Chinese New Year

1.

Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the main holiday of
China with centuries-old traditions, colorful
celebrations including fireworks, lanterns,
and dragon dances, believed to have started
during the Shang dynasty (XVI-XIth centuries
BC).

2.

The date of the celbration
The date of the celebration is not
fixed: it is timed to coincide with
the second new moon after the
winter solstice and is calculated
according to the lunar calendar.
In 2026, the Chinese New Year
will come on February 17th. The
holiday lasts for 15 days. It is a
time of joy and celebration,
marking the beginning of the
new year and the renewal of life.

3.

Features of the celebratoin
On the first day they celebrate the New Year,
and in the next two weeks folk festivals are
held in the cities while the official weekend
lasts a week.
Chinese New Year includes traditions related
to decor, food, entertainment, and gifts, with
families enjoying special meals and
performing rituals to welcome the new year.

4.

Decor
Decorating houses with red decor — red color symbolizes happiness
and good luck.
Paired strips of red paper with New
Year's wishes or an inverted hieroglyph
"happiness" are hung on the doors. The
use of patterns cut from red paper using
the traditional jianzhi technique.
Such decorations are believed
to attract positive energy and
prosperity into the house for
the coming year.

5.

Symbolic plants and flowers
Buying flowers and plants with symbolic meaning
like peach tree branches for longevity, daffodils for
wealth, tangerine trees for good luck, carnations for
loyalty, and money plants for financial abundance.
The jade plant is often associated with good health
and long life.

6.

Festive dinner
A festive dinner on New Year's Eve includes
meat, fish, jiaozi dumplings symbolizing
happiness, and tangerines, oranges, pomelo
for good luck, red envelopes with money
spread joy.

7.

Entertainment
Fireworks launches scare away evil spirits,
traditional dances imitate animal habits.
The Lantern Festival marks New Year's end,
families and friends gather to release
lanterns symbolizing sending off worries,
and features games promoting joy and
community spirit.

8.

Gifts
Red envelopes (hongbao) symbolize good
luck, given by elders to younger ones with
tangerines or oranges, containing money as
a blessing for happiness and prosperity,
passing on family values.

9.

Gifts and prohibitions
No watches are given on Chinese New Year, as it is
believed that this is a gift for unhappiness or
separation.
Red is considered an auspicious color in Chinese
culture.

10.

Connection with nature
New Year's Eve in China is also a spring
festival.
It is believed that nature wakes up after
winter, people celebrate with fireworks
and family gatherings, expressing joy and
hope for a prosperous new year, the
festival is associated with red
decorations and special dinners
symbolizing wealth and good fortune.

11.

Thanks for your attention!
In this presentation, we reviewed the history and traditions of the Chinese
New Year, learned about the date of the celebration, features and
decorations, as well as symbolic plants, a festive dinner, traditional
entertainment, gifts and nature-related aspects of this holiday. We hope that
the information was useful and interesting.