Preface
The New Year is Coming / 004
Chapter I Origination of the Chinese New Year / 013
Section 1 Origins of the Chinese New Year / 014
Section 2 Legends of New Year’s Eve and Shou Sui / 017
Section 3 The Twelve Zodiacs and the Chinese New Year / 021
Chapter II Celebrating the New Year / 027
Section 1 The 8th Day of the 12th Lunar Month：
Celebrating the Laba Festival with Sweet Laba Porridge / 028
Section2 The 23rd Day of the 12th Lunar Month： Worshipping the God of Kitchen with Candies / 031
Section 3 The 24th Day of the 12th Lunar Month：Cleaning the House / 036
Section 4 The 25th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Making Tofu, or Bean Curd / 040
Section 5 The 26th Day of the 12th Lunar Month： Butchering Pigs / 043
Section 6 The 27th Day of the 12th Lunar Month： Killing Chicken for Good Luck / 046
Section 7 The 28th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Steaming Bread and Rice Cakes / 049
Section 8 The 29th Day of the 12th Lunar Month: Visiting Friends and Drinking Alcohol / 053
Section 9 New Year’s Eve:Peace and Good Luck / 056
Section 10 The 1st Day of the First Lunar Month: Paying New Year Visits / 060
Section 11 The 2nd Day of the First Lunar Month: Showing Gratitude to Parents / 063
Section 12 The 3rd Day of the First Lunar Month: Wedding Day of the Rat / 067
Section 13 The 4th Day of the First Lunar Month: The Return of the God of Kitchen / 071
Section 14 The 5th Day of the First Lunar Month: The Reception of the God of Fortune / 0
Section 15 The 6th Day of the First Lunar Month: Sending Away the God of Poverty / 077
Section 16 The 7th Day of the First Lunar Month: Going on an Outing / 081
Chapter III Spring Festival and Celebration Activities / 085
Section 1 Different Nationalities Celebrate the Same Spring Festival / 086
Section 2 Spring Festival Travel Rush, the Largest Periodic Migration of Human Beings / 091
Section 3 Spring Festival Temple Fair Brings Supreme Fun / 095
Section 4 Firecrackers and Fireworks / 100
Section 5 Dragon and Lion Dances / 103
Section 6 Shehuo, a Show in the Rural Areas of China / 107
Section 7 New Year’s Gala on New Year’s Eve / 111
Section 8 Golden Week for Traveling Around / 116
Section 9 Door God and Fu / 118
Section 10 Red Packet / 122
Section 11 Flowers for Worshiping Gods / 126
Chapter IV Chinese New Year Feast / 131
Section 1 The Family Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve / 132 Section 2 Jiaozi, a Must-have for the Spring Festival / 136 Section 3 Rice cake, Tangyuan, Spring Rolls Indicating people's
Wish for a Better Life / 139
Chapter V Celebrating the Spring Festival with Wishes for Happiness and Good Luck / 143
Section 1 Auspicious Designs / 144
Section 2 Spring Couplets on Red Paper / 150
Section 3 New Year Paintings / 155