What do red envelopes, dumplings, and spring cleaning have in common? The Chinese New Year, of course! The new year follows the lunar calendar and is also called the Spring Festival. This year, 2020, it will be on January 25 so if you have the opportunity to partake in the festivities you should experience it at least once in your lifetime. It’s one of the grandest Chinese holidays which spans a week and features the essence of Chinese culture and embodies traditional beliefs.

Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs including interesting auspicious beliefs. By exploring the various historically significant traditions you will get a deeper understanding of China’s rich history and the customs that persist to this day. Many of the rituals have meaning beyond what meets the eye. Even things you may already be familiar with seeing have a rhyme to their reason. Speaking of rhyme, poetry is a good place to start the introduction of Chinese traditions during the Spring Festival.