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Chinese Festivals

China()

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Spring Festival Lantern Festival ( Longtaitou Festival () Shanghsi Festival () Tomb-sweeping Festival ( Dragon Boat Festival Qi Xi Festival Spirit Festival () Mid-autumn Festival Double Ninth Festival Water Lantern Festival () Winter Solstice Festival () Laba / Conjee Festival ()

Chinese Festivals

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Spring Festival ChnJi

Longest and Most important Festival

Chinese New Year

1stday of 1stLunar Month (; ZhngYu)

ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day

(Chunyun Period): Travel Season The largest human migration

Chinese travel home to have reunion dinners with

their families on Chinese New Year's Eve

migrant workers in China

Overseas Chinese

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Story: Spring Festival

Story: A demon called Nian () .

Nian would come on the first day of New Year

to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers,

especially children.

People Noticed: Nian was scared by a Child wearing Red

Around New Year, people would hang red lanterns and red

spring scrolls on windows and doors

They also used firecrackers to frighten away Nian

Red Lanterns and Firecrackers

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Customs: Spring Festival Spring Cleaning: starts on 28th day of month 12

cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year

and makes their homes ready for good luck

Homes are decorated with paper cutouts of Chineseauspicious phrases and couplets

couplets contains hopes for prosperity

Zao Jun(): The Kitchen God

paper effigy or a plaque of Zao Jun and his wife kept above thefireplace in the kitchen in many households

His wife writes down everything that is said in the household over the

year for her husband's report to Jade Emperor

Before new year he is send to Jade emperor by burning his effigy

The lips of Zao Jun are often smeared with honey to sweeten his

words, or to keep his lips stuck together

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Festivities: Spring Festival Chinese New Year's Eve: Ch X()

Annual Reunion Dinner

nin nin yuy () : "may there be surplusesevery year"

Fish (, y):intentionally not finished, and the remaining fish is stored overnight

nin nin yuy () : "may there be fishevery year."

New Year Cake (, Nian gao)prepared from glutinous rice

nin go() [lit. year high]: a more prosperous year

nin go() : year cake

Guangdong sweet nian gao

Red Packets distributed during dinner to immediate family members

Often contain money in certain numbers that reflects luck

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Lantern Festival

(Yun xioji

Fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese Calendar

(Yun month): first month in the Chinese Calendar

(xio): means night in ancient times

Tradition: At the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon

hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out

for people to appreciate

Celebrations Lantern Displays & Parades

Eat Yuanxiao () , a glutinous rice ball

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