It is a custom for Chinese Han people to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. That is, on the last night of the old year, people do not sleep, but stay up late to welcome the new year. This custom has a long history and was first recorded in the Western Jin Dynasty. People lit candles or oil lamps and stayed up all night to welcome the New Year.

According to Chinese mythology, in the ancient times unrecorded, there was a vicious beast called Nian. Every New Year's Eve, the Nian would crawl out of the sea to harm people and animals and destroy the fields. In order to avoid the beast, on New Year's Eve, people closed the door as early as it was not dark and didn't sleep because of fear. Then, on the morning of the first day of the New Year, only when the beast was no longer out, they would go out.

On New Year's Eve, the family gathers to light the New Year's fire and keep it burning. The family talks around the fireplace at night to welcome the New Year. All the rooms are lit with candles. It is said that after this, all the evil and disease will be driven away and the family will gain abundant wealth in the coming year. After the first crowing of the rooster, the new year begins. People of all ages put on new clothes and visit the elders of the family to wish them a happy new year. Then they visit friends and relatives.

In addition to lighting candles and staying up late, there is also the custom of "stepping on the year". People glue sesame stalks onto yellow paper and roll them into a bundle, which is called a "treasure pot". Then, the whole family will trample them with their feet. It is because the Chinese word for "crushed" is homophone with "year". Also, the auspicious symbolism of sesame blossoms is adopted to express blessings for the new year.