The Laba Festival, celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Families often prepare a special Laba porridge with various ingredients like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
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Decorating with the color red is believed to attract good luck and prosperity.
This includes hanging red lanterns, couplets with auspicious phrases, and paper cutouts on windows.
The number 8 is considered incredibly lucky in Chinese culture, as its pronunciation is similar to the word for "wealth" or "fortune." Many families incorporate the number 8 into their decor and celebrations.
The annual Reunion Dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve is the most important family gathering of the year.
Traditional dishes like dumplings, fish, and nian gao (glutinous new year cake) are served to symbolize wishes for wealth, prosperity, and a good start to the new year.
The custom of giving red envelopes (lai see) filled with money to children and unmarried adults is thought to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.
The amount inside is usually an even number, as odd numbers are associated with death.
Setting off firecrackers and fireworks is believed to scare away evil spirits and usher in good fortune.
Many neighborhoods organize large-scale fireworks displays on New Year's Eve.
The 15-day celebration culminates in the Lantern Festival, where families release lanterns into the night sky and attend community events featuring lantern displays, lion dances, and traditional performances.
In some regions, families clean their homes from top to bottom before the new year to sweep away bad luck and make way for good fortune.
It is considered inauspicious to sweep or take out the trash on the first day of the new year, as this is thought to "sweep away" good luck.
The color white and the number 4 are associated with death, so they are generally avoided during Chinese New Year festivities.
The Nian monster, a legendary beast that would attack villages at the start of the new year, is the reason behind many Chinese New Year traditions, such as the use of the color red and firecrackers.
The Chinese zodiac, which assigns an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle, plays a significant role in New Year celebrations.
People born in the year of the animal enjoy special blessings and traditions.
In some families, it is customary to leave a few grains of uncooked rice on the table as a symbolic gesture to invite the Kitchen God, a Taoist deity, to bless the household.
The practice of visiting family and friends during the new year is known as "paying New Year's calls." These visits often involve the exchange of gifts and well-wishes.
Many Chinese families participate in the tradition of "spring cleaning" before the new year, which is believed to sweep away bad luck and make way for good fortune.
The color red is used extensively in decorations, as it is believed to represent luck, prosperity, and happiness.
This includes hanging red lanterns, paper cuttings, and decorating with red fabrics.
The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is a time for family members to gather, catch up, and enjoy traditional dishes together.
The number of dishes served is often an odd number, as odd numbers are considered lucky.
The Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the new year, features the release of lanterns into the night sky, which is thought to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.