Chinese New Year is a time when gifts, flowers and sweets are exchanged and all debts are paid before the new year begins. The festival celebrates the earth coming back to life and the beginning of ploughing and sowing. The festival is known by many names: Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, Chun Jie and Yuan Tan.

The date for the beginning of the new year falls on the 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar year. This date is auspicious because it's believed to be the date that various gods ascend to heaven to pay their respects to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. In 2004 New Year's Day falls on 22 January in the Western calendar and it is the year of the monkey.
The travelling gods are honoured on earth by the ritualistic burning of money which is believed to fund their travel expenses. Families smear the lips of Tsao Chun (kitchen god) with malt sugar so that he may present a 'sweetened' report of their deeds or misdeeds to the Jade Emperor.

Temples become crowded with worshippers burning incense, making offerings and praying for fortune and happiness in the coming year.

Rituals and traditionsPreparations for the new year festival begin about a month beforehand when people start buying presents, decorations, food and clothes. Houses are cleaned from top to bottom to sweep away any traces of bad luck. Cleaning a house on New Year's Day runs the risk of washing or sweeping away good luck or even sweeping away a family member. Doors and windows are often painted, usually red, and decorated with paper scrolls and squares inscribed with blessings and auspicious words such as happiness, wealth and longevity.


On New Year's Eve houses are brightly lit and a family meal is prepared. Doors and windows are sealed to keep in good luck. A long bath is taken as washing on New Year's Day will wash away good fortune. Fireworks and firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits and to welcome back the travelling kitchen god. Money is given in red envelopes to children and unmarried people.

On New Year's Day many families break the seals around doors and windows, wear new clothes and visit family and friends. Certain foods are eaten and have special meanings such as candied lotus seeds for good luck, candied coconut for togetherness and candied melon for good growth and health.