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{{Infobox Holiday |
|holiday_name=Chinese New Year
|image=New Year Scene.jpg
|caption=Chinese New Year's Eve in [[Meizhou]], [[China]]
|nickname=Lunar New Year, Spring Festival
|observedby= Mainly [[East Asian]] civilizations.
|date2006=[[January 29]]
|date2007=[[February 18]]
|date2008=[[February 7]]
|date2009=[[January 26]]
|date2010=[[February 14]]
|date2011=[[February 3]]
|date2012=[[January 23]]
|date2013=[[February 10]]
|date2014=[[January 31]]
|date2015=[[February 19]]
|date2016=[[February 8]]
|date2017=[[January 28]]
|date2018=[[February 16]]
|date2019=[[February 5]]
|date2020=[[January 25]]
|type=Asian festival
|longtype=[[China|Chinese]], [[Culture of China|cultural]], [[Buddhist]]
|significance=The first day of the [[Chinese calendar]] (lunar calendar)
|relatedto=[[Lantern Festival]], which concludes the celebration of the New Year
}}
{{Contains Chinese text}}
'''Chinese New Year''' ({{zh-stp|s=春节|t=春節|p=Chūnjié}}), or '''Spring Festival''' or the '''Lunar New Year''' ({{zh-stp|s=农历新年|t=農曆新年|p=Nónglì xīnnián}}), is the most important of the [[traditional Chinese holidays]]. It is an important holiday in [[East Asia]]. The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month ({{zh-cp|c=正月|p=zhēng yuè}}) in the ''[[Chinese calendar]]'' and ends on the 15th; this day is called the [[Lantern festival]] ({{zh-stp|s=[[wikt:元宵|元宵]]节|t=[[wikt:元宵|元宵]]節|p=yuánxiāojié}}).

Chinese New Year's Eve is known as ''Chúxì'' (除夕). ''Chu'' literally means "change" and ''xi'' means "Eve".

Celebrated in areas with large populations of [[List of ethnic groups in China|ethnic Chinese]], Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its neighbours. These include [[Koreans]], [[Mongolians]], [[Nepal]]ese, [[Bhutan]]ese, [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], and formerly the [[Japanese people|Japanese]] before 1873.

In countries such as [[Singapore]], [[Malaysia]], the [[Philippines]], [[Thailand]], and other countries with significant Chinese populations, the Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by [[overseas Chinese]], but it is not part of the traditional cultures of these countries.  In Thailand, for example, the true New Year celebration of the ethnic Thais is [[Songkran]], which is totally different and is celebrated in April.     

The period around Chinese New Year is also the time of [[Chunyun|the largest human migration]], when migrant workers in China, as well as [[overseas Chinese]] around the world travel home to have [[reunion dinner]]s with their families on Chinese New Year's eve. More interurban trips are taken in mainland China in this 40-day period than the total population of [[China]].

==New Year dates== 
{{main|Chinese Astrology}}

{|class="wikitable" align="right"
|- bgcolor="#EFEFEF" 
! Animal !! Branch !! colspan=2 | Dates 
|- 
|鼠 [[Rat (zodiac)|Rat]]|| 子 Zi || [[February 19]] [[1996]] || [[February 7]] [[2008]] 
|- 
|牛 [[Ox (zodiac)|Ox]]|| 丑 Chou || [[February 7]] [[1997]] || [[January 26]] [[2009]] 
|- 
|虎 [[Tiger (zodiac)|Tiger]]|| 寅 Yin || [[January 28]] [[1998]] || [[February 14]] [[2010]] 
|- 
|兔 [[Rabbit (zodiac)|Rabbit]]|| 卯 Mao || [[February 16]] [[1999]] || [[February 3]] [[2011]] 
|- 
|龍 [[Dragon (zodiac)|Dragon]]|| 辰 Chen || [[February 5]] [[2000]] || [[January 23]] [[2012]] 
|- 
|蛇 [[Snake (zodiac)|Snake]]|| 巳 Si || [[January 24]] [[2001]] || [[February 10]] [[2013]] 
|- 
|馬 [[Horse (zodiac)|Horse]]|| 午 Wu || [[February 12]] [[2002]] || [[January 31]] [[2014]] 
|- 
|羊 [[Sheep (zodiac)|Sheep]]|| 未 Wei || [[February 1]] [[2003]] || [[February 19]] [[2015]] 
|- 
|猴 [[Monkey (zodiac)|Monkey]]|| 申 Shen || [[January 22]] [[2004]] || [[February 8]] [[2016]] 
|- 
|雞 [[Rooster (zodiac)|Rooster]] || 酉 You || [[February 9]] [[2005]] || [[January 28]] [[2017]] 
|- 
|狗 [[Dog (zodiac)|Dog]]|| 戌 Xu || [[January 29]] [[2006]] || [[February 16]] [[2018]] 
|- 
|豬 [[Pig (zodiac)|Pig]]|| 亥 Hai || [[February 18]] [[2007]] || [[February 5]] [[2019]] 
|}
[[Image:chinatown_london.jpg|thumb|Chinese New Year decoration in [[London]]'s [[Chinatown]]]]

