Celebrations and traditions during Chinese New Year

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, begins on the first day of the lunar calendar and is the most important holiday in China. Before the holiday, many Chinese people prepare for the New Year by cleaning their houses, getting their hair cut, setting off fireworks, making red lanterns, and cooking a family dinner. For those who live far away from their hometown, this holiday is the perfect opportunity to return home to reunite with their loved ones to spend quality time together. 

For this blog, we contacted teachers to ask them to share a fun fact about how they celebrate the Spring Festival with their family and friends. So, let’s see what they say.  

Flora – Dinner with the family   

Chinese New Year’s Eve means a feast in a fancy restaurant with my immediate and extended family. Restaurants are usually very busy on this day, so it is important to make a reservation for your table in advance to avoid disappointment. The day before the Chinese New Year is called the ‘small Chinese New Year’, which we don’t take very seriously — we prepare some food for the new year, such as 八宝饭 (Bābǎofàn), 蛋饺 (Dànjiǎo), 春卷 (Chūnjuǎn), 年糕 (Niángāo) and 汤圆 (Tāngyuán). As usual, the food is the best part of this day!  

Travis – Lighting Firecrackers   

In my childhood, the most exciting thing was setting off fireworks. I used to live in an apartment with a warehouse downstairs, so back then, I was really into throwing firecrackers onto the basement roof. Well, there was one time when the lit firecracker hit the frame of the window and bounced back to me. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt me, but the moment has remained imprinted in my memory ever since. 

Vicky – Celebrating Abroad   

In 2020 I celebrated Chinese New Year at EF in Malta with teachers, students, and friends. It was amazing and one of my most memorable Chinese New Year’s. Making red lanterns and pasting the 福 (Fú) character to symbolize good luck was the best part. On New Year’s Eve, we decorated the whole school lounge and pasted 福 Fú upside down, right behind the front desk to mark our wish for fortune and happiness for the year ahead. Everything was all set, and we waited for the New Year. Teachers and friends prepared games, including throwing a ball and drawing pictures on the board. We also enjoyed eating dumplings and spring rolls. People just loved it!    

Winnie – New Year’s Greetings  

Every year during the Chinese New Year holiday, my husband and I will take our son to pay New Year’s greetings to our elders by visiting their homes to wish them good health for the year ahead. The elders prepare 红包 (hóngbāo) and candies for the children in advance. The ‘红包 (hóngbāo) is a red envelope that contains money – we normally say phrases like 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) which means Happy New Year or 身体健康 (Shēntǐ jiànkāng) to wish people good health. Giving 红包 (hóngbāo) represents the gift of good fortune and the avoidance of bad spirits. The elders hope the children will grow up safely and healthily in the New Year. This is the happiest moment for children, as they can buy whatever they like with the money in red envelopes! 

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