in the Philippines. During this time of year, the selling or giving of Tikoy, especially by Chinese Filipinos, is widely known and practiced in the country. Celebrations are centered primarily in Binondo in Manila, the oldest ever Chinatown in the world, with other celebrations in key cities.

Indonesia[edit]

In Indonesia, the Chinese New Year is officially named Tahun Baru Imlek (Chinese: 阴历新年),^[123][124] or Sin Cia (Chinese: 新正) in Hokkien.^[125] It was celebrated as one of the official national religious holiday by Chinese Indonesians since 18 June 1946 to 1 January 1953 through government regulation signed by President Sukarno on 18 June 1946.^[126] It was unofficially celebrated by ethnic Chinese from 1953 to 1967 based on government regulation signed by Vice President Muhammad Hatta on 5 February 1953 which annul the previous regulation, among others, the Chinese New Year as a national religious holiday.^[127]

Effectively from 6 December 1967,^[128] until 1998, the spiritual practice to celebrate the Chinese New Year by Chinese families was restricted specifically only inside of the Chinese house. This restriction is made by the New Order government through a Presidential Instruction No. 14 of 1967 signed by President Suharto. This restriction is ended when the regime has changed and the President Suharto was overthrown. The celebration was conducted unofficially by Chinese community from 1999 to 2000.

On 17 January 2000, the President Abdurrahman Wahid issued Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2000 to annul the previous instruction.^[129] On 19 January 2001, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued Minsterial Decree No.13 of 2001 on Imlek Day as a National Holiday to set Hari Tahun Baru Imlek as a «facultative holiday» for Chinese community.^[130] Through the Presidential Decree it was officially declared as a 1 (one) day public religious holiday as of 9 April 2002 by President Megawati.^[124] The Indonesian government authorize only the first day of the Chinese New Year as a public religious holiday and it is specifically designated only for Chinese people.^{[123][124][126][127][131]}

In Indonesia, the first day of the Chinese New Year is recognized as a part of the celebration of the Chinese religion and tradition of Chinese community.^{[123][124][126][127][130]} There are no other official or unofficial of the Chinese New Year as a public holiday. The remaining 14 days are celebrated only by ethnic Chinese families.^[132] In Indonesia, the Chinese Year is named as a year of Kǒngzǐ (Chinese: 孔子) or Kongzili in Indonesian. Every year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs set the specific date of religious holiday based on input from religious leaders.^[132] The Chinese New Year is the only national religious holiday in Indonesia that was enacted specifically with the Presidential Decree, in this case with the Presidential Decree No. 19 of 2002 dated on 9 April 2002.^[123][124] The celebration of the Chinese New Year as a religious holiday is specifically intended only for Chinese people in Indonesia (tradisi masyarakat Cina yang dirayakan secara turun temurun di berbagai wilayah di Indonesia,^[124] dan umat Agama Tionghoa^[126]) and it is not intended to be celebrated by native Indonesians.^{[123][124][126][127][128][130]}

Cities with significant Chinese populations in Indonesia include Jakarta, Medan, Batam, Surabaya, Semarang, Surakarta, Singkawang, Pangkal Pinang, Binjai, Bagansiapiapi, Tanjungbalai, Pematangsiantar, Selat Panjang, Pekanbaru, Tanjung Pinang, Ketapang, Pontianak, Sungailiat, Tanjung Pandan, Manggar, Toboali, Muntok, Lubuk Pakam, Bandung, Rantau Prapat, Tebing Tinggi, Sibolga, Dumai, Panipahan, Bagan Batu, Tanjung Balai Karimun, Palembang, Bengkayang, Manado, and Tangerang always have its own New Year’s celebration every years with parade and fireworks. A lot shopping malls decorated its building with lantern, Chinese words and lion or dragon with red and gold as main color. Lion dance is a common sight around Chinese houses, temples and its shophouses. Usually, the Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist Chinese will burn a big incense made by aloeswood with dragon-decorated at front of their house. The Chinese temple is open 24 hours at the first day, their also distributes a red envelopes and sometimes rice, fruits or sugar to the poor around.

Thailand[edit]

In Thailand, one of the most populous Chinese descent populated countries. Also celebrated the great Chinese New Year festivities throughout the country, especially in provinces where many people of Chinese descent live such as Nakhon Sawan, Suphan Buri, Phuket etc. Which is considered to promote tourism in the same agenda as well.^{[133][134][135]}

Divided into 3 days, the first day is the Wan chai (Thai: วันจ่าย; pay day), meaning the day that people go out to shop for offerings, the second day is the Wan wai (Thai: วันไหว้; worship day), is a day of worshiping the gods and ancestral spirits, which is divided into three periods: dawn, late morning and afternoon, the third day is a Wan tieow (Thai: วันเที่ยว; holiday), is a holiday that everyone will leave the house to travel or to bless relatives or respectable people. And often wear red clothes because it is believed to bring auspiciousness to life.^[136]

Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector. Usually celebrated for three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun^[60] and Songkhla^[137] Provinces. For the year 2021 (one year only) the government declared Chinese New Year a government holiday. It applies mostly to civil servants, financial institutions and private businesses can decide whether or not to observe it.^[138]

In the capital, Bangkok in Chinatown, Yaowarat Road, there is a great celebration. Which usually closes the road making it a pedestrian street and often have a member of royal family came to be the president of the ceremony, always open every year, such as Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.^{[139][140][141]}

Australia and New Zealand[edit]

With one of the largest Chinese populations outside of Asia, Sydney also claims to have the largest Chinese New Year Celebrations outside of Asia with over 600,000 people attending the celebrations in Chinatown annually. The events there span over three weeks including the launch celebration, outdoor markets, evening street food stalls, Chinese top opera performances, dragon boat races, a film festival and multiple parades that incorporate Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese people. More than 100,000 people attend notably the main parade with over 3,500 performers.^[142] The festival also attracts international media coverage, reaching millions of viewers in Asia.^[143] The festival in Sydney is organized in partnership with a different Chinese province each year. Apart from Sydney, other state capital cities in Australia also celebrate Chinese New Year due to large number of Chinese residents.^[144] The cities include: Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne Box Hill and Perth. The common activities are lion dance, dragon dance, New Year market, and food festival. In the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, Victoria a Lunar New Year celebration initially focusing on the Vietnamese New Year has expanded into a celebration of the Chinese New Year as well as the April New Year celebrations of the Thais, Cambodians, Laotians and other Asian Australian communities who celebrate the New Year in either January/February or April.^[145]

