The Traditions of Chinese New Year Celebrations Chinese New Year is one of the oldest festivals in China and the most significant holiday of the year. Over the course of thousands of years, various customs and traditions have evolved to celebrate this holiday, many of which are still observed today. According to traditional beliefs, each day of the first week of the lunar New Year corresponds to a specific animal: Day 1 : Rooster Day Day 2 : Dog Day Day 3 : Pig Day Day 4 : Sheep Day Day 5 : Ox Day Day 6 : Horse Day Day 7 : Human Day The Little New Year (Xiaonian), celebrated on the 23rd or 24th day of the 12th lunar month, marks the beginning of the New Year celebrations. It is dedicated to honoring the Kitchen God (Zao Jun). This day is a precursor to the full New Year festivities and includes two main activities: sweeping the year (to clean away bad luck) and honoring the Kitchen God. In addition, there are several culinary traditions, such as eating zao tang (sweet sugar -c...
Explore China Heritage is an independent English-language cultural information platform focused on Chinese history, heritage, and symbolism.