TheSpringFestival
TheSpringFestivalisaveryimportantfestivalinChina.It’sonthefirstdayofthefirstlunarmonth.BeforetheSpringFestival,peoplehaveboughtpresents,like,meat,fruit,flowersdrinksandsomethingsforthemselves.
SpringFestival,alsoknowasthelunarNewYear,isthegreatesttraditionalfestival.ItisusuallyatimebetweenlateJanuaryorearlyFebruary,whichmeansrestandrelaxationbetweenwinterandspringafterayear'stoil,andmeanscelebrationaswell.BeforetheSpringFestival,peoplecleantheirhouse,putredcoupletsontheirgates,andsetofffirecrackers,accordingtofairytale,fordrivingademon,named“Nian”away.OntheeveoftheSpringFestival,aget-togetherbanquetisamust,andthemostpopularfoodisDumpling,whichissupposedtobringgoodfortune.Onthefirstdayofthenewyear,everybodywearsnewclothesandgreetsrelativesandfriendswithbowsandcongratulationswishingeachotherluckyduringthenewyear.
Dumplings
SincetheSpringFestivalmarksthefirstdayofabrandnewyear,thefirstmealisratherimportant.Peoplefromnorthandsouthhavedifferenthabitsofthefoodtheyeatonthisspecialday.SpringFestival,alsoknownastheChineseNewYearthroughoutthewest.Somefamilieswillalsoprepareforeatdumplings,ChinesedumplingsstuffedwithmeatsInNorthernChina,peopleusuallyeatdumplingwhichisshapedlikeacrescentmoon.ItissaidthatdumplingswerefirstknowninChinasome1,600yearsago.TheChinesepronunciationofJiaoZimeansmidnightortheendandthebeginningoftime.Accordingtohistoricalrecords,inancienttimespeoplefrombothnorthandsouthatedumplingsonChineseNewYear'sDay.PerhapsbecauseSouthernChinaproducedmorericethananyotherareas,gradually,southernershadmoreotherchoicesonNewYear'sDay
Redpocket
AnotherimportanttraditionwhichisalsoourfavoritepartoftheChineseNewYearisthe"redpocket"-asmallredenvelopewithsomemoneyinside,thatmarriedpeoplegivetotheyoungergeneration.Parentsalwaysgivetheirchildrenredpockettowishthemstudygoodandhappyinthenextyear.Aftercollectingalltheirredpockets,theycanbuysomethingwelike.theynormallyusethemoneytobuysomenewstationeryforschool,buysomesnackstosharewiththeircousins,buysomefireworkstoplaywithandbuyanewbicycle.
