The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month.
Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúx?. Chu literally means "change" and xi means "Eve". Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Vietnamese. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated.
The Gonzales Group would like to highlight some Chinese New Year traditions that have been passed down through the ages to help you celebrate the Chinese culture and heritage.
Think Good Thoughts and Do Good Deeds
Your behavior on the first day of the New Year can influence the rest of your year. Be positive and think good thoughts and do good deeds.
Wear Red
Red wards off evil spirits and bad luck, and wearing it can bring you a bright future.
Don't Clean Your House
Tradition is never to clean your house on New Year's Day because it signifies sweeping good fortune away.
Donate Lai See Money
Children and unmarried friends and relatives are given lai see money in red envelopes for good fortune.
