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The most important day of Chinese New Year’s Festival is the New Year’s Eve. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī. Literally, Chu means "pass" and xi means "Eve". Traditionally, all the family members in China would get together on the New Year’s Eve. They celebrate this big day by playing cards, playing majiong, or make dumpling together. It is celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. Besides, this day is also important because it’s a day to give in honor of heaven and erath, the gods of household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors includes meat, fruit, and staple food and so on. It has become the most vital of all the rituals. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family. The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations. As every one is aware of its significance, the working people in china can take weeks of holidays so that they can join the company of their near and dear ones and a feast with their family members on the Lunar New Year's Eve.
Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese. And it’s also celebrated by other country’s people, especially for china’s neighbor. The Chinese New Year is celebrated for about fifteen days. Although with the changing times and increasing mobility of the people the celebration of Chinese New Year Festival has undergone some changes, everybody still very fervently follow all the customs that their elders have taught them.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the breakfast is very important, different place has different custom. On the north part of China, people will eat dumplings, however, on the south part of China, some people eat eggs or other round-shape food—That means the whole year will goes prosperous and all the family members would have a peace life.
On the second day, the Chinese begin to pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They will go to the ancestor’s tomb. They pray their ancestors with paper money or fireworks.
The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law
The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay at home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because they believe that it will bring both parties bad luck.
On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends with New Year’s gifts. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.
The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens to cleanse the system
The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the 15th night
The fifth day is the Lantern Festival. People will eat rice cookie dough on this day. It’s the last day of Chinese New Year’s Festival.
The main festivals in China
New Year's Day
First Day of the First Month of the year
The Lantern Festival Yuanxiao Jie
15-th Day of the First Month of the year
Qingming - The Clear & Bright Festival
28-th Day of the Second Month of the year
Dragon Boat Festival - Duanwu Jie
5-th Day of the 5-th Month of the year
Festival of Qi Xi Jie
7th Day of the 7th Month of the year
Moon Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival
15-th Day of the 8-th Month of the year
Double Nineth (Elder Day)
9-th Day of the 9-th Month of the year
Dong Zhi - Winter Solstice Festival