Spring Festival is the first traditional festival of the year for Chinese people. In the past, the Spring Festival was called "New Year", because according to the lunar calendar, which has been used in Chinese history, this day is the first day of the first month, which is the beginning of the New Year. According to records, the Chinese people have celebrated the Spring Festival for more than 4,000 years. It was started by Yu Shun. One day over two thousand years BCE, Shun ascended to the throne as the Son of Heaven and led his followers to perform rituals to honor heaven and earth. Since then, this day has been regarded as the beginning of the year, marking the first day of the first lunar month. It is said that this is the origin of the Lunar New Year, which later became known as the Spring Festival.

After the 1911 Revolution, China adopted the Gregorian calendar, and the Lunar New Year was renamed "Spring Festival" (roughly between late January and mid-February). During the Spring Festival, every family pastes Spring couplets, pastes New Year pictures and decorates their rooms. The night before the Spring Festival is called "New Year's Eve", which is an important moment for family reunion. The whole family gets together and eats a sumptuous "New Year's Eve dinner". Many people stay up all night and call it "Shousui".

Custom of the first lunar month

The first day of the Lunar New Year：

On the first morning of the first day, people have to set off firecrackers, called "open door fireworks". After the sound of firecrackers, the ground is covered with red fragments, as dazzling as brocade clouds, known as "A Hall Full of Red". People get up early, dress up, go out to visit relatives and friends, and wish each other a happy New Year.

When paying New Year's respects, the younger generation should greet the elders first, wishing them a long and healthy life. In return, the elders can distribute the lucky money they have prepared in advance to the younger generation. It is said that the lucky money can suppress evil spirits, because the word "suì" (year) is a homophone with "suì" (evil spirits). By receiving the lucky money, the younger generation can safely pass through another year.

On the first day of the first lunar month, brooms should not be used, as it is believed to sweep away luck and wealth, and to invite the "broom star" which brings bad luck. If one must sweep the floor, it should be done from the outside towards the inside. On this day, it is also taboo to pour water or dump garbage outside, for fear of losing wealth. To this day, many places still preserve this custom.

The second day of the Lunar New Year：

On the second day of the first month, the married daughter should go back to her mother's home, and her husband to go with her, so it is commonly known as "Welcome Son-in-law Day". On this day, the daughter returned home with some gifts and red envelopes, distributed to the children of the mother's family, and ate at the mother's home. In the past, families would also choose this day to take a family photo.

The third day of the Lunar New Year：

In some areas of the north, the third day of the Lunar New Year is called "Broom Day". On this day, people can clean up the trash accumulated from the first and second days of the Lunar New Year. When cleaning, one should sweep from the outside to the inside, symbolizing the gathering of wealth.

According to traditional customs, the third day of the first lunar month is believed to be the day when the rat marries off his daughter. Therefore, people should rest early at night so as not to disturb the rat's wedding. It is said that the rat carries a grudge: "If you don't let me have a good day, I will make you suffer for a whole year." If the rat's wedding is disturbed, it will bring trouble to the household. For the sake of a good harvest, it is advised to go to bed early.

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year：

The fourth day of the first lunar month is known as "Sheep Day" from the myth of Nüwa's creation, and the phrase "three sheep bring good fortune" is a symbol of auspiciousness. It is also the day to welcome the Kitchen God back to the mortal world. There is a saying, "Send the gods early, and receive them late." Therefore, according to custom, the gods should be seen off early in the morning, and received around 4 p.m. In the past, every household would prepare sacrifices of livestock, fruits, and vegetables, and would burn incense, paper money, and set off firecrackers to welcome the gods.

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year：

The fifth day of the first lunar month is commonly known as "Po Wu", or "Breaking the Five". It is said that many taboos can be broken after this day. In olden times, from New Year's Eve to the fifth day, there were numerous rules and taboos that people had to follow. After the fifth day, these taboos could be broken, hence the term "Breaking the Five". Due to regional differences, festival customs also vary. In some parts of China, it was not allowed to use rulers or scissors for sewing before the fifth day, nor was it allowed to cook raw rice, raw noodles, or raw vegetables. After this day, these taboos are no longer observed.

The ancients in our country believed that the fifth day of the first lunar month was the birthday of the God of Wealth, and the southern part of China worships the God of Wealth on this day. According to old customs, shops large and small would be closed from the first day of the Lunar New Year, and on the fifth day, they would all reopen. People would get up at the crowing of the rooster, set off firecrackers, hang red cloth on their signs, and drink to the God of Wealth. The offering must include a large carp, as "carp" is a homophone for "profit", hence the fish is called the "ingot fish".

On this day, the popular food custom is to eat dumplings, commonly referred to as "pinching the mouth of evildoers".