The [[lunisolar calendar|lunisolar]] [[Chinese calendar]] determines Chinese New Year dates.  The calendar is also used in countries that have adopted or have been influenced by [[Han Chinese|Han]] culture, notably the Koreans, the Japanese, the Tibetans, the Thai and the Vietnamese (and, historically, the [[Bulgars]]).  

Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the new year containing a new moon (some sources include New Year's Eve) and ends on the [[Lantern Festival]] fourteen days later. This occurs around the time of the full moon as each [[lunation]] is about 29.53 days in duration. In the [[Gregorian calendar]], the Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, on a date between January 21 and February 20. This means that the holiday usually falls on the second (very rarely third) new moon after the [[solstice|winter solstice]]. In traditional Chinese Culture, [[lichun]] is a solar term marking the start of spring, which usually falls on either February 4 or 5.

The dates for the Spring Festival from 1996 to 2019 (in the Gregorian calendar) are listed below, along with the year's presiding animal [[zodiac]] and its [[earthly branch]]. The names of the earthly branches have no English counterparts and are ''not'' the Chinese translations of the animals.  Alongside the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac there is a 10-year cycle of [[heavenly stem]]s. Each of the ten heavenly stems is associated with one of the five elements of [[Chinese astrology]], namely: [[Wood (classical element)|Wood]], [[Fire (classical element)|Fire]], [[Earth (classical element)|Earth]], [[Metal (classical element)|Metal]], and [[Water (classical element)|Water]]. The elements are rotated every two years while a [[yin and yang]] association alternates every year. The elements are thus distinguished: Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, etc. These produce a combined cycle that repeats every 60 years.  For example, the year of the Yang Fire Rat occurred in 1936 and in 1996, 60 years apart.

Many confuse their Chinese birth-year with their Gregorian birth-year. As the Chinese New Year starts in late January to mid February, the Chinese year dates from [[1 January]] until that day in the new Gregorian year remain unchanged from the previous Gregorian year. For example, the 1989 year of the snake began on [[6 February]] [[1989]]. The year 1990 is considered by some people to be the year of the horse. However, the 1989 year of the snake officially ended on [[26 January]] [[1990]]. This means that anyone born from [[January 1]] to [[25 January]] [[1990]] was actually born in the year of the snake rather than the year of the horse. 

Many online Chinese Sign calculators do not account for the non-alignment of the two calendars, incorrectly using Gregorian-calendar years rather than official Chinese New Year dates.

==History==
It is unclear when the beginning of the year was celebrated before the [[Qin Dynasty]]. Traditionally, the year was said to have begun with month 1 during the [[Xia Dynasty]], month 12 during the [[Shang Dynasty]], and month 11 during the [[Zhou Dynasty]]. However, records show that the Zhou Dynasty began its year with month 1. [[intercalation|Intercalary]] months, used to keep the lunar calendar synchronized with the sun, were added after month 12 during both the Shang Dynasty (according to surviving [[oracle bone]]s) and the Zhou Dynasty (according to [[Sima Qian]]). The first [[Emperor of China]] [[Qin Shi Huang]] changed the beginning of the year to month 10 in [[221 BC]], also changing the location of the intercalary month to after month 9. Whether the New Year was ''celebrated'' at the beginning of month 10, of month 1, or both is unknown. In 104 BC, [[Emperor Wu of Han|Emperor Wu]] of the [[Han Dynasty]] established month 1 as the beginning of the year, where it remains.

