Spring Festival

The Spring Festival is the most ceremonious and distinctive traditional festival among the Chinese people. It is one of the most solemn and lively ancient festivals among the Chinese people. It generally refers to New Year's Eve and the first day of the first lunar month, the first day of the year, also known as the lunar year, and commonly known as "Guo Nian." However, among the people, the traditional Spring Festival extends from the La Festival on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month or the Kitchen God Festival on the twenty-third or twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, with New Year's Eve and the first day of the first lunar month as the climax. During the Spring Festival, the Han Chinese and many ethnic minorities in China hold various celebrations. These activities primarily focus on worshipping gods and Buddhas, paying homage to ancestors, getting rid of the old and welcoming the new, welcoming good fortune, and praying for a good harvest. These activities are rich and varied, with strong ethnic characteristics.


The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Han Chinese, but more than a dozen ethnic minorities, including the Manchu, Mongolian, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong, and Li, also observe the Spring Festival, but their celebrations are more distinctive and profound.


The Spring Festival has different names in different eras. In the pre-Qin period, it was called "Shangri," "New Year's Day," "Gaisui," and "Xian Sui." During the Han Dynasty, it was called "Sanchao," "Suidan," "Zhengdan," and "Zhengri." During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was called "Yuanchen," "New Year's Day," "Yuanshu," and "Suichao." During the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, it was called "Yuandan," "Yuan," "Sui Ri," "Xinzheng," and "Xinyuan." During the Qing Dynasty, it was consistently called "Yuandan" or "Yuanri."

On May 20, 2006, the folk customs of the "Spring Festival" were approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.


Origins of the Spring Festival

On December 31, 1911, the Hubei Military Government of the Republic of China issued the "Ministry of the Interior's Circular on the Republic of China's Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar," which clearly designated the New Year festival as "Spring Festival." On September 27, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference further clarified that the first day of the first lunar month was called "Spring Festival," and the name "Spring Festival" was officially included in the Chinese festival code.

The oracle bone script for "year" (年) consists of the character "禾" (grain) on top and the character "人" (person) on the bottom. The bronze inscription also follows the oracle bone script, with the characters "禾" (grain) and "人" (person). The small seal script for "year" is written as "山" (grain) on top and "千" (person) on the bottom. "Shuowen Jiezi" (Explanation of Characters) states: "年 (year) means ripe grain. It is composed of the character "禾" (grain) and the character "千" (person) on the bottom." The small seal script misinterpreted the character "人" (person) as "千" (person), leading Xu Shen to use this interpretation. However, the character "千" originally meant a person with ornaments, so this interpretation is not contradictory. "禾" (grain) is a general term for grain and cannot be mistaken for simply "wheat." The quality of a year's harvest is primarily determined by the growth and harvest of the grain. The "禾" (grain) characters in the oracle bone scripts that have been discovered almost all appear bent and heavy, symbolizing a bountiful harvest. What about the "人" (person) below the character "年" (year)? The oracle bone script depicts a person holding grain on their head.

Spring Festival Legends

Another legend tells of an ancient Chinese monster called "Nian," with tentacles and an exceptionally ferocious appearance. It spent its entire life deep in the ocean, only emerging on New Year's Eve to devour livestock and harm humans. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, people from every village and hamlet would flee to the mountains, carrying their elderly and children, to avoid the beast's harm. One New Year's Eve, an elderly beggar arrived from outside the village. The villagers were in a state of panic, but only an old woman at the east end of the village offered him some food and urged him to flee the beast. The old woman stroked her beard and smiled, saying, "If you let me stay home for one night, I will chase Nian away." The woman continued to urge him, but the beggar remained silent.

In the middle of the night, Nian entered the village. It noticed a different atmosphere than in previous years: at the old woman's house in the east, the door was covered in red paper, and candles were ablaze inside. Nian shuddered and let out a strange cry. As she neared the gate, a sudden bang and bang of explosions erupted from the courtyard. Nian trembled, daring no further. It turned out that Nian was most afraid of the color red, fire, and explosions. Then, the grandmother's door flung open, revealing an old man in a red robe laughing heartily. Terrified, Nian fled in panic. The next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year, the people returning from the evacuation were surprised to see the village safe and sound. The grandmother then realized what had happened and quickly told her fellow villagers about the beggar's promise. Word quickly spread to the surrounding villages, and everyone knew how to ward off Nian. From then on, every New Year's Eve, every household would hang red couplets and set off firecrackers; candles would be lit in every house, and people would stay awake to welcome the coming of the new year. Early on the first morning, people would visit relatives and friends to offer congratulations. This custom spread widely, becoming one of the most solemn traditional festivals in China.

This story is likely a fabrication by later generations based on traditional New Year customs. It's unlikely to be the origin of the Chinese character "nian".

Spring Festival Customs

Posting Spring Festival couplets, auspicious characters, window decorations, New Year pictures, hanging scrolls, setting up a table for heaven and earth, staying up all night, setting off firecrackers, eating New Year's Eve dinner, welcoming the gods, stepping on evil spirits, offering sacrifices to ancestors, sending off the God of Wealth, drinking Tusu wine, having the New Year's Eve dinner, paying New Year's greetings, and eating dumplings.

On New Year's Day, everyone dresses freshly. The younger generation greets the older generation, and everyone in turn greets their ancestors. Peers also congratulate each other. On this day, taboos are observed: Do not use knives or scissors, do not use needles and thread, do not fry or stir-fry (do not make noise), do not use a broom, do not throw water outside the door, do not break cups or bowls, and do not hit or scold children. Violating these taboos is considered unlucky and will bring financial loss, illness, and other disasters in the coming year.

Qimen County also has the custom of "shouting the year." On the first and second days of the first lunar month, the most senior member of the village leads the group, which includes young men and boys. They form a long snake formation and go from house to house, shouting New Year greetings. At each house, the leader calls out the name of the person being greeted, followed by a title, or simply says, "Greetings to the Bao Hall," or simply uses the title. The person being greeted immediately responds with "Thank you all for coming," and the group shouting back in unison, "You're the right person to come." This creates a unique atmosphere.