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Spring Festival begins on the January 1 of the lunar calendar, and ends on Lantern Day, or the January 15 of the lunar calendar.

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The Chinese New Year falls on different dates in the Gregorian calendar every year. Many confuse their Chinese birth year with their Gregorian Birth-year. As the Chinese New Year starts in Late January to mid-February, anyone born before the Chinese New Year takes the Zodiac of the previous year.

According to legend, Chinese New Year began with a fight against a beast called Nian, or “year” in Chinese. Nian would come out the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves villagers put bowls of food outside their doors so Nian would eat the food instead of their children. Once, the villagers saw a child in the street with a red coat on. When Nian saw the child he was scared away, so the villagers realized that Nian was afraid of red. From then on, the villagers wore red, placed red scrolls over their doors, and lanterns outside their homes. Nian never came back to the village.

During the Spring Festival fireworks are set off at midnight, red envelopes filled with money are given to children, and friends and family are visited. It is also considered bad luck to get one's hair cut during the first lunar month but sweets should be eaten to ensure a “sweet year.” A placard with the character 福 should also be hung upside down on one’s front door to invite good luck into the house.

<< via nciku.com >>