==Mythology==
[[Image:Chinese New Year's poetry.jpg|thumb|Hand-painted Chinese New Year's [[poetry]] pasted on the sides of doors leading to people's homes, [[Lijiang City|Lijiang]], [[Yunnan]], [[China]].]]
According to legend, in [[ancient China]], the [[Nian|Nián]] (年) was a man-eating beast from the mountains (in other versions from under the sea), which came out every 12 months somewhere close to winter to prey on humans. The people later believed that the ''Nian'' was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, [[fireworks]] and the liberal use of the color red. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations. ''Guò nián'' ({{zh-st|s=过年|t=過年}}), which means ''to celebrate the new year'', literally means ''the passover of the Nian''.

==Public holiday==
Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in a number of countries and territories where a sizeable Chinese population resides. Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. Also like many other countries in the world, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day when the New Year falls on a weekend.
[[Image:Fireworks.jpg|thumb|Chinese New Year [[fireworks]] in [[Victoria Harbour]], [[Hong Kong]]]]

===[[China]]===
* The first seven days.

===[[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]]===
* The first 3 days. If one of the first 3 days is on '''Sunday''', Chinese New Year's Eve will be listed into public holiday. For example, the first day of year 2007 (18 February) is on Sunday, Chinese New Year's Eve (17 February) is listed into public holiday.

===[[Malaysia]] and [[Singapore]]===
* The first two days

===[[Taiwan]]===
* The first five days.

===[[Brunei]] and [[Indonesia]]===
* The first day
===[[South Korea]]===
* The first day and the previous and following days (3 days altogether) are public holidays to commemorate [[Seollal]].

===[[Vietnam]]===
* New Year's eve and the first three days. The [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] celebrate [[Tết]], on the same day as the [[Chinese calendar]]. However, because of the [[Time Zones|time difference]] between [[Hanoi]] and [[Beijing]] (China), Tết may differ from the Chinese calendar by a day every 22nd or 23rd year.

===Other countries===
===Japan===
* The [[Japan]]ese now celebrate their New Year ([[Japanese New Year|shōgatsu]]) on [[1 January]], with the first three days being holidays.

===Other official acknowledgements===
A few countries around the world regularly issue [[postage stamp]]s and numismatic coins to commemorate Chinese New Year. Although Chinese New Year is not institutionalized as public holiday, these countries recognize the significant number of their citizens who are of [[Han Chinese|Chinese origin]]. The countries and territories that do so include [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Christmas Island]], [[El Salvador]], [[France]], [[New Zealand]], the [[United States]], and the Philippines.

==Festivities==

The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as "new-year visits" ({{zh-cp|c=拜年|p=bàinián}}).  New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year.  The color red is liberally used in all decorations. [[Red packet]]s are given to juniors and children by the married and elders. See ''Symbology'' below for more explanation.

===Days before the new year===
On the days before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning, known as 'spring cleaning'. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away.  Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and [[couplet]]s.

===Reunion dinner===
A [[reunion dinner]] is held on [[New Year's Eve]] where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration. The venue will usually be in the home or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year's Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes [[chicken]] and [[fish]]. Fish (魚, yú) is included, but not eaten up completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase "may there be surpluses every year" ({{zh-tsp|t=年年有餘|s=年年有余|p=nián nián yǒu yú}}) sounds the same as "may there be fish every year."

[[Buddha's delight]] ({{zh-tsp|t=羅漢齋|s=罗汉斋|p=luóhàn zhāi}}), an elaborate [[vegetarian dish]] traditionally comprising 18 ingredients, is sometimes served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like [[moss]], pronounced "[[Fat choy (vegetable)|fat choy]]" in Cantonese, is also featured in Buddha's delight and other dishes, since its name sounds similar to "prosperity.". [[Hakka]]s usually serve ''kiu nyuk'' (扣肉) and ''[[yong tau foo|ngiong tiu fu]]''. 

Most Northerners serve [[Jiaozi|dumplings]] as the main dish in this festive season and many Chinese around the world do the same. It is believed that dumplings ({{zh-tp|t=餃子|p=jiǎozi}}) resemble ancient Chinese gold [[ingot]]s ({{zh-tp|t=金元寶|p=jīn yuán bǎo}}). [[Mandarin orange]]s are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year — '''jin ju''' (金橘子) or '''kam''' (柑) in Cantonese.

[[Red packet]]s for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner.  These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability.

