What do people do on the eve of the Chinese New Year? What are the customs of the Chinese New Year?
Stay up late (Shou Sui)The custom of staying up late has a history of nearly two thousand years in China. According to Zhou Chu's "Feng Tu Ji" from the Jin Dynasty, it mentioned the customs of Sichuan during the end of the year, where families exchanged gifts, called "Kui Sui"; held banquets, called "Bie Sui"; and stayed up all night on the eve of the New Year, called "Shou Sui." This is the earliest recorded mention of the custom of staying up late. However, at that time, the custom of staying up late seemed to be local, and after the Sui and Tang dynasties, it became a common custom throughout the country.
Reunion Dinner (Nian Ye Fan)
The reunion dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year is also called the "family gathering meal." According to Zong Lin's "Jing Chu Sui Shi Ji," there was already a custom of having a reunion dinner as early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Because it was winter, people in northern China often set up hot pots in the middle of the dining table, hence it is also called "surrounding the stove."
Leftover Rice (Ge Nian Fan)
In some households in the north, they also prepare a pot of rice before the New Year, which is cooked in advance and kept for the New Year, called "leftover rice." It symbolizes having extra rice every year, not running out of food all year round, and continuing to eat last year's grain. This leftover rice is usually made by mixing rice and millet, and in Beijing, it is called "Er Mi Zi Fan," meaning having both yellow and white, symbolizing "having gold and silver, with gold and silver full in the pot," known as the "gold and silver rice."
Setting off Firecrackers (Fang Bao Zhu)
At the moment of midnight when the new year begins, the sound of firecrackers echoes through the sky across the vast land of China. At this moment of "three yuan" (the beginning of the year, month, and hour), some places also build a "Wang Huo" (a large fire) in the courtyard to symbolize prosperity and flourishing. Around the burning fire, children set off firecrackers, jumping around joyfully. At this time, the house is brightly lit, the courtyard is filled with bright sparks, and the outside is filled with loud sounds, bringing the festive atmosphere of the New Year to its peak.
Posting "Fu" characters during the Spring Festival is a long-standing tradition in China. Posting the character "Fu" represents people's longing for a happy life and their wishes for a better future.
Posting Spring Couplets (Tie Chun Lian)
Spring couplets, