ChineseNewYear–oftencalledChineseLunarNewYearalthoughitactuallyislunisolar–isthemostimportantofthetraditionalChineseholidays.ItisanallEastandSouth-East-Asiacelebration.InChinaitisknownas"SpringFestival,"owingtothedifferencebetweenWesternandtraditionalChinesemethodsforcomputingtheseasons.Itmarkstheendofthewinterseason.ThefestivalbeginsonthefirstdayofthefirstmonthinthetraditionalChinesecalendarandendswithLanternFestivalwhichisonthe15thday.ChineseNewYear'sEve,adaywhereChinesefamiliesgatherfortheirannualreuniondinner,isknownas"EveofthePassingYear."
WithinChina,regionalcustomsandtraditionsconcerningthecelebrationoftheChinesenewyearvarywidely.Peoplewillpourouttheirmoneytobuypresents,decoration,material,food,andclothing.Itisalsothetraditionthateveryfamilythoroughlycleansthehousetosweepawayanyill-fortuneinhopestomakewayforgoodincomingluck.Windowsanddoorswillbedecoratedwithredcolourpaper-cutsandcoupletswithpopularthemesof"happiness","wealth",and"longevity".OntheEveofChineseNewYear,supperisafeastwithfamilies.Foodwillincludesuchitemsaspigs,ducks,chickenandsweetdelicacies.Thefamilywillendthenightwithfirecrackers.Earlythenextmorning,childrenwillgreettheirparentsbywishingthemahealthyandhappynewyear,andreceivemoneyinredpaperenvelopes.TheChineseNewYeartraditionistoreconcile,forgetallgrudgesandsincerelywishpeaceandhappinessforeveryone.
ChineseNewYearisthelongestandmostimportantfestivityintheChineseLunisolarCalendar.TheoriginofChineseNewYearisitselfcenturiesoldandgainssignificancebecauseofseveralmythsandtraditions.AncientChineseNewYearisareflectiononhowthepeoplebehavedandwhattheybelievedinthemost.
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