The New Year is an important family reunion occasion, so those who are living or working far away would return home prior to the holiday. They will redecorate them with red couplets, lanterns, new flowerpots and furniture, and will shop for foodstuffs for banquet specialities. In the run-up to the new year people will clean their houses to get rid of dirt, rubbish and other unwanted items.

Lion dance, dragon dance, temple fairs, flower market shopping and so on are just a few of these rich and colourful activities. Today it's celebrated also by Chinese communities outside the country. It's a time to worship ancestors, exorcise evil spirits and pray for good harvest. The New Year celebration is centred around removing the bad and the old, and welcoming the new and the good. It is the most solemn festival of the year for every Chinese and has been celebrated in China for thousands of years, with various forms of activities among the diverse regions of China. The Chinese New Year (新年) is also known as the Spring Festival (春节). How do people celebrate Chinese New Year? What happens during Chinese New Year? Members of the Newham Chinese Association explain some of the traditions, festivals and customs that take place when Chinese New Year is celebrated.įrom folk stories and traditions to food, drink and costumes, discover facts about Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated both in China and the UK.

Chinese new years money