The city of Wellington hosts a two-day weekend festival for Chinese New Year,^[146] and a one-day festival is held in Dunedin, centred on the city’s Chinese gardens.^[147]

North America[edit]

Many cities in North America sponsor official parades for the Chinese New Year. Among the cities with such parades are New York City (Manhattan; Flushing, Queens; and Brooklyn),^[148] San Francisco,^[149] Los Angeles,^[150] Boston,^[151] Chicago,^[152] Mexico City,^[153] Toronto, and Vancouver.^[154] However, even smaller cities that are historically connected to Chinese immigration, such as Butte, Montana,^[155] have recently hosted parades.

New York[edit]

Multiple groups in New York City cooperate to sponsor a week-long Lunar New Year celebration. The festivities include cultural festival,^[148] music concert,^[156] fireworks on the Hudson River near the Chinese Consulate,^[157] and special exhibits.^[156] One of the key celebrations is the Chinese New Year parade^[158] with floats and fireworks taking place along the streets in Chinatown, Manhattan, the largest Chinese New Year parade outside Asia.^[159] In June 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared that the Lunar New Year would be made a public school holiday.^[160]

California[edit]

Signed into law in 2022, and effective 2023, California declared Lunar New Year a state holiday.^[161] Many communities throughout all of California celebrate with large celebrations taking place in both the Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles as well as in Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Stockton.

San Francisco[edit]

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is the oldest and one of the largest events of its kind outside of Asia, and one of the largest Asian cultural events in North America.

The festival incorporates Grant and Kearny Streets into its street festival and parade route, respectively. The use of these streets traces its lineage back to early parades beginning the custom in San Francisco. In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing California Gold Rush, over 50,000 people had come to San Francisco to seek their fortune or just a better way of life. Among those were many Chinese, who had come to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. By the 1860s, the residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown were eager to share their culture with their fellow San Francisco residents who may have been unfamiliar with (or hostile towards) it. The organizers chose to showcase their culture by using a favorite American tradition – the parade. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street carrying colorful flags, banners, lanterns, drums, and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

In San Francisco, over 100 units participate in the annual Chinese New Year Parade held since 1958.^[162] The parade is attended by some 500,000 people along with another 3 million TV viewers.^[163]

Greater Los Angeles[edit]

The Golden Dragon Parade has happened annually in Chinatown Los Angeles since 1899, one of the oldest and largest Chinese New Year parades outside of Asia. Beginning in the 1970s, famous Asian American actors have held the title of Grand Marshall of the parade, the first being Bruce Lee.^[164]

Around Southern California many communities also put on festivals and parades that can last multiple days, with some of the largest occurring in the San Gabriel Valley, home to the largest Chinese community outside of Asia and often called the first suburban Chinatown, and Little Saigon where many Vietnamese and Chinese live. Monterey Park puts on the largest of such festivals, occupying 5 blocks in the city and attracting over 100,000 individuals.^[165] Neighboring Alhambra also has hosted a large festival since 1993 with many performances and street vendors.^[166] San Gabriel hosts an annual Chinese Gala at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in addition to its street festival.^[167]

The Little Saigon area has hosted Tet celebrates since 1982 for its Chinese and Vietnamese community.^[168] Originally held at Garden Grove Park, with parades in both Garden Grove and Westminster, starting in 2014 a larger celebration is also held at the Orange County Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa which attracts over 50,000 visitors.^[168] Neighboring Fountain Valley also hosts an annual Chinese New Year carnival in Mile Square Regional Park with many food vendors and a ferris wheel.^[169]

Many people also celebrate by going to temples across Southern California, and the largest temple celebration is held at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights.^[170] Most major shopping malls will also decorate for Chinese New Year. ^[171]

Disneyland California Adventure in Anaheim celebrates Chinese New Year by decorating certain areas of the park in Chinese displays, serving specialty East Asian foods and allowing for character photos with Mulan, Mushu, Raya, Tigger and Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Chinese Costumes.^[172]

Some other communities that hold Chinese New Year Celebrations include Eastvale, Hollywood, Irvine, Palos Verdes, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Rosemead, San Marino, San Pedro, Santa Monica, Temple City, Tustin, and West Covina.

Europe[edit]

United Kingdom

In London, celebrations take place in Chinatown, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square. Festivities include a parade, cultural feast, fireworks, concerts, and performances.^[173] The celebration attracts between 300,000 and 500,000 people yearly according to the organisers.^[174]

France

In Paris, celebrations have been held since the 1980s in several districts during one month with many performances^[175] and the main of the three parades with 40 groups and 4,000 performers is attended alone by more than 200,000 people in the 13th arrondissement.^[176][177]

Netherlands

Celebrations have been held officially in The Hague since 2002.^[178][179] Other celebrations are held in Amsterdam and in Rotterdam.^[180][181]

India and Pakistan[edit]

Many celebrate the festival in Chinatown, Kolkata, India, where a significant community of people of Chinese origin exists. In Kolkata, Chinese New Year is celebrated with lion and dragon dance.

