Spring festival is the most popular festival in the Chinese culture. It is a time when family members come together to celebrate. In other countries, spring festival is known as New Year. The difference is the time the festivals are celebrated. In the Chinese community, the spring festival is falls on the first day of the first lunar month, ranging from ending of January to mid February. For other countries, the New Year always falls on January first. In my China flight, I participated in the celebration of the Chinese New year. Try Air china, and the get best deal I received on my trip to China.

Chinese New Year, originated during the Shang dynasty in sixteen hundred. In the beginning, people started by making sacrifices to both the gods and the ancestors. Many practices were carried out during the festival. Some are still practiced while others have been abandoned.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, family members usually make laba porridge, which is made out of glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job’s tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god, although some families make food for themselves and their family members. The twenty-third day is known as preliminary Eve. The day after the eve is referred to as seeing the New Year.

During the period of the spring festival is when transportation system is the busiest in China, This is because people travel from all parts of China and the world to visit their family members. Shopping centers are also busy with people buying materials needed for the celebration of the festival. Cooking materials range from chicken, flour, duck, fish, meat, to cooking oil and fruits. Decorations as well as new clothes and shoes are purchased as a gift for children and family members. The practice of sharing gift during holiday season in the Chinese culture is similar to Christmas period in other countries.

Prior to New Year day, people clean out their homes, clothes and household utensils in preparation for the upcoming year. This behavior is a way of starting the New Year clean. Door panels usually have spring festival couplets posted on them, highlighting the Chinese characters. Pictures of Chinese gods are also posted to defer evil spirit.

Spring festival is a time for happiness in the Chinese community. Family members make it important to have family dinner together. The meal is usually richer than any other day. Delicacies such as chicken, fish and bean curd are always included. By custom, each member of the family is supposed to stay awake to see the New Year.

On the day of spring festival, people get dressed and extend greetings to their family and loved ones. Dumpling is a popular meal for breakfast in the north. In Chinese, it means farewell to old year and welcome to the New Year. The dumpling is shaped in the form of gold ingot from ancient China. People eat the dumpling and wish for money.

The Chinese spring festival is an amazing celebration to attend. For those of you who have not been to china, plan your trip by booking one of the China Flights available, and join the Chinese people in celebrating their most important festival.