===First day of the new year===
The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially [[Buddhist]]s, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure [[longevity]] for them.  Some consider lighting fires to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time where families will pay a visit to their oldest and most senior member of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

Some families may invite a [[Lion dance]] troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.

===Second day of the new year===
[[Image:Incence at grave.JPG|thumb|Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual.]]
The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.

===Third and fourth days of the new year===
The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives due to the following schools of thought. People may subscribe to one or both thoughts.

1) It is known as "chì kǒu" (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.

2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead. Some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all.

===Fifth day of the new year===
In northern China, people eat [[Jiaozi|Jiǎo zi]] ({{zh-stp|s=饺子|t=餃子}}) (dumplings) on the morning of ''Po Wu''. This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.

===Seventh day of the new year===
The seventh day, traditionally known as ''renri'' 人日, the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older. 

It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, [[yusheng]], is eaten. This is a custom primarily among the [[overseas Chinese]] in [[Southeast Asia]], such as [[Malaysia]] and [[Singapore]]. People get together to toss the colorful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity. 

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.
[[image:ChinNewYr-dragon1.jpg|thumb|Chinese New Year's celebrations, on the eighth day, in the [[Vancouver]] suburb of [[Richmond, British Columbia]], [[Canada]].]]

===Ninth day of the new year===
The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the [[Jade Emperor]] of Heaven (天公) in the [[Taoist]] Pantheon. 

This day is especially important to [[Hoklo people|Hokkiens]]. Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, the Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago.
Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.

===Fifteenth day of the new year===
The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as '''Yuánxiāo jié''' (元宵节), otherwise known as [[Chap Goh Mei]] in [[Fujian]] dialect. ''[[Tangyuan]]'' ({{zh-stp|s=汤圆|t=湯圓|p=tāngyuán}}), a sweet [[glutinous rice]] ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day.  Candles are light outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home.  This day is celebrated as the [[Lantern Festival]], and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns to celebrate the festivities.

This day is often used as the end of the Chinese New Years festivities.

==New Year practices==
===Red packets=== 
Traditionally, [[Red envelope]]s or red packets ([[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]]: '''''lai shi''''' or '''''lai see''''') (利是, 利市 or 利事); ([[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin]]: 'hóng bāo' (紅包); [[Hokkien (dialect)|Hokkien]]: 'ang pow' ([[Pe̍h-ōe-jī|POJ]]: âng-pau); [[Hakka]]: 'fung bao'; are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian, which was evolved from 压祟钱, literally, ''the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit '') during this period.

The red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of [[even number]]s, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金 : Bai Jin). Since the number 4 is [[Numbers in Chinese culture|considered bad luck]], because the word for four is a homophone for [[death]], money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky, and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes. Sometimes chocolate coins are found in the red packets. 

Note: in this situation, odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last.  Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. Having said that, it is also rather common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note — e.g. ten or fifty dollar bills are being used frequently.

The act of requesting for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 討紅包, 要利是. (Cantonese):逗利是. A married person could not turn down such request as it means that this person would be "out of luck" in the new year (無利是)

===New Year markets===
[[Image:Chinese New Year market.jpg|thumb|Shoppers at a New Year market in [[Chinatown, Singapore|Chinatown]], [[Singapore]]]]
Markets are set up near the New Year especially for vendors to sell New Year-related products. These usually open-air markets feature floral products, toys, clothing, for shoppers to buy gifts for new year visitations as well as decor for their homes. The practice of shopping for the perfect [[ume|plum tree]] is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a [[Christmas tree]].

===Fireworks===
Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that were burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. In modern times, this method has eventually evolved into the use of [[firecrackers]] during the festive season. Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowders in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for its deafening explosions that it is thought to scare away evil spirits. See also [[Chinese_New_Year#Myths|''Myths'']] above. The lighting of firecrackers also signifies a joyous occasion and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations.<ref>[http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_749_2005-01-11.html Firecrackers Singapore]</ref>

====Firecracker ban====
The use of firecrackers, although a traditional part of celebration, has over the years witnessed many unfortunate outcomes. There have been  reported incidents every year of users of fireworks being blinded, losing body parts, or suffering other grievous injuries, especially during festive seasons. Hence, governments and authorities eventually enacted laws completely banning the use of firecrackers privately, primarily because of safety issues.