In Pakistan, the Chinese New Year is also celebrated among the sizable Chinese expatriate community that lives in the country. During the festival, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad arranges various cultural events in which Pakistani arts and cultural organizations and members of the civil society also participate.^{[182][183][184][185]}

Mauritius[edit]

Chinese culture in Mauritius is an important component of the multiculturalism in Mauritius.^[186] Despite the small size of the Sino-Mauritian community (estimated to be only about 3% of the total population),^[187] Chinese New Year (also known as Chinese Spring Festival) is a time where Chinese culture is celebrated on the island^[188] and is a public holiday in Mauritius.^[189] Mauritius is also the only country in Africa which lists the Chinese Spring Festival as a statutory public holiday.^[186] During this period of the year, there is a joyful and festive atmosphere throughout the entire country.^[186]

Sino-Mauritians are very attached to Chinese traditions.^[190] The Chinese Spring Festival is the biggest celebration for the Sino-Mauritians on the island.^[190] The dates of the celebration follows the Chinese lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.^[190] During the week prior to the New Year’s Day, spring cleaning in homes is performed.The festival starts on Chinese New Year’s Eve by lighting on firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.^[191]: 71 Traditionalist visit pagodas to offer offerings and prayers on the New Year’s Eve.^[191]: 71Following Chinese customs, there is a big family dinner on the New Year’s Eve.^[190][192] While the family dinner was traditionally celebrated at the house of the oldest family parents, going to restaurants for New Year’s Eve is getting more popular; some restaurants may also have special dinners across the island to foster the family reunions of Sino-Mauritians.^[190] After the New year’s Eve dinner, youths often go to nightclubs.^[190] On the day of the Chinese New Year, it is customary for Sino-Mauritian to share niangao to their relatives and friends and to lit firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.^[189][190] Red envelopes are also given. Some families would also visit pagoda on New Year to honor their ancestors.^[190] Some families observe a vegetarian diet on the New Year.^[192] The main celebration events typically take place in the Chinatown area in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.^[189][193] The Dragon dance and the Southern Lion dance is also customary on that day.^[190][192] The colour red is dominantly used to decorate the streets and houses. Chinese items (e.g. Chinese lanterns) are also used as decorations.^[193]

Greetings[edit]

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (jíxiánghuà) in Mandarin or 吉利說話 (Kat Lei Seut Wa) in Cantonese, loosely translated as auspicious words or phrases. New Year couplets printed in gold letters on bright red paper, referred to as chunlian (春聯) or fai chun (揮春), is another way of expressing auspicious new year wishes. They probably predate the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but did not become widespread until then.^[194] Today, they are ubiquitous with Chinese New Year.

Some of the most common greetings include:

• Xin nian kuai le / San nin fai lok: simplified Chinese: 新年快乐; traditional Chinese: 新年快樂; pinyin: Xīnniánkuàilè; Jyutping: san1 nin4 faai3 lok6; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k; Hakka: Sin Ngen Kai Lok; Taishanese: Slin Nen Fai Lok. A more contemporary greeting reflective of Western influences, it literally translates from the greeting «Happy new year» more common in the west. It is written in English as «xin nian kuai le».^[195] In northern parts of China, traditionally people say simplified Chinese: 过年好; traditional Chinese: 過年好; pinyin: Guònián Hǎo instead of simplified Chinese: 新年快乐; traditional Chinese: 新年快樂 (Xīnniánkuàile), to differentiate it from the international new year. And 過年好 (Guònián Hǎo) can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese New Year. However, 過年好 (Guònián Hǎo) is considered very short and therefore somewhat discourteous.

  

  Gong Hei Fat Choi at Lee Theatre Plaza, Hong Kong
• Gong xi fa cai / Gong hei fat choi: simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财; traditional Chinese: 恭喜發財; pinyin: Gōngxǐfācái; Hokkien: Kiong hee huat chai (POJ: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); Cantonese: Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4; Hakka: Gung hee fatt choi, which loosely translates to «Congratulations and be prosperous». It is spelled varyingly in English, such as «Gung hay fat choy»,^[196] «gong hey fat choi»,^[195] or «Kung Hei Fat Choy».^[197] It is often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with «Happy New Year». The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including overseas Chinese communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from Greater China, and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).

Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì-píng’ān) immediately, which means «everlasting peace year after year». Suì (歲), meaning «age» is homophonous with 碎 (suì) (meaning «shatter»), in the demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (niánnián yǒu yú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú that can also refer to 魚 (yú meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts.

The most common auspicious greetings and sayings consist of four characters, such as the following:

• 金玉滿堂, Jīnyùmǎntáng – «May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall»
• 大展鴻圖, Dàzhǎnhóngtú – «May you realize your ambitions»
• 迎春接福, Yíngchúnjiēfú – «Greet the New Year and encounter happiness»
• 萬事如意, Wànshìrúyì – «May all your wishes be fulfilled»
• 吉慶有餘, Jíqìngyǒuyú – «May your happiness be without limit»
• 竹報平安, Zhúbàopíng’ān – «May you hear [in a letter] that all is well»
• 一本萬利, Yīběnwànlì – «May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits»
• 福壽雙全, Fúshòushuāngquán – «May your happiness and longevity be complete»
• 招財進寶, Zhāocáijìnbǎo – «When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow»^[198]

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Children and their parents can also pray in the temple, in hopes of getting good blessings for the new year to come.

Children and teenagers sometimes jokingly use the phrase «恭喜發財，紅包拿來» (pinyin: gōngxǐfācái, hóngbāo nálái; Cantonese: 恭喜發財,利是逗來; Jyutping: gung¹hei² faat³coi⁴, lei⁶ si⁶ dau⁶ loi⁴), roughly translated as «Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope!». In Hakka the saying is more commonly said as ‘Gung hee fatt choi, hung bao diu loi’ which would be written as 恭喜發財，紅包逗來 – a mixture of the Cantonese and Mandarin variants of the saying.

Back in the 1960s, children in Hong Kong used to say 恭喜發財，利是逗來，斗零唔愛 (Cantonese, Gung Hei Fat Choy, Lai Si Tau Loi, Tau Ling M Ngoi), which was recorded in the pop song Kowloon Hong Kong by Reynettes in 1966. Later in the 1970s, children in Hong Kong used the saying: 恭喜發財，利是逗來，伍毫嫌少，壹蚊唔愛, roughly translated as, «Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope, fifty cents is too little, don’t want a dollar either.» It basically meant that they disliked small change – coins which were called «hard substance» (Cantonese: 硬嘢). Instead, they wanted «soft substance» (Cantonese: 軟嘢), which was either a ten dollar or a twenty dollar note.

