Spring Festival 2009

Spring Festival which is also called Chinese New Year falls on January, 1st, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is usually called as Yinlinian. This is the most important festival in China. It originated in Shang Dynasty.

When Spring Festival comes, spring comes as well. Everything comes to life and plants are prosperous. Just having experienced a cold winter, people are so excited to welcome a new spring.

In ancient times, only rich men celebrated Spring Festival. The poor peasants would suffer more when Spring Festival came because the landlords would force them to pay land rent before Spring Festival. The land rent was so high that no peasant could afford it so Landlords seized everything valuable from peasants in place of rent.

After the foundation of People's Republic of China, Spring Festival became a much happier festival for all Chinese People. It does not matter how far people stay away from their family home, they are always eager to go home to be together with their families on this special festival.

The warm atmosphere is not only in the houses, but also in the streets. In many places, lion dances and dragon lantern show are performed during Spring Festival. In some places, people kept the customs of Shehuo performance, visiting flower market, going to the temple fair. During this period, the cities are full of lanterns and the streets are crowded with people. Activities last to the 15th of January, this can be an end of Spring Festival.

People in different places celebrate Spring Festival in different ways. Generally speaking, a Chinese family will hold a Spring Festival feast, light firecracker and give lucky money to children during Spring Festival. See details of Chinese New Year Celebration (Spring Festival).
Chinese New Year Food: Want to know Chinese New Year Foods? There are quite a few. See why Chinese Dumplings, Fish, Spring Rolls and Nian Gao are so popular during Chinese New Year Celebration.