Happy Spring Festival

The history of Chinese Spring Festival can be traced back to the activities of offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors at the end of the year in the Yin and Shang dynasties (wax sacrifice). Legend has it that the custom of Spring Festival dates back to the time of Yao and Shun. The ancient word 'year' is not a concept of time, but refers to the growth cycle of crops. In the Xia Dynasty, it was called "Sui", in the Shang Dynasty, it was called "Si", and in the Zhou Dynasty, it was determined to be "Nian", representing the "beginning" and "high yield" of agricultural civilization.

Regarding the origin of the Spring Festival, there is also a famous legend of the Nian beast. Legend has it that in ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian" that would climb ashore on New Year's Eve and devour livestock, causing harm to human life. People have discovered that 'Nian' is afraid of red, firelight, and explosions, so every New Year's Eve, every household sticks red couplets, sets off firecrackers, and waits for the New Year. These customs are still preserved today.

The celebration activities for the Spring Festival are rich and colorful, including offering sacrifices to the stove, sweeping away dust, pasting Spring Festival couplets, observing the New Year, having New Year's Eve dinner, paying New Year's greetings, and giving out New Year's money. Most of these activities focus on worshipping gods and Buddhas, paying respects to ancestors, renovating old and new, welcoming the New Year, and praying for a bountiful harvest, with strong ethnic characteristics.

The Spring Festival is not only a time for family reunion, but also an important festival for inheriting and promoting traditional culture. On December 4, 2024, the Spring Festival was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which further emphasizes the important position and influence of the Spring Festival in Chinese culture.