See also[edit]

• Other celebrations of Lunar New Year in China:
  • Tibetan New Year (Losar)
  • Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
• Celebrations of Lunar New Year in other parts of Asia:
  • Buryat New Year (Sagaalgan)
  • Korean New Year (Seollal)
  • Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu)
  • Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
  • Vietnamese New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán)
• Similar Asian Lunisolar New Year celebrations that occur in April:
  • Burmese New Year (Thingyan)
  • Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey)
  • Lao New Year (Pii Mai)
  • Sri Lankan New Year (Aluth Avuruddu)
  • Thai New Year (Songkran)
• Chinese New Year Gregorian Holiday in Malaysia
  • Malaysia Chinese New Year (Tahun Baru Cina)
  • Indonesian Chinese New Year (Imlek)
• Lunar New Year fireworks display in Hong Kong
• The Birthday of Che Kung

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Welch, Patricia Bjaaland (1997). Chinese New Year. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-587730-4.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Chinese New Year at Wikimedia Commons

The Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) is almost here! The Year of the Tiger will begin on February 1, 2022. China also has a public holiday from January 31 to February 6. Which Chinese words about Chinese New Year do you need to know to wish your Chinese friends a happy new year?

How will Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year in 2022? Here are 10 Chinese words about Chinese New Year traditions and celebrations. Learn these vocabulary words and Chinese culture at the same time!

春节 Chūnjié: The Lunar New Year/Spring Festival

Chinese speakers will often refer to the New Year as 春节 Chūnjié, or Spring Festival. You will see these characters all across China as the new year is celebrated.

Because of the emphasis on “spring,” you may also see street lamps and signs decorated with colorful flowers, lanterns, or banners.

Read More: 10 Facts About Chinese New Year 2022: the Year of the Tiger

春运 Chūnyùn: Chinese New Year travel 

Chinese New Year is a time when Chinese families travel to their home towns and ancestral villages. All generations of a family, from the eldest great-grandparent to the tiniest cousin, gather together over meals, firecrackers, and laughter long into the night.

Of course, so many people traveling back home at once means train stations and airports are packed around this time of year. According to CNN, in 2019, there were 3 billion trips made over the Chinese New Year by car, train, and airplane!

Unfortunately, because of Covid-19 restrictions in China, the past few years have seen a decrease in 春运 chūnyùn as people can’t go back home.

拜年 bàinián: Pay a visit to on the New Year

After traveling to their hometowns, Chinese people will 拜年 bàinián and visit their relatives’ homes to say hello, exchange gifts, and catch up on the events of the past year. It’s important to not forget anybody in your family, even distant cousins!

红包 hóngbāo: Red Envelopes

After families 拜年 bàinián and exchange New Year’s greetings, you might see grandparents hand their grandchildren beautiful red envelopes. These lucky red envelopes are filled with cash, a traditional new year’s gift from the older generation to the younger.

Read More: 10 Chinese New Year Traditions That Will Bring Luck In 2022!

对联 duìlián: Couplets (on the door)

Before you enter a Chinese person’s house, you may notice red signs around the door with Chinese characters. These beautiful posters are called “couplets:” two lines of a poem paired together that represent luck and good wishes for the New Year.

You might see couplets like this one:

1. 好年好景好运气 good year good condition good fortune
   多财多福多吉利 more wealth more happiness more lucky

除夕 Chúxī: Lunar New Year’s Eve

January 31, 2022, is Chinese New Year’s/Lunar New Year’s Eve. On this day, expect to feast long into the night, eat delicious traditional foods, and stay up late to welcome the New Year!

虎年 hǔnián: Year of the Tiger

2022 is the Year of the Tiger. This year, we will celebrate the tiger’s beauty, grace, power, and ferocity!

Read More: What Your 2022 Chinese Zodiac Sign Says About You

春节联欢晚会 Chūnjié Liánhuān Wǎnhuì: CCTV New Year’s Gala

While eating New Year’s dinner, Chinese families will probably have the TV turned on to the 春节联欢晚会 Chūnjié Liánhuān Wǎnhuì. This famous TV program hosts China’s biggest celebrities, actors, and singers to ring in the New Year with songs, games, skits, and traditional performances.

开门炮 kāiménpào: New Year’s Firecrackers

At midnight, when the old year ends and the new year begins, Chinese families will set off firecrackers outside, filling the air with loud cracks and fluttering red paper. This tradition has a mythical meaning: lighting firecrackers will scare off demons and bad luck, leaving room for good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

吊钟花 diàozhōnghuā: fuchsia (New Year flower)

This stunning flower will be used all across China to decorate. Its lively, bright color transforms the winter landscape into a harbinger of spring.

五福临门 wǔfúlínmén: May the 5 Blessings descend on your home

How can you politely wish your host a blessed new year? You can wish them 五福临门 wǔfúlínmén, and hope that the five blessings of longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a natural death come into the home.

年年有余 niánniányǒuyú: Have an abundant year

Another New Year’s greeting, you can wish for your hosts to have a new year full of wealth and prosperity with this phrase.

元宵 yuánxiāo: Lantern Festival

This is the last day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration, which is celebrated on February 15, 2022. This day marks the first full moon of the new Lunar year. Celebrated by hanging colorful lanterns, eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls), and watching dragon and lion dances, the Lantern Festival is a beautiful end to the holiday season.

灯谜 dēngmí: Lantern Riddles

One final test before you can enter the New Year: can you solve the lantern riddles? A common Chinese tradition is to write riddles and puzzles on the 元宵 yuánxiāo holiday lanterns for everyone to try and solve.

Try to solve these lantern riddles! (The answers are underneath the photos, so don’t scroll down until you guessed!)

1. It’s been around for millions of years, but it’s no more than a month old. What is it? 存在百万年，但只有一个月大。Cúnzài bǎi wàn nián, dàn zhǐyǒu yīgè yuè dà.
2. This lovely maiden eats no meat but eats leaves. She labors each day spinning and weaving for the benefit of others. Who is she? 只吃叶子不吃肉，每天劳作只为人们吐丝和编织。Zhǐ chī yèzi bù chī ròu, měitiān láozuò zhǐ wéi rénmen tǔ sī hé biānzhī.
3. What building has the most stories? 哪个建筑里的故事最多？Nǎge jiànzhú lǐ de gùshì zuìduō?

