1. Chinese New Year 春chūn 节jié

2. How is Chinese New Year Different from your New Year?
Chinese calendar is lunisolar (it combines parts of the lunar阴yīn 历lì and solar calendars阳yáng 历lì )
The traditional Chinese year春chūn 节jié , begins on the first day of their New Year celebration—which date changes from year to year.

3. The Legend Behind the Holiday
The Chinese New Year began with the fight against a mythical beast called the 年nián ("Year" in Chinese).

4. According to the legend, the Nian would come into the village and devour livestock, crops, and villagers on the first day of New Year.

5. What did they do?
Then they discovered the Nian was scared of the color red and loud sounds. They began hanging red lanterns and spring scrolls on their doors and windows every new year.
They also used firecrackers to scare the Nian away.

6. Some things that happen during the New Years holiday…
Chinese New Year is a public holiday in many countries that have a large Chinese population
Businesses Close for several days
Large migration of Chinese to their ancestral homes for reunion dinners

7. Common Beliefs
The attitude that you have on New Year will be the attitude you have all year. If you cry on New year, you’ll cry all year Some children are allowed to be more rambunctious than usual because it’s bad luck to punish the kids.

8. Good Luck 好运 Eat sweets so you have a “sweet” year
Clean house(top to bottom) before the New Year so everything will be “new” in the new year
No cleaning after the new year’s eve

9. Lucky words 恭gōng 喜xǐ 发fā 财cái 新xīn 年nián 快kuài 乐lè
People greets each other with lucky words
恭gōng 喜xǐ 发fā 财cái
新xīn 年nián 快kuài 乐lè
步bù 步bù 高gāo 升shēng
岁suì 岁suì 平píng 安ān

10. Fish is important New Year food
鱼yú (fish) sounds like 馀yú (left over)
年nián 年nián 有yǒu 馀yú (there are left over every year)

11. Mandarin oranges and apples
苹píng 果guǒ (apple)
＆平píng 安ān (safe)
橘jú(orange) ＆吉jí (lucky)

12. Dumplings 饺jiăo 子zi (look like ancient gold bars)

13. 年nián 夜yè 饭fàn New Year’s Eve 除chú 夕xì
Family gather together on new year’s eve to have the big meal together. It’s called年nián 夜yè 饭fàn

14. 火huǒ 锅guō

15. Hang red lanterns
Wear red clothing
Wear new clothes
Sleep with the lights on to scare ghosts away

16. Bad Luck Getting a haircut during the first lunar month
Washing your hair
Sweeping the floor
Talking about death

17. Giving anything in increments of 4 四 is also bad luck
Giving anything in increments of 4 四 is also bad luck. 4 in Chinese sounds like the word for death (死).
Buying books (书) is bad luck.
Wearing black (symbolizes bad luck) or white clothes (funeral color).

18. Red Packets红hóng 包bāo
Adults give red packets to kids and unmarried members of the family.
Packets contain money.
Always in even numbers.

19. 15 days to Celebrate Day 1: 拜bài 年nián
families visit the oldest member of their extended family
Red packets given to young/unmarried family members
Firecrackers
Day 2:回huí 娘niáng 家jiā
Married daughters visit
birth parents

20. Days 3: sleep late Days 4: Greet Gods Day 5: separate, go back to work Day 15: Lantern Festival

21. Chinese Lantern Festival
The 15th day of the Chinese New Year.
Observed at the full moon.
Traditionally, Chinese people put our red lanterns to celebrate the 1st New moon of the new year