=====Hong Kong=====
[[Fireworks]] are banned in Hong Kong for security reasons—some speculate a connection between firework use and the leftist riots in the '60s. The government, however, does put on a fireworks display in [[Victoria Harbour]] on the second day of the Chinese New Year. Similar displays are also held in many other cities in and outside China.

=====Singapore=====
In [[Singapore]], a partial ban on firecrackers was imposed in March 1970 after a fire killed six people and injured 68.<ref>[http://www.book-soul.com/h.html#1970 Book soul 1970]</ref> This was extended to a total ban in August 1972, after an explosion that killed two people<ref>[http://www.chingay.org.sg/2006/aboutchingay/index.asp Chingay Past]</ref> and an attack on two police officers attempting to stop a group from letting off firecrackers in February 1972.<ref>{{cite book | author=Akbur M., Peer | title=Policing Singapore in the 19th and 20th centuries | publisher=[[Singapore Police Force]]|year=2002|id=ISBN 981-04-7024-X|pages=100}}</ref> However, in 2003, the [[Government of Singapore|government]] allowed firecrackers to be set off during the festive season.  At the Chinese New Year light-up in [[Chinatown, Singapore|Chinatown]], at the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers are set off under controlled conditions by the [[Singapore Tourism Board]]. Other occasions where firecrackers are allowed to be set off are determined by the [[Singapore Tourism Board|tourism board]] or other government organizations. However, they are not allowed to be commercially sold.

=====Malaysia=====
[[Malaysia]] banned firecrackers for the same reason. However, many Malaysians managed to smuggle them from [[Thailand]] to meet their private needs.

=====United States=====
For 2007, [[New York City]] lifted its decade-old ban on firecrackers, allowing a display of 300,000 firecrackers to be set off in [[Chinatown, Manhattan|Chinatown]]'s [[Chatham Square]].
<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/02172007/entertainment/can_you_pig_it__entertainment_ava_chin.htm     &nbsp; Can you pig it? New York goes hog-wild for Chinese New Year]</ref>

===Clothing===
Clothing mainly featuring the color red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting anew in the new year.

===Shou Sui===
守岁(守歲)（''Shou Sui'') occurs when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who ''Shou Sui'' will increase the longevity of the parents.

一夜连双岁，五更分二年 means that the night of New Year's eve (which is also the morning of the first day of the New Year) is a night that links two years. 五更 (''Wu Geng'' — the double hour from 0300 to 0500) is the time that separates the two years.

===Symbology===
During these 15 days of the Chinese New Year one will see superstitious or traditional cultural beliefs with meanings which can be puzzling in the eyes of those who do not celebrate this occasion. There is a customary reason that explains why everything, not just limited to decorations, are centered on the color red. At times, gold is the accompanying color for reasons that are already obvious. One best and common example is the red diamond-shaped posters with the [[Glyph|character]] 福 (pinyin: fú), or "auspiciousness" which are displayed around the house and on doors. This sign is usually seen hanging upside down, since the Chinese word 倒 (pinyin: dǎo), or "upside down", sounds similar as 到 (pinyin: dào), or "arrive". Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity.

====Decoratives====
The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets. 

:{| class="wikitable"
!Floral Decor ||Meaning
|-
|[[Plum blossom]] || symbolizes luck
|-
|[[Kumquat]] || symbolizes prosperity
|-
|[[Narcissus_(flower)|Narcissus]] || symbolizes prosperity 
|-
|[[Chrysanthemum]] || symbolizes longevity
|-
|[[Bamboo]] || A plant used for any time of year
|-
|[[Sunflower]] || means to have a good year
|}

