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E-mail China.org.cn, February 12, 2024Editor's note:
The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, has been officially listed as a U.N. floating holiday as of 2024. This year, it falls on Feb. 10. To enjoy a traditional and fascinating Spring Festival, the most important festival for Chinese people, here are 16 days with unique traditions you won't want to miss this holiday season.
Day 12, Day for Resting at Home (Feb. 12, 2024)
On the third day of the first lunar month, people tend to sleep late to recover from staying up late on New Year's Eve and the first two days of the holiday. In 2024, it falls on Feb. 12.
In ancient times, people would also burn pine, cypress branches and portraits of the Door God on this day, which represented sending the Door God to heaven to celebrate the New Year. The family would then invite the Door God back on a selected auspicious day to guard the whole family and keep out evil.
Day 11, Day for Welcoming Son-in-law (Feb. 11, 2024)
On the second day of the first lunar month, a married daughter usually goes back to her parents' home along with her husband and children. Therefore, this day is also called the Day for Welcoming the Son-in-law. In 2024, it falls on Feb. 11.
In the past, a married daughter seldom returned to her parents' home after her wedding ceremony, so this day was a time for mother and daughter to share close stories. Daughters usually bring gifts such as meat, candy and noodles for their parents. Meat symbolizes a life of good fortune, candy represents sweetness and happiness, and noodles indicate wishes of good health and longevity. A family photo is usually taken on this day to cherish the precious reunion.
Day 10, Spring Festival (Feb. 10, 2024)
The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is on the first day of the first lunar month. It usually falls in late January or early February, heralding the beginning of spring. This year, it falls on Feb. 10.
This traditional festival is a festival of reunion, therefore, no matter how far away people are from their homes, they will try their best to return in order to have a reunion dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve and stay together throughout the festival.
On this day, the entire family will don new clothes, light firecrackers, visit the older generations, and send wishes for the new year ahead. These customs have been passed down through generations, making Spring Festival the most traditional festival among Chinese people.
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