Here are the answers!

1. The moon (it “disappears” every month during the new moon)
2. A silkworm
3. A library

Read More

10 Chinese New Year Traditions That Will Bring Luck In 2022!
10 Facts About Chinese New Year 2022-the Year of the Tiger
What Your 2022 Chinese Zodiac Sign Says About You

Learn all the Chinese New Year wishes online, in your own time, on any device! Join ChineseClass101 for a special Chinese New Year celebration!

Can you relate to the year passing something like this: “January, February, March – December!”? Many people do! Quantum physics teaches us that time is relative, and few experiences illustrate this principle as perfectly as when we reach the end of a year. To most of us, it feels like the old one has passed in the blink of an eye, while the new year lies ahead like a very long journey! However, New Year is also a time to celebrate beginnings, and to say goodbye to what has passed. This is true in every culture, no matter when New Year is celebrated.

So, how do you say Happy New Year in Chinese? Let a native teach you! At ChineseClass101, you will learn how to correctly greet your friends over New Year, and wish them well with these Chinese New Year wishes!

Table of Contents

1. How to Celebrate New Year in China
2. Must-Know Chinese Words & Phrases for the New Year!
3. Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions in Chinese
4. Inspirational New Year Quotes
5. Inspirational Language Learning Quotes
6. How To Say Happy New Year in 31 Languages
7. How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Learn Chinese

But let’s start with some vocabulary for Chinese New Year celebrations, very handy for conversations.

1. How to Celebrate New Year in China

To most Chinese people, you truly begin a brand new year only when you experience a traditional Spring Festival celebration. So even though there is a one-day public holiday for New Year’s day in January, it doesn’t really have a New Year’s celebratory atmosphere. However, in recent years, various kinds of countdown activities have become very popular among young people, and the day has become a kind of romantic holiday.

Now before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question?

What are the lyrics to the Chinese version of the song “Happy New Year,” or Xin Nian Hao, 新年好 (xīnniánhǎo)?

If you don’t already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep reading.

Just as in many countries in the West, the most important activity when celebrating the coming new year in China is, of course, a countdown or 倒数计时 (dàoshǔ jìshí). In the bustling city areas, you will see many kinds of celebratory events. The big screens in financial districts will display the numbers as they count down, and when they hit zero, fireworks or 烟花 (yānhuā) are set off in many places to celebrate. Young people go to bars, themed restaurants hold gatherings, and people drink and dance.

In recent years, the end of the year has become the time when people go shopping because this is the day that malls offer big discounts known as Chinese Black Friday or 黑色星期五 (hēisè Xīngqīwǔ). Malls will usually extend their shopping hours and sales shifts until late at night, and their product racks will look as though a robbery has taken place overnight because they’ll be almost empty!

New Year’s Day is, of course, a good opportunity to connect with family and friends who you haven’t seen for a long time. Some years ago, it was popular to exchange New Year’s cards, called 贺年卡 (hèniánkǎ). In recent years, more and more people have been conveying their wishes and greetings via email or text message due to a desire to save trees and avoid sending physical cards.

Now it’s time to answer our quiz question!

Do you know the lyrics to the Chinese version of the song “Happy New Year,” or 新年好, (Xīn Nián Hǎo)?

The song says 新年好呀，新年好呀，祝福 大家新年好；我们唱歌，我们跳舞，祝福大家新年好

(xīnniánhǎo yā , xīnniánhǎo yā , zhùfú dàjiā xīnniánhǎo ；wǒmen chànggē, wǒmen tiàowǔ, zhùfú dàjiā xīnniánhǎo)

Meaning “Happy new year, happy new year, wishing everyone a happy new year; we sing, we dance, wishing everyone a happy new year!” Almost everyone in China can sing it!

Happy New Year!

新年快樂！
新年快乐！
Xīnnián kuàilè !

2. Must-Know Chinese Words & Phrases for the New Year!

1- Year

年
nián

This is pretty self-explanatory. Most countries follow a Gregorian calendar, which has approximately 365 days in a year, while in some cultures, other year designations are also honored. Therefore, New Year’s day in China could fall on a different day than in your country. When do you celebrate New Year?

2- Midnight

午夜
wǔyè

The point in time when a day ends and a new one starts. Many New Year celebrants prefer to stay awake till midnight, and greet the new annum as it breaks with fanfare and fireworks!

3- New Year’s Day

元旦
Yuándàn

In most countries, the new year is celebrated for one whole day. On the Gregorian calendar, this falls on January 1st. On this day, different cultures engage in festive activities, like parties, parades, big meals with families and many more.

4- Party

派对
pàiduì

A party is most people’s favorite way to end the old year, and charge festively into the new one! We celebrate all we accomplished in the old year, and joyfully anticipate what lies ahead.

5- Dancing

舞蹈
wǔdǎo

Usually, when the clock strikes midnight and the New Year officially begins, people break out in dance! It is a jolly way to express a celebratory mood with good expectations for the year ahead. Also, perhaps, that the old year with its problems has finally passed! Dance parties are also a popular way to spend New Year’s Eve in many places.

6- Champagne

香槟
xiāngbīn

Originating in France, champagne is a bubbly, alcoholic drink that is often used to toast something or someone during celebrations.

7- Fireworks

烟花
yānhuā

These are explosives that cause spectacular effects when ignited. They are popular for announcing the start of the new year with loud noises and colorful displays! In some countries, fireworks are set off to scare away evil spirits. In others, the use of fireworks is forbidden in urban areas due to their harmful effect on pets. Most animals’ hearing is much more sensitive than humans’, so this noisy display can be very frightful and traumatising to them.

8- Countdown

倒计时
dào jìshí

This countdown refers to New Year celebrants counting the seconds, usually backward, till midnight, when New Year starts – a great group activity that doesn’t scare animals, and involves a lot of joyful shouting when the clock strikes midnight!

9- New Year’s Holiday

新年假期
Xīnnián jiàqī

In many countries, New Year’s Day is a public holiday – to recuperate from the party the previous night, perhaps! Families also like to meet on this day to enjoy a meal and spend time together.

