Chinese New Year

 Chinese New year also known as the spring festival in modern China, and one of the Lunar New Years in Asia, is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calender. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first day of the New Year falls on the new moon between the 21st of January and 20th of February. This year the first day of the Lunar New Year was on Friday, 16 February, initiating the year of the dog.

 The New Year festival is centuries old and associated with several myths and customs. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honour deities as well as ancestors. Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Lunar New Year vary widely. Often, the evening preceding Lunar New Year's Day is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of good fortune, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.

During Chinese New Year, kids and teenagers receives red paper envelopes called angpau from adults when visiting. Angpau is a monetary gift which is given to the kids or teenagers and only married couples are allowed to give. There will be money stuffed inside the angpau money when is given. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. The act of requesting red packets is normally called tao hongbao.

During Chinese New Year, mandarin oranges, tangerine, satsumas are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. During the two-week celebration, they are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates.