Chinese people have the custom of staying up on New Year's Eve. Staying up starts with having the reunion dinner, which should be eaten slowly, starting from the time when the lights are lit, and some families may continue eating until late at night. According to the record in Zong Lun's "Customs of the荆楚 Region," the custom of having the reunion dinner had already existed at least during the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
The custom of staying up embodies both the sentiment of bidding farewell to the passing years and the hope for a better new year. In an ancient poem titled "Staying Up," it is written: "Invited by my cousin, I stay up; red candles glow through the green silk curtains; thirty-six years have passed in vain, but from this night on, I cherish my years." Cherishing one's years is a common human emotion, so the great poet Su Shi wrote the famous lines about staying up: "Next year will surely come again, but I fear wasting my time; strive to make the most of this evening, for youth is still worth praising!" From this, we can see the positive significance of staying up on New Year's Eve.
Staying up on the eve of the lunar new year is commonly known as "toughing the year." Why is it called "toughing the year"? A fascinating story has been passed down among the people through generations:
It is said that in ancient times, there was a fierce monster called "Nian." Every New Year's Eve, Nian would come out from the sea to harm people and animals, destroy farmland, and bring disasters to the people who had worked hard throughout the year. To avoid Nian, people would close their doors early on the evening of the twelfth lunar month and stay awake all night, not daring to sleep, waiting for daylight. To pass the time and to gain courage, they drank alcohol. When the next morning came and Nian no longer appeared, they dared to go out. People greeted each other with bowing and shaking hands, expressing their joy and relief at not being eaten by Nian. This continued for many years without any incidents, and people gradually became complacent about Nian. One year on the eve of the lunar new year, Nian suddenly rushed into a village in Jiangnan, nearly devouring everyone in the village. Only a newlywed couple who hung red curtains and wore red clothes remained safe. Also, several children were playing in the courtyard, burning a pile of bamboo, which created a bright fire. The bamboo made a "crackling" sound when burned, and Nian, seeing the fire, was frightened and ran away. After that, people learned that Nian feared red color, light, and loud noises. Therefore, every year, all families would paste red paper, wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, beat drums, and set off firecrackers, so that Nian would not dare to appear again.
In the "Book of Songs - Xiaoya: Tingliao," there is a record of "the light of the courtyard torch." "Tingliao" refers to torches made of bamboo poles. When the bamboo poles burned, the air inside the bamboo joints expanded, causing the bamboo cavities to burst and produce a crackling sound, which is the origin of "firecrackers."
However, in some places, villagers did not know that Nian feared red color, and they often became victims of Nian. Later, this matter reached the heavenly star Zhiwei. To save the people, he decided to eliminate Nian. One year, when Nian came out, he used a fireball to strike it down and then chained it with a thick iron chain to a stone pillar. Since then, every time the Lunar New Year comes, people burn incense and invite Zhiwei to descend to protect them from harm.
