What's the Chinese New Year?

When does the Chinese New Year start?

Lantern Festival

The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The new year begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which usually falls in February, a holiday that lasts for 15 days.

In Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red, and give "lucky money" in red envelopes and some firecrackers to children. The red symbolizes fire, which drives away bad luck according to the Chinese.

People gather in the homes of their relatives to eat big feasts. The Chinese New Year ends with the Lantern Festival. People hang lanterns in temples and parade with them under the light of the full moon.

The highlight of the Lantern Festival is the so-called dragon dance. The dragon, which can be 30 meters long, is usually made of silk, paper, bamboo and... of people.