Happy New Year Happy New Year Xīn nián kuài lè 新年快乐

Happy Snake Year 蛇年快乐 shé nián kuài lè

4. sh ǒ u suì 守 岁 Occurs when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who Shou Sui will increase the longevity of the parents.

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月 ; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī ( 除夕, chúxī,). It literally means "Year-pass Eve".traditional Chinese holidaysLunar New YearChinese pinyinChinese calendarLantern Festival Usually, it’s 15 days long Time: Dated back to 4000 years ago

Places Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Aboriginal Taiwanese people, Koreans, Mongolians, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates.ethnic Chinese KoreansMongoliansVietnamese JapaneseSingaporeIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandoverseas ChineseCanadaCanada Post

When is Chinese New Year? 除夕 chúxī: New year’s Eve 新年 xīn nián : Chinese New year falls on Feb.10 this year.

3. Do the Spring Cleaning 大扫除 dà s ǎ o chú

The traditions 拜年 bàinián : Chinese New-year greetings

鞭炮 biān pào firecrakers

恭喜发财！ Gōng xǐ fā cái May you have a prosperous New year

红 包 hóng bāo red packet Or 压 岁 钱 yā suì qián the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit Gōng x ǐ fā c á i, h ó ng bāo n á l á i 恭喜发财，红包拿来 May you be prosperous, now give me a red envelope.

 nián yè fàn 年 夜 饭 reunion dinner of the New year eve

Food  1) Fish: yú 鱼 homophone for "surpluses"

 2) nián ɡ āo 年 糕 sticky rice cake

 3) ji ǎ o zi 饺 子

tānɡ yuán 汤 圆 Rice dumplings

4 ） tān ɡ yuán 汤 圆 Rice dumplings The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yu á nxiāo ji é ( 元宵节 ) Rice dumplings ， sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup,glutinous rice is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival,Lantern Festival and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

Activities  Indoors Chinese calligraphyChinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idiomsChinese idioms New year pictureNew year picture, Chinese knots, and paper cutting and couplets.Chinese knotspaper cuttingcouplets

CoupletsCouplets 对联 duì lian

Couplets

Paper cuttings 剪纸 ji ǎ n zh ǐ

Paper cuttings 剪纸 ji ǎ n zh ǐ

 Outdoors Fireworks Lantern FestivalLantern Festival and Riddles Dragon danceDragon dance and Lion danceLion dance

Lantern FestivalLantern Festival and Riddles

 异曲同工、自圆其说、可圈可点、一五一十、 口是心非、心直口快、无与伦比、哭笑不得、 里应外合、三教九流、五音不全、不置可否、 一塌糊涂、多此一举、左右开弓、天方夜谭、 风月无边、白纸黑字、俯首称臣、石破天惊、 能屈能伸、三纲五常、风花雪月、四大皆空、 德高望重、四脚朝天、三言两语、入木三分、 扬眉吐气、比翼双飞、正中下怀、举一反三、 马失前蹄、点到为止、莫名其妙

cái shén 财 神 Fortune gods

God of fortune arrives cái shén dào 财 神 到

Dragon danceDragon dance and Lion danceLion dance Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses.

Dragon dance 舞龙 wǔ lóng

Lion dance 舞狮 wǔ shī

 Video of the dancing =.html 6.html

New year songs  933_ascending_1_page_1.html 933_ascending_1_page_1.html  推荐：  发财发福 --- 中国娃娃  新年快乐 --- 谢雨欣  恭喜发财 --- 刘德华  卓依婷若干

 Ji 剪纸