Even though the Spring Festival officially falls on Jan. 29 this year, the Chinese people have already entered the festive "Guonian" period, which translates to "crossing the year."
This special time is filled with a rich array of traditions and celebrations that mark the end of the old year and the joyful arrival of the new one.
In December 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Spring Festival, the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This means the Year of the Snake marks the first "heritage edition" of the Chinese New Year.
How do the Chinese celebrate their most important festival, now recognized as a cultural heritage of humanity?
Here's a guide to the traditions and festivities.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL CELEBRATIONS OF SPRING FESTIVAL?
WHAT ARE TYPICAL CELEBRATIONS OF SPRING FESTIVAL?
According to UNESCO, "In China, the Spring Festival marks the beginning of the new year. It falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar."
While the new year technically begins at midnight, the real celebrations start a week earlier with the Little New Year.
The festivities stretch all the way to the Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The festive atmosphere begins even earlier.
The Laba Festival, celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth month in the Chinese calendar, is often seen as the precursor to the Spring Festival.
A popular rhyme in northern China says, "Kids, kids, don't be greedy. After the Laba Festival, it's New Year already!" On Laba, families enjoy porridge made from various grains and beans, which symbolizes harvest and prosperity. They celebrate the abundance of the past year and wish for a bountiful year ahead.
The rhyme also outlines the preparations that begin with the Little New Year, including house cleaning, buying new clothes, and preparing delicious food. Families decorate their homes with red couplets, window paper cuts and New Year posters.
Little New Year, observed on the 23rd and 24th days of the twelfth month in northern and southern China, respectively, is also known as the Kitchen God Festival. It is a time to honor the Kitchen God, the deity believed to protect the household.
Families clean their homes to sweep away bad luck and prepare for a fresh start. After a week of bustling preparations, New Year's Eve arrives, a day filled with the longing for family reunions.
The centerpiece of the Spring Festival is the New Year's Eve reunion dinner. No matter how far apart, families make an effort to gather and share this special meal. A popular song captures this sentiment perfectly: "Whether you have money or not, always return home to celebrate the New Year with your family."
As midnight strikes, the old year is symbolically cast away with the sound of firecrackers. The line, "Amid the boom of firecrackers, a year has come to an end," from the Song Dynasty poet Wang Anshi, remains familiar to all Chinese people.
Today, firecrackers continue to mark the end of the old year and serve as a tradition that dates back to scaring away the mythical beast Nian. Another custom is staying up late, or even all night, on New Year's Eve. Families gather to welcome the New Year, creating a cherished moment of unity and celebration.
The celebrations continue into New Year's Day, which marks the beginning of a new wave of festivities. From this point, the focus shifts from family gatherings to exchanges of greetings and rituals with relatives, neighbors and friends. A common tradition is giving red envelopes filled with cash, typically from older generations to younger ones, as a symbol of good fortune.
From the first to the tenth day of the New Year, relatives visit one another, and public events like temple fairs, Shehuo (folk performances), and lantern shows bring communities together.
People extend New Year greetings to loved ones and enjoy the vibrant celebrations until the Lantern Festival, the first full-moon day of the year. This marks the end of the New Year celebrations and the conclusion of the festive period.
WHAT VALUES DOES SPRING FESTIVAL CONVEY?
WHAT VALUES DOES SPRING FESTIVAL CONVEY?
The Spring Festival is not only the highlight of China's cultural calendar but also embodies continuity and transformation. Families gather to honor their traditions, and the past and present intertwine through rituals, storytelling and communal gatherings. Far beyond a celebration, the Spring Festival promotes values deeply embedded in Chinese culture.
It fosters social cohesion by uniting people around shared traditions and celebrations, strengthening community bonds. On a broader scale, the festival serves as a reminder of Chinese cultural identity, connecting people across generations and reinforcing a sense of pride in their heritage.
It emphasizes family values, encouraging people to reunite with loved ones and honor ancestors through rituals. The goal is to seek protection from misfortune and wish for prosperity, stability, and a bright future.
These values, along with the traditions passed down both informally within families and formally through education, shape the national character of the Chinese people. The values celebrated during the Spring Festival also align with China's commitment to multilateralism and global cooperation. "The festival is celebrated with diverse customs, including the preparation of traditional dishes, the hanging of red lanterns, and vibrant performances featuring lion and dragon dances.
These practices, deeply rooted in history, reflect the values of harmony, prosperity and renewal -- values that resonate across cultures," said Ljiljana Stevic, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his video message for the upcoming Year of the Snake that the snake symbolizes wisdom, resilience, and renewal.
"In the strained times, let us be guided by these qualities and renew our commitment to peace, equality, and justice." Guterres also expressed gratitude to China and the Chinese people for their support to the United Nations. "I thank China and the Chinese people for your steadfast support of the United Nations, multilateralism and global cooperation. Let us embrace new beginnings with hope and determination to create a better future for all."