10-Confetti

五彩纸屑
wǔcǎi zhǐxiè

In most Western countries, confetti is traditionally associated with weddings, but often it is used as a party decoration. Some prefer to throw it in the air at the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

11- New Year’s Eve

跨年夜
kuà nián yè

This is the evening before New Year breaks at midnight! Often, friends and family meet for a party or meal the evening before, sometimes engaging in year-end rituals. How are you planning to give your New Year greetings in 2018?

12- Toast

干杯
gānbēi

A toast is a type of group-salutation that involves raising your glass to drink with others in honor of something or someone. A toast to the new year is definitely in order!

13- Resolution

决心
juéxīn

Those goals or intentions you hope to, but seldom keep in the new year! Many people consider the start of a new year to be the opportune time for making changes or plans. Resolutions are those intentions to change, or the plans. It’s best to keep your resolutions realistic so as not to disappoint yourself!

14- Parade

游行
yóuxíng

New Year celebrations are a huge deal in some countries! Parades are held in the streets, often to celebratory music, with colorful costumes and lots of dancing. Parades are like marches, only less formal and way more fun. At ChineseClass101, you can engage in forums with natives who can tell you what Chinese New Year celebrations are like!

3. Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

So, you learned the Chinese word for ‘resolution’. Fabulous! Resolutions are those goals and intentions that we hope to manifest in the year that lies ahead. The beginning of a new year serves as a good marker in time to formalise these. Some like to do it in writing, others only hold these resolutions in their hearts. Here are our Top 10 New Year’s resolutions at ChineseClass101 – what are yours?

Learn these phrases and impress your Chinese friends with your vocabulary.

1- Read more

多阅读。
Duō yuèdú.

Reading is a fantastic skill that everyone can benefit from. You’re a business person? Apparently, successful business men and women read up to 60 books a year. This probably excludes fiction, so better scan your library or Amazon for the top business reads if you plan to follow in the footsteps of the successful! Otherwise, why not make it your resolution to read more Chinese in the new year? You will be surprised by how much this will improve your Chinese language skills!

2- Spend more time with family

花更多时间陪伴家人。
Huā gèngduō shíjiān péibàn jiārén.

Former US President George Bush’s wife, Barbara Bush, was quoted as having said this: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, a parent.” This is very true! Relationships are often what gives life meaning, so this is a worthy resolution for any year.

3- Lose weight

减肥。
Jiǎnféi.

Hands up, how many of you made this new year’s resolution last year too…?! This is a notoriously difficult goal to keep, as it takes a lot of self discipline not to eat unhealthily. Good luck with this one, and avoid unhealthy fad diets!

4- Save money

存钱。
cúnqián.

Another common and difficult resolution! However, no one has ever been sorry when they saved towards reaching a goal. Make it your resolution to save money to upgrade your subscription to ChineseClass101’s Premium PLUS option in the new year – it will be money well spent!

5- Quit smoking

戒烟。
Jièyān.

This is a resolution that you should definitely keep, or your body could punish you severely later! Smoking is a harmful habit with many hazardous effects on your health. Do everything in your power to make this resolution come true in the new year, as your health is your most precious asset.

6- Learn something new

学习新东西。
Xuéxí xīn dōngxi.

Science has proven that learning new skills can help keep brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s at bay! It can even slow down the progression of the disease. So, keep your brain healthy by learning to speak a new language, studying towards a qualification, learning how to sew, or how to play chess – no matter how old you are, the possibilities are infinite!

7- Drink less

少喝酒。
Shǎo hējiǔ.

This is another health resolution that is good to heed any time of the year. Excessive drinking is associated with many diseases, and its effect can be very detrimental to good relationships too. Alcohol is a poison and harmful for the body in large quantities!

8- Exercise regularly

多运动。
Duō yùndòng.

This resolution goes hand-in-hand with ‘Lose weight’! An inactive body is an unhealthy and often overweight one, so give this resolution priority in the new year.

9- Eat healthy

饮食健康。
Yǐnshí jiànkāng.

If you stick with this resolution, you will lose weight and feel better in general. It is a very worthy goal to have!

10- Study Chinese with ChineseClass101

跟ChineseClass101.com一起学习中文。
Gēn ChineseClass yī líng yī diǎn com yīqǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén.

Of course! You can only benefit from learning Chinese, especially with us! Learning how to speak Chinese can keep your brain healthy, it can widen your circle of friends, and improve your chances to land a dream job anywhere in the world. ChineseClass101 makes it easy and enjoyable for you to stick to this resolution.

4. Inspirational New Year Quotes

Everyone knows that it is sometimes very hard to stick to resolutions, and not only over New Year. The reasons for this vary from person to person, but all of us need inspiration every now and then! A good way to remain motivated is to keep inspirational quotes near as reminders that it’s up to us to reach our goals.

Click here for quotes that will also work well in a card for a special Chinese new year greeting!

Make decorative notes of these in Chinese, and keep them close! Perhaps you could stick them above your bathroom mirror, or on your study’s wall. This way you not only get to read Chinese incidentally, but also remain inspired to reach your goals! Imagine feeling like giving up on a goal, but reading this quote when you go to the bathroom: “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” What a positive affirmation!

5. Inspirational Language Learning Quotes

Still undecided whether you should enroll with ChineseClass101 to learn a new language? There’s no time like the present to decide! Let the following Language Learning Quotes inspire you with their wisdom.

Click here to read the most inspirational Language Learning Quotes!

As legendary President Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” So, learning how to say Happy New Year in Chinese could well be a way into someone special’s heart for you! Let this year be the one where you to learn how to say Happy New Year, and much more, in Chinese – it could open many and unexpected doors for you.

6. How To Say Happy New Year in 31 Languages

Here’s a lovely bonus for you! Why stop with Chinese – learn how to say Happy New Year in 31 other languages too! Watch this video and learn how to pronounce these New Year’s wishes like a native in under two minutes.

7. Why Enrolling with ChineseClass101 Would Be the Perfect New Year’s Gift to Yourself!

If you are unsure how to celebrate the New Year, why not give yourself a huge gift, and enroll to learn Chinese! With more than 12 years of experience behind us, we know that ChineseClass101 would be the perfect fit for you. There are so many reasons for this!

