The Spring Festival usually falls during the coldest part of winter and is an important holiday for family reunions in China. It is not just a single day of celebration but a festive period that can last up to a month. The most significant days are New Year’s Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year, commonly referred to as “Guo Nian 过年” (celebrating the Chinese New Year). No matter where people are, they will rush back to their hometowns to spend this special time with their parents and loved ones.
Spring Festival Customs
The customs of the Spring Festival are numerous, including activities such as drinking Laba congee(喝腊八粥), worshiping the Kitchen God(祭灶神), sweeping dust, pasting Spring Festival couplets, decorating windows(贴窗花), hanging New Year paintings(挂年画), sticking the “Fu”(福) character upside down, setting off firecrackers(燃放爆竹), lighting fireworks(放烟花), staying up on New Year’s Eve(守岁), eating dumplings, giving red envelopes(给红包), visiting relatives, welcoming the God of Wealth(接财神), and attending temple fairs(逛庙会).
Minor New Year(小年)
The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month marks the “Minor New Year” in the northern regions of China, while the 24th marks the “Minor New Year” in the southern regions. This day marks the gradual buildup of the festive atmosphere, as people begin to wrap up their work and prepare for the Spring Festival, such as cleaning their homes and buying New Year goods. From this day until New Year’s Eve, people follow various traditional customs and activities.
Pasting Spring Festival Couplets(贴春联)
Twenty years ago, when the economy was less developed, many families would go to the local markets to buy red paper, cut it into the size of Spring Festival couplets, and have older family members or students, who were good at calligraphy, write the couplets. They would then paste them on the doors. People also wrote large “福” characters and stuck them upside down on doors and windows to symbolize that “fortune has arrived.”
Today, most families buy ready-made couplets, and the tradition of handwriting them has become less common.
Eating the New Year’s Eve Dinner
The most symbolic moment of family reunion during the Spring Festival is the New Year’s Eve dinner, typically held on the afternoon or evening of the last day of the lunar year. For many people who work far from home, the biggest goal of returning for the holiday is to make it in time for this meal.
In the northern regions, almost every family starts making dumplings on New Year’s Eve morning, with everyone working together to roll the dough and prepare the fillings for this meaningful family meal.
Watching the Spring Festival Gala
Ten years ago, families would watch the “Spring Festival Gala” (known as the Spring Festival TV Show) while enjoying their New Year’s Eve dinner. The show was rich in content and became a must-watch program for families to enjoy together. Almost all TV channels broadcasted it. At that time, there were no smartphones, and entertainment options were limited, so the Spring Festival Gala became the one and only television entertainment for many. Today, the gala still airs every year, but its viewership has significantly declined.
Visiting Relatives and New Year’s Greetings
With the end of the Spring Festival Gala, the new year quietly begins. Even if people stay up late to celebrate, they will still wake up early the next day to exchange New Year greetings with their family, neighbors, and relatives. People carry gifts and visit friends and relatives to spread the joy of the festival.
Relatives and friends also gather to chat and share laughter. In the southern regions, playing cards is a popular activity during gatherings.
Lantern Festival(元宵节)
The 15th day of the lunar new year marks the Lantern Festival, when people celebrate with dragon and lion dances. This day signifies the end of the Spring Festival. After the Lantern Festival, the new year truly begins, full of hope and anticipation.
Spring Festival Travel Rush
Before the Reform and Opening-up, there was little population movement in China. “Spring Festival Travel Rush” (Chunyun 春运) emerged as a byproduct of the reform era. Every year at the beginning of the year, a large number of people from central and western China would leave their hometowns to work in coastal cities. By the end of the year, they would have to make long journeys back to their hometowns to reunite with their families.
Due to the massive movement of people over a short period, the pressure on the transportation system grew significantly. Cars and trains became the main modes of travel, and stations were crowded with people, making the return journey extremely difficult. Because of limited capacity, the railway department sold a large number of standing tickets, causing the aisles, dining areas, and even restrooms on trains to be packed with people. If there were extreme weather conditions, the transportation system could collapse, further complicating travel.
In the past decade, many people have purchased private cars. While China has built a large number of highways, they can no longer accommodate such a vast flow of cars. In the days leading up to the New Year, highways are often gridlocked, and people have to spend two to three times as much time as usual to get back to their hometowns.
Conclusion
Today, many people commonly feel that the Spring Festival atmosphere is no longer as strong, and the excitement for the holiday is not what it used to be. The main reason is that most of these people were born in rural areas, where traditional Spring Festival activities are mostly carried out. As China’s urbanization rate has increased from 20% in the 1980s to 65% today, many children are now born and raised in cities. Additionally, improvements in living standards have also contributed. In the past, people had to wait for the New Year to enjoy special foods and wear new clothes. With the rise of modern entertainment, especially the widespread use of smartphones and the popularity of short videos, many people are now immersed in their phones, which has led to the fading of traditional Spring Festival customs.
Welcome to China, especially Beijing, where you can experience the unique atmosphere of the Chinese New Year and feel its special charm.
Today happens to be Chinese New Year’s Eve, and I’m sending you some Chinese-style blessings: Wishing you wealth and prosperity(恭喜发财), abundance year after year(年年有余), great fortune and good luck(大吉大利), and a Happy Chinese New Year!