====Icons and Ornamentals ====
{{stub-sect}}
:{| class="wikitable"
! Icons || Meaning || Illustration 1 || Illustration 2
|-
|'''Fish''' ||  The [[Koi fish]] is usually seen in paintings. Decorated food depicting the fish can also be found. It symbolises ''surplus'' or ''having additional savings'' so as to have more than enough to live throughout the remaining year. It coheres with the Chinese idiom (Pinyin: niánnián yŏuyú) || [[Image:koiDecor.jpg|150px]] ||
|-
|'''''Yuanbao'' [[ingot]]s''' || The gold ''yuanbao'' (金元宝; jīn yuánbǎo) symbolizes money and/or wealth. ''Yuanbao'' shaped ingots were the standard medium of exchange in ancient China. || [[Image:YuanBao.jpg|150px]] || [[Image:Mandarins.jpg|150px|The Mandarin Oranges tree]]
|-
| '''[[Lantern]]s''' || These lanterns differ from those of [[Mid Autumn Festival]] in general. They will be red in color and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns.  Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colorful, and in many different sizes and shapes.  
| [[Image:Red lanterns.JPG|150px]] ||
|-
| '''Posters''' || These posters are not advertisement posters. These posters generally intend to convey the New Year's greetings. Some are illustrated showing a boy and a girl dressed in a traditional Chinese costume with their hands held together meaning to show "Gong Xi! Gong Xi!". Others can be calligraphy posters in pairs where [[Chinese idiom]]s will be written usually related to the festive season. || [[Image:Decoration2.jpg|150px]] ||
|-
| '''[[Lion dance]]''' || While a popular invites for an opening of a business in [[Hong Kong]], the Lion dance is also a common practice during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the Lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits off the place. || ||
|-
| '''Fortune gods''' || CaiShen, CaiMao, etc. || ||
|}

===Foods===
[[Image:Niangao2.JPG|thumb|[[Niangao]], Chinese New Year lucky cake: [[red bean paste]] between two layers of [[longan]] flavoured [[rice]] paste.]]

Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things. 

* Fish - Is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year.  The pronunciation of fish makes it a homophone for "more than enough", or "extra".
* "Tikoy"(Hokien word) for "Nian gao" 年糕 - Popular in eastern China ([[Jiangsu]], [[Zhejiang]] and [[Shanghai]]) because its pronunciation is a homophone for "a more prosperous year". The "Nian gao" is made of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. Addition of slighly burnt sugar caramel will determine the coloring of the "Nian gao" (usually light brown).
* [[Jiaozi|Dumplings]] (Jiaozi)- Eaten traditionally in northern China because the preparation is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten. 
* Candy
* Kwatji/ sunflower, pumpkin or melon seeds, which, to some, ensures happiness in the new year
* Turnip/[[Taro]] cakes
*Yau gwok (Deep-fried Puffs) - Crescent shaped and fried to a golden color, they are supposed to resemble the Chinese [[tael]] ([[ingot]]).

===Superstitions during the New Year period===
The following is a list of beliefs that vary according to dialect groups / individuals.

====Good Luck====
*Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.
*Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
* Candy is eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
* It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house ''after'' New Year's Day is frowned upon)
* Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
*Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
*The night before the new year, bathe yourself in some kind of leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.

====Bad Luck====
* Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese, or "evil" in Chinese.
*Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word "pants" is a homophone for the word for "bitter" in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive, as the word 'pants' in Cantonese is also a homophone for the word for "wealth".)
* A hair-cut is considered bad luck. The word "hair" is a homophone for the word for "prosperity". Thus "cutting hair" could be perceived as "cutting away your prosperity" in Cantonese.
*Washing of your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although mostly hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)
*Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
*Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.
*Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose".

==New Year parades==

===Origins===
In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing [[California Gold Rush]], over 50,000 people had come to [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] to seek their fortune or just a better way of life. Among those were many Chinese, who had come to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. By the 1860’s, the Chinese were eager to share their culture with those who were unfamiliar with it. They chose to showcase their culture by using a favorite American tradition — the Parade. Nothing like it had ever been done in their native China. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street carrying colorful flags, banners, lanterns, and drums and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

===Today===
Today, Chinese New Year parades are annual traditions across North America in cities with significant Chinese populations. Among the cities with such parades are San Francisco,<ref>[http://www.chineseparade.com/ Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco]</ref> [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]],<ref>[http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/ Golden Dragon Parade in Los Angeles]</ref> [[New York City]], and [[Vancouver, British Columbia]].<ref>[http://www.seechinatown.com/parade/parade.htm Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver]</ref> However, even smaller cities that are historically connected to Chinese immigration, such as [[Butte, Montana]],<ref>[http://www.gadling.com/2007/02/16/a-chinese-new-year-parade-in-butte-montana-sure/ A Chinese New Year Parade in Butte, Montana? Sure.] </ref> have recently hosted parades.

