Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. It is a time to celebrate and welcome the arrival of spring. It symbolizes new life and the season for planting crops. It is the oldest festival in China.

New Year celebrations begin with the arrival of the new moon, on the first day of the lunar month in January or February. The celebrations continue until the fifteenth day, when the moon is brightest.

Before New Year, people clean their houses and get rid of old or broken things. They decorate their homes with paper decorations that have words like ‘happiness’ and ‘wealth’ written on them. On New Year’s Eve, families gather and enjoy a special meal, which may include soup, fish, spring rolls, dumplings, and rice cakes. People wear red clothes, which symbolize fire, and set off fireworks. Children receive money gifts in red packets.

During the first week of the New Year, people visit their friends and family. The second week ends with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar month. People decorate their houses with lanterns and walk in the streets carrying them under the light of the full moon.

One of the highlights of Chinese New Year is the dragon dance. The dragons are made of paper, silk, and bamboo. Dragons are seen as friendly creatures that symbolize long life and wisdom.