Happy New Year of the Tiger!

Wishing everyone a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous Chinese New Year as we ring in the Year of the Tiger! 

Curious as to what the Chinese New Year celebration is all about? Our Head Teacher Maggie presented BCI students with a delightful guide to the Spring Festival, introducing all the basics, including traditions, customs, cuisine, and more.

Why is it called Spring Festival 春节?  

Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The tradition is usually celebrated on the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the beginning of Spring.  

How do Chinese people celebrate the festival 过春节? 

House Cleaning and Decorating 大扫除 – half a month before

Families will pitch in to do a thorough clean of the house before Chinese New Year, ridding the home of any bad luck that's accumulated over the past year. Then every house is decorated with the lucky colour red – red lanterns, Chinese knots, Spring Festival couplets, and red window paper-cuttings. 

Family Reunion Dinner – New Year's Eve 除夕夜

Chinese people return home to enjoy a feast with family over the New Year’s Eve night. The essential course on all Chinese menus will be a steamed or braised whole fish (the Chinese word for it sounds like the word for "surplus"), various kinds of meat, vegetables, and seafood are also made into dishes with auspicious meanings. 

Giving Red Envelopes – Best Wishes through Money 发红包 

Lucky money will be given to friends and family, wrapped in red packets in the hope of dispelling evil spirits. 

Some people use the app Wechat to send text messages, voice messages, and emojis to exchange greetings and good wishes. Digital red envelopes are a popular way to greet friends or relatives that cannot physically be reached during the Chinese New Year period.

Watching CCTV New Year's Gala 看春晚 – 20:00 to 0:30

The CCTV New Year's Gala is China's most watched television special. The five-hour-long extravaganza features music, dance, comedy, opera, and acrobatic performances aimed at entertaining millions of Chinese families at New Year. It has been a must-watch program since it was first held in 1983. 

Setting off Firecrackers at 0:00 放鞭炮

Chinese people have by long tradition set off firecrackers, originally to scare away the legendary monster Nian which emerges at midnight. Did you see any displays across Leeds on Chinese New Year Eve?

However you might be celebrating, the Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds wishes you a Happy New Year of the Tiger! 虎年大吉，万事如意!