Guo Nian

Spring Festival is of the most important traditional Chinese holidays with a history of over 2,000 years. It is the occasion when all family members gather together. All people need go back home for a reunion no matter how far they live away from home. The legal holidays for Spring Festival are the last day of the old lunar year to 6th of 1st lunar month of the new lunar year. Nearly all the people can be released from workplace and stay with family during this festival.

The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese Lunar New Year, is often called “Guo Nian” in Chinese. It falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one or two month later than the Gregorian calendar. For most Chinese people, the Spring Festival is the real start of a new year, instead of the 1st day of Gregorian calendar. The New Year season lasts fifteen days. The celebrations end on the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.

After thousand-year evolution of history, many old customs are still popularly followed even now in the Spring Festival. These include playing firecrackers and fireworks, giving gift money to children, whisking the dust of house, preparing food, writing and pasting couplets, staying up late on the New Year’s Eve and paying a New Year visit/call to relatives and friends, etc.