==Greetings==
The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (Jíxiánghùa), or loosely translated as ''auspicious words or phrases''. Some of the most common examples may include: 

===''Happy New Year''===
{{zh-stp|s=新年快乐|t=新年快樂|p=Xīnnián kuàilè}}; Hokkien [[Pe̍h-ōe-jī|POJ]]: {{Unicode|Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k}}; [[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]]: Sun nin fai lok. A more contemporary greeting reflective of western influences, it literally translates from the greeting "Happy new year" more common in the west. But in northern parts of China, traditionally people say {{zh-stp|s=过年好|t=過年好|p=Guo Nian Hao}} instead of {{zh-s|s=新年快乐|t=新年快樂}}, to differentiate it from the international new year. And 過年好 can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese new year.

===''Congratulations and be prosperous''===
[[Image:Kung Hei Fat Choi at Lee Theatre Plaza.jpg|thumb|''Kung Hei Fat Choi'' at Lee Theatre Plaza, [[Hong Kong]]]]{{zh-stp|s=恭喜发财|t=恭喜發財|p=Gōngxǐ fācái}}; [[Hokkien (dialect)|Hokkien]] Keong hee huat chye ([[Pe̍h-ōe-jī|POJ]]: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); [[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]]: Gung hei faat choi; [[Hakka]]: Kung hei fat choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous". Often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with "Happy new year", its usage dates back several centuries. While the first two words of this phrase had a much longer historical significance (legend has it that the congratulatory messages were traded for surviving the ravaging beast of ''[[Nian]]'', although in practical terms it may also involve surviving the harsh winter conditions), the last two words were added later as ideas of [[capitalism]] and [[consumerism]] became more significant in Chinese societies around the world. The saying is now commonly heard in [[English language|English]] speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including  [[overseas Chinese]] communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from [[Greater China]], and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).

===Greetings in other countries===
* Chinese: ''Gong hay fat choy'' (mainly used in Cantonese speaking regions) Xin Nian Kuai Le (Mandarin)
* Korean: ''Saehae bok manhi badŭseyo'' ''새해 복 많이 받으세요''
* Japanese: ''Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu'' ''明けましておめでとうございます''
* Mongolian: ''Sar shiniin mend hurgie'' ''Сар шинийн менд хүргъе''
* Vietnamese: ''Chúc mừng năm mới''
* Philippines: ''Manigong bagong taon''
* Thailand: ''Sawatdee pi maï (wan trut ciin)'' ''สวัสดีปีใหม่(วันตรุษจีน)''

===Other greetings===
Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì píng'ān) immediately, which means everlasting peace year after year. 歲 (Suì, meaning "age") is homophonous with 碎 (meaning "shatter"), in demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (Niánnián yǒuyú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú to also refer to 魚 (meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts.

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of [[yusheng]] particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

Irreverent children may jokingly use the phrase (Traditional Chinese:恭喜發財,紅包拿來, Simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财，红包拿来) (Mandarin PinYin: Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo nálái) ( Cantonese: 恭喜發財,利是逗來 ), roughly translated as "Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope." 

Back in the 1970's, children in Hong Kong used the saying: 恭喜發財,利是逗(到?)來,伍毫嫌少,壹蚊唔愛 (Cantonese), roughly translated as, "Happy New Year, now give me a red envelope, fifty cents is too little, don't want a dollar either."  It basically meant that they disliked small change - coins which were called "hard substance" (Cantonese: 硬嘢).  Instead, they wanted "soft substance" (Cantonese: 軟嘢), which was either a five dollar or a ten dollar bill.

==See also==
{{portalpar|Holidays|Calendar_icon.jpg}} 
* [[Japanese New Year]]
* [[Korean New Year]]
* [[Tết]]

==References==
===Notes=== 
<references/>
===General===
* [http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/china__dim_sum__spring_fes.html Chinese New Year]
* [http://www.chinatownparade.org/ Chinese New Year Parade]

==External links==
{{commonscat|Chinese New Year}}
* [http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html Traditional New Year's food and decoration]
* [http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/15-day_celebration.html 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year]
*[http://www.ssc.uwo.ca/history/nianhua/index.html New Year Pictures]

[[Category:Chinese calendars]]
[[Category:Chinese New Year| ]]
[[Category:Chinese holidays]]
[[Category:January observances]]
[[Category:February observances]]
[[Category:Public holidays in the Republic of China]]
[[Category:Chinese traditional religion]]
[[Category:New Year celebrations]]
[[Category:Winter festivals]]
[[Category:Winter holidays]]
[[Category:Buddhist holidays]]

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