• Custom-tailored Learning Paths: Start learning Chinese at the level that you are. We have numerous Learning Pathways, and we tailor them just for you based on your goals and interests! What a boon!
• Marked Progress and Fresh Learning Material Every Week: We make new lessons available every week, with an option to track your progress. Topics are culturally appropriate and useful, such as “Learning how to deliver negative answers politely to a business partner.” Our aim is to equip you with Chinese that makes sense!
• Multiple Learning Tools: Learn in fun, easy ways with resources such 1,000+ video and audio lessons, flashcards, detailed PDF downloads, and mobile apps suitable for multiple devices!
• Fast Track Learning Option: If you’re serious about fast-tracking your learning, Premium Plus would be the perfect way to go! Enjoy perks such as personalised lessons with ongoing guidance from your own, native-speaking teacher, and one-on-one learning on your mobile app! You will not be alone in your learning. Weekly assignments with non-stop feedback, answers and corrections will ensure speedy progress.
• Fun and Easy: Keeping the lessons fun and easy-to-learn is our aim, so you will stay motivated by your progress!

There’s no reason not to go big in 2018 by learning Chinese with ChineseClass101. Just imagine how the world can open up for you!

Perhaps the most important of all Chinese holidays, the Chinese New Year is celebrated worldwide each January or February in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Mainland China.

Also called the Spring Festival (春节 Chūnjié), the Chinese New Year celebrates the beginning of the Chinese year based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar and officially ends 14 days later with the Lantern Festival.

Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo), and enjoy delicious Chinese food.

The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs. However, certain common customs are shared regardless of region.

For example, it is common practice to decorate one’s home with Chinese lanterns. In many homes, you will find auspicious Chinese characters and couplets on red paper stuck on doors. Red is an auspicious color as it scares away the Nian monster. Wearing new clothes is also a common tradition to ward off bad luck—a new year is a time for newness after all!

The Chinese New Year is an important time to 拜年 (bàinián, to pay a new year call), so it is common practice to visit relatives and exchange auspicious greetings and Chinese gifts, including the ever-popular lucky red envelopes filled with Chinese currency. Devoted Buddhist and Daoist practitioners also often visit local temples to welcome the new year.

The holiday has even had an influence on the traditional festivals of other cultures with whom the Chinese have historically interacted, including the Koreans, Vietnamese, Mongolians, and Japanese.

What foods are eaten during Chinese New Year?

Family is of central importance in traditional Chinese culture, and Spring Festival is generally a very family-oriented holiday.

The New Year’s Eve dinner (年夜饭 niányèfàn) kick starts the tradition of family reunions. In fact, the Chinese Spring Festival also marks the world’s largest human migration, as overseas Chinese and Chinese migrant laborers return home to celebrate the advent of the new year alongside their families.

Though traditions can vary between northern and southern China, here are a few examples of common “auspicious foods” presented at reunion dinners:

1. Steamed Fish | 蒸鱼 | zhēng yú

As you may already know, the Chinese language includes many homophones (同音词 tóngyīncí), which results in many characters and words having the same pronunciation as one another.

In this instance, “fish” (鱼 yú) has the same pronunciation as “surplus” (余 yú). There is also a typical New Year greeting, 年年有余 (niánnián yǒuyú), which translates to “may you have a surplus (of blessings) every year”. Therefore, eating fish symbolizes an increase in prosperity.

2. New Year Cake | 年糕 | niángāo

Sticky rice cakes symbolize a prosperous year to come, as “cake” (糕 gāo) has the same pronunciation as “high/lofty” (高 gāo). This coincides with the greeting 年年高升 (niánniángāoshēng; “advance year after year”). Rice cakes are a must during Chinese New Year festivities!

3. Spring Rolls | 春卷 | chūnjuǎn

How can you start spring without spring rolls? This delicacy was originally a seasonal food that was consumed only during the spring. Eating spring rolls is a way to welcome the arrival of spring, and their golden color also symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

4. Fruits | 水果 | shuǐguǒ

Fruits are commonly enjoyed as desserts and snacks during Spring Festival celebrations. They symbolize life and new beginnings and are also a common new year gift.

5. Dumplings | 饺子 | jiǎozi

Due to their resemblance to imperial coins (元宝 yuánbǎo), dumplings are representative of wealth and fortune.

6. “Longevity Noodles” | 长寿面 | chángshòumiàn

“Longevity noodles” are a kind of flat Cantonese egg noodles which are usually consumed during special occasions (such as the Chinese New Year and birthdays).

7. Tangyuan | 汤圆 | tāngyuán

The fifteenth and final day of the new year holiday is celebrated by the Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié). During this time, it is common to eat a Chinese dessert called tāngyuán (汤圆), which consists of sweet glutinous rice balls filled with a variety of fillings such as sesame, peanut, and red bean paste. Their round shapes represent togetherness and reunion.

How to Say Happy New Year in Chinese

Would you like to wish a friend, colleague, or loved one Happy New Year in Chinese? Read on to learn this festive phrase and more!

Cultural note: In China, people often hold a fist salute or 抱拳礼 (bàoquánlǐ) when saying the below greetings. Remember that this method of greeting is mainly used during formal occasions, so we suggest to avoid using it during informal encounters!

1. 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè) — Happy New Year!

Saying “Xīnnián Kuàilè” is the simplest and most straightforward way to wish your Chinese friends, family and colleagues a happy new year. Want to know how to pronounce it? Just watch the following video and repeat!

2. 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐfācái) — May you have a prosperous year!

In addition to 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè), this is probably the most popular saying you’ll hear around the Chinese New Year. It has been the center of many 贺年歌曲 (hènián gēqǔ, Chinese New Year songs) and literally means “congratulations, make a fortune!”

Learn to sing along to the famous Chinese New Year song “恭喜” (gōngxǐ) in the following video.

兔年大吉 (tùnián dàjí) — Happy Year of the Rabbit (2023)

大吉 (dàjí) is a noun meaning very auspicious or lucky. You can put any given year’s zodiac animal year before 大吉 and use it as a general new year greeting. You can also simply say 大吉大利 (dàjídàlì), which means “good luck and great prosperity.”

