Chinese New Year Rituals

Chinese New Year rituals actually begin with spring cleaning when the homes are thoroughly cleaned to sweep out all that is bad. 

However this cleaning will stop right before the New Year commences so as not to wipe away the good luck that the New Year is expected to bring in.

• On the New Year�s Eve, a Reunion Dinner is held which is an elaborate feasting where essentially all the members of the family unite in the home of the eldest in the family. The dinner is preceded by thanksgiving prayer and paying homage to ancestors. Some people also visit temples and light incense sticks.

Chinese New Year Rituals

• The house is decorated and lit up. Red is believed to be auspicious. Paper lanterns adorn the homes. Gifts are exchanged. The elders generally gift the younger ones money in a red envelope that is believed to bring in prosperity in the upcoming months of the brand New Year.

• Lion Dance and Dragon dances are held all over the country and is a noisy affair that is believed to scare off the evil.

• Apart from these principal rituals, these are also various local customs that are observed in different regions of the country in keeping with their traditions.