The Spring Festival

The Chinese new year - Year of the rabbit.
 Useful links  
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z9888hv/articles/zw7m6g8
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38668427
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/chinese-new-year
 
Why is the Chinese New Year celebrated?
Chinese New Year is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival ( 春节 Chūn Jié) in China as it marks the end of Winter ( 冬天 Dōng tiān) and the beginning of Spring ( 春天 Chūn tiān).
It is one of the four most important traditional festivals in China and celebrates the beginning of a new year in the Chinese lunar calendar.
 
When is the Chinese new year celebrated?
The traditional Chinese calendar, also called the Chinese lunar calendar ( 农历 nóng lì), is based on the cycle of the moon ( 月亮 yuè liang).
Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the new lunar year and, as such, the date changes each year.
It begins on the new moon that appears between late January and February.
The New Year celebrations last fifteen days, ending with the Chinese Lantern Festival.
During this time, you can say these greetings in Mandarin:
 新年快乐！ Xīn nián kuài lè! - Happy New Year!  春节快乐！ Chūn jiē kuài lè! - Happy Spring Festival!  
 
 How do Chinese people celebrate Chinese new year?
Red envelopes ( 红包 hóng bāo) filled with money are often given to children during Chinese New Year to pass on the good fortune and blessings for the coming year.
Cleaning is another tradition of the Chinese New Year.
This is because, in Mandarin, ‘dust’ ( 尘 chén) is a homophone (same pronunciation but different meaning) for the word for ‘oldness or staleness’ ( 陈 chén).
Paper cutting ( 剪纸 jiǎn zhǐ) is a form of traditional art in China.
People put them on their windows during Chinese New Year as a way to welcome Spring.
Why not try and make your own paper cuts?
The Spring Festival is a time for family ( 家庭 jiā tíng) and as such the festival brings with it a travel rush, known as  春运 chūn yùn.
As a large part of the Chinese population returns home to reunite with their family, China faces one of the largest movement of humans on Earth.
 
What do Chinese people eat for the Chinese new year?
Food plays a big part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
 Chinese dumplings
Different foods represent different things in China:
Fish ( 鱼 yú) - surplus (extra or remaining) and fortune Chinese dumplings ( 饺子 jiǎo zi) - wealth Glutinous rice balls ( 汤圆 tāng yuán) - family reunion  
 
 
 A story in Mandarin – The legend of Chinese New Year 
Once upon a time, in China ( 中国 Zhōng Guó), there was a fierce monster called Nian ( 年 Nián) with long, sharp teeth and giant claws.
 
At the end of the lunar year, Nian would go to the villages to hunt for food ( 食物 shí wù).
Nian liked to eat ( 吃 chī) anything he could lay his claws on, and with each visit Nian ruined people’s homes and crops.
 
The people feared Nian and would hide in the mountains ( 山 shān) at the end of the lunar year.
They would not return to the village until Nian left
 
One day, an old man with grey ( 灰色的 huī sè de) hair and a long, white ( 白色的 bái sè de) beard came down from the mountains.
He told them Nian was afraid of three things:
loud noises the colour red ( 红色 hóng sè) fire ( 火 huǒ)
On Nian's next visit, they banged drums, wore the colour red ( 红色 hóng sè) and lit firecrackers ( 烟花 yān huā) to scare Nian away.
The monster never came back.
 
People do this each year to celebrate Nian's defeat.
The last day of the lunar year is called Chinese New Year’s Eve ( 除夕 Chú Xī).
The first day of the new lunar year is called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival ( 春节 Chūn Jié).