To learn how to say other year-specific Spring Festival greetings, see the Spring Festival Chinese Vocabulary List toward the bottom of this article.

4. 岁岁平安 (suìsuì píng’ān) — May you have peace year after year

A fun things aspect of Chinese is wordplay based on 同音词 (tóngyīncí, homophones). A great example of this is 岁岁平安. Breaking things during the Chinese new year is a taboo in China as it is believed to bring bad luck resulting in money loss and a family split in the future.

If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suìsuìpíngān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (suìsuìpíngān). “碎” means to break, whereas “岁” means age or year and is the character used in 岁岁平安. This is a very clever way to negate all that bad luck!

5. 万事如意 (wànshìrúyì) — May all your hopes be fulfilled

万 literally means “ten thousand” or “a great number.” When you say 万事如意 to your Chinese friends, you are literally wishing that all matters (万事, ten thousand matters/affairs) be according to his/her wishes (如意)。

What are some taboos during Spring Festival?

All auspicious things aside, there are certain taboos that must be avoided during Chinese New Year:

1. No cleaning!

Any type of “spring cleaning” must take place before the new year and never during the actual holiday. This allows the cleaned space to be filled with the new blessings and fortunes of the new year. Cleaning during the holiday consequently means that you are getting rid of these new fortunes!

2. No wearing black or white!

In Chinese color symbolism, black signifies evil and white is the color of death and used for funerals. Instead, auspicious colors such as red and gold are often worn during the new year.

3. No cutting hair!

发 fā (hair) is also the character and sound for 发财 fā cái (to get rich), so cutting hair signifies a loss of fortune.

4. No breaking things!

碎 suì means to break, whereas 岁 suì means age or year. If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suì suì píng ān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (“may you have peace year after year”).

Why is it called the “Lunar” New Year?

The term “lunar” is an English adaptation, mainly because the holiday starts with the new moon, ends with the full moon 14 days later, and is thus based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The name of the holiday in Chinese, 春节 Chūnjié, literally translates to “Spring Festival”.

Chinese Zodiac Animal Signs

The Chinese New Year is also a time when the annual zodiac sign changes, meaning that each year is assigned to a specific zodiac animal. Zodiac signs play an integral role in Chinese culture. It is said that your luck regarding financial situations, health and relationships for each year can be calculated based on your zodiac sign.

To ask your Chinese friends and colleagues what their zodiac animal is, just say «你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shénme?)». 属 shǔ can mean “to belong to” or “to be born in the year of». In China, it is common to be asked how old you are or what your 生肖 (shēngxiào, Chinese zodiac sign) is.

In response, you can say: 我属 (wǒ shǔ) + insert animal. For example: “我属牛” (Wǒ shǔ niú, I was born in the Year of the Ox). Consult CLI’s article on the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals for an in-depth look at this cultural phenomena and to find out what your own zodiac sign is!

The Chinese New Year Through a Local’s Eyes

In our Spring Festival video, we invite you to peer into the life of a Guilin resident who walked the same arduous path traveled by so many in China from poverty to prosperity. Join Dayong, a CLI team member since 2009, as he converses with Uncle Ye (叶叔叔, Yè Shūshu) about how his quality of life has changed for the better over the decades.

While watching the video, follow along in this downloadable Chinese-English transcript for the Chinese characters, Chinese pinyin, and English translation.

Chinese Vocabulary for the Spring Festival

汉字	Pīnyīn	English
大年三十	dàniánsānshí	Chinese New Years Eve
春节	Chūnjié	Chinese New Year; Spring Festival
春节快乐！	Chūnjié kuàilè!	Happy Spring Festival!
新年快乐！	Xīnnián kuàilè!	Happy New Year!
大吉大利！	dàjídàlì!	Wishing you great prosperity!
恭喜发财	gōngxǐ fācái	May you have a prosperous new year
鼠年大吉	shǔnián dàjí	Best wishes for an auspicious Year of the Rat (2020)
牛年快乐	niúnián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Ox (2021)
虎年吉祥	hǔnián jíxiáng	Best wishes for an auspicious Year of the Tiger (2022)
兔年快乐	tùnián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Rabbit (2023)
龙年大吉	lóngnián kuàilè	Best wishes for an auspicious Year of the Tiger (2024)
蛇年快乐	shénián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Snake (2025)
马年吉祥	mǎnián jíxiáng	Best wishes for an auspicious Year of the Horse (2026)
羊年快乐	yángnián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Goat (2027)
猴年健康	hóunián jiànkāng	Best wishes for a healthy Year of the Monkey (2028)
鸡年快乐	jīnián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Rooster (2029)
狗年大吉	gǒunián dàjí	Best wishes for an auspicious Year of the Dog (2030)
猪年快乐	zhūnián kuàilè	Happy Year of the Pig (2031)
欢天喜地	huāntiān xǐdì	with boundless joy; overjoyed
红包	hóngbāo	red envelope
压岁钱	yāsuìqián	lucky money
红灯笼	hóng dēnglóng	red lantern

Join a Spring Festival Celebration and Practice Your Chinese

We hope this article helped you learn more about the Chinese New Year! It is truly a fun and festive holiday that is celebrated all across the world. Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, showing appreciation for one’s friends, and delicious feasts.

If you are in China during Spring Festival, we hope you’ll get to experience this important holiday for yourself by participating in some Chinese New Year activities with friends or colleagues. Keep in mind that many people will be traveling back and forth during this period as part of the famous Spring Festival travel rush (春运 chūnyùn). If you do plan to go anywhere during this period, especially by train, make sure to buy your tickets far in advance.

If you aren’t in China, we encourage you to seek out your local Chinese community, attend holiday events, and even volunteer to help prepare for the Chinese New Year festivities. This is a great way to learn more about Chinese culture and to immerse yourself in the Chinese language.

And now that you know some Chinese New Year greetings, it is time to put them to use! On behalf of the CLI team, we wish you a wonderful Chinese New Year and welcome you to learn Chinese in China. 祝大新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意 ！