Chinese people have their own traditions for each day of the Lunar New Year. These activities are widely practiced, but there are often some differences between different communities across the country, as well as different Chinese communities outside China, according to the South China Morning Post .
New Year's Eve: Families often gather together for a sumptuous "year-end meal" (also known as a "reunion meal"). This is an activity that emphasizes the bond between family members, especially for families with members working far away.
Chinese people often gather to eat a "reunion meal" on New Year's Eve.
1st: The first day of the lunar new year is the day to visit and wish happy new year to family members, starting with the older members.
Many people also visit temples and shrines, hoping to be among the first to pay their respects to important gods and saints.
According to Chinese tradition, sweeping the house is taboo on this day because you might “sweep away” good luck. Chinese people also have a tradition of wearing new clothes on the first day of the new year, symbolizing a new beginning.
2nd day: To welcome the new year, many people organize a "New Year's Eve meal". Families and business people gather together to pray for prosperity in the new year.
3rd: Chinese folklore holds that gathering to eat and drink on the 3rd day of the lunar month is likely to cause trouble. Therefore, superstitious people choose to stay home all day to avoid the risk of such trouble. For others, this is a good day to relax after many days of partying.
4th: This is the day to welcome the Kitchen God and is considered an auspicious day, in contrast to the 3rd. According to tradition, people at home burn incense and set up a large offering tray to welcome the gods and pray for a lucky year.
5th: It is believed that the fifth day of the lunar new year marks the birthday of the God of Wealth. Shops and businesses reopen on this day and it is considered safe to clean your house without any bad omens affecting you.
People burn incense to worship the God of Wealth in Wuhan, China, on the 5th day of the Lunar New Year.
6th: This is the day to get rid of everything that symbolizes poverty. People often clean up trash around the house to attract wealth and good luck in the Lunar New Year.
7th: This day marks the birth of mankind in general, called "ren nhat" in Chinese. According to Chinese mythology, the 7th is the day humans appeared and marks the day when everyone together turns one year older.
8th: The eighth day of the Lunar New Year marks the birth of rice, the staple food of the Chinese people. This day is often used to pray for a good harvest and emphasize the importance of agriculture.
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9th: This is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven according to Chinese mythology. Many people flock to temples to pray to the Jade Emperor for health and prosperity.
January 10th and 11th: January 10th to 12th do not have as much significance as other days. This is considered a time for people to socialize more, gather happily with family and friends.
Day 13: Vegetarian dishes such as rice and green vegetables are popular on January 13. This is a way to purify the body after many days of eating and consuming a lot of energy before.
Day 14: To prepare for the Lantern Festival the following day, families often make lanterns and floating rice balls (called "tangyuan" in Chinese), symbolizing family unity.
Day 15 (full moon of the first lunar month) : The end of the "spring festival" is the Lantern Festival, often associated with the activity of lighting lanterns. Families gather to enjoy banh troi nuoc, round balls of rice flour resembling the moon, on the first full moon day of the lunar year.
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