Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) 2013
Overview
Dates: February 9 (Chinese New Year's Eve) to February 24 (Lantern Festival).
Spring Festival, widely known as Chinese New Year in the west, is the most important traditional festival and a public holiday in China. Spring Festival 2013 starts on February 9 (Chinese New Year's Eve). 2013 is the year of the snake. The festival falls on the first day of the first lunar month (usually in late January and early February), and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. The New Year celerations may begin one or two days before the festival.
The festival is celebrated grandily across the country with various cultural activities arranged. Firework shows, dragon dancing and lion dancing are the most common Chinese New Year activities. Even days before the festival, Chinese families clean the house. The practice of house cleaning before the New Year is believed to sweep away bad luck and bring good-fortune in the coming year. Windows and doors are decorated with rnew year paintings. Read more on Chinese New Year decorations.
Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families. This is the reason why the busiest travel time happens during this period. Travelers who plan to visit China during the New Year time are recommended to book everything in advance.
Read more on Chinese Spring Festival 2013
Chinese New Year Food
Chinese New Year Foods are very important to Chinese people. All family members come together to eat at this time. Chinese New Year foods are not only delicious but it is traditional to eat certain foods over this festival. Chinese Dumplings, Fish, Spring Rolls, Nian Gao are usually seen as delicious and eaten at this time.
Nian Gao (Glutinous Rice Cake): In Chinese, Nian Gao sounds like "getting higher year by year". In Chinese people's mind, the higher you are, the more prosperous your business is. Main ingredients of Nian Gao are sticky rice, sugar, Chestnuts, Chinese date and lotus leaves.
Chinese Dumplings: Chinese Dumplings look like silver ingots. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during New Year celebration, more money you can make in the New Year.
Spring Roll: People like Spring Roll because they are nutritious and delicious. Spring Rolls contain pork and vegetable. They can be easily taken on picnics. They get their name because they are traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year Celebration.
More information about Chinese New Year Food
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