The Spring Festival, an occasion for family reunions, grew out of ancient harvest rituals and one of the earliest Chinese characters, "nian," meaning "year." The character was shaped like a grain of rice.

The festival is traditionally celebrated with family dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, spring festival scrolls with antithetical couplets, New Year paintings, fireworks, lantern shows, lion dances and other activities.

But rapid economic and social changes have had an impact on the traditional Spring Festival celebrations. Some customs have disappeared, while new trends are emerging to replace the old.

Fireworks have been banned in many cities to lessen air and noise pollution and to reduce loss and damage caused by fires.

With rapid economic growth, sumptuous feasts, another traditional characteristic of the holiday, are losing their appeal.

Many say the holidays are exhausting, particularly participating in obligatory gatherings.

Meanwhile, the traditional family reunion is being challenged by changing concepts, advanced communications and an ever quickening pace of life.

"The traditional Spring Festival is a combination of cultural and folk customs which require the participation of all people," said Qiao Xiaoguang, professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Traditional Chinese festivals have been simplified, therefore there is less interest.

The charm, added Qiao, of Spring Festival lies in its rich diversity, which cannot survive without the participation of ordinary citizens.

"The traditional Spring Festival in China, dating back 5,000 years, was a complex process of celebrations, which included sacrifices, cleaning houses, family reunions, eating, entertainment and so on," said Liu Kuili, a professor at Beijing Normal University.

And modern industry cannot replace the customs developed over thousands of years, Liu added.

(China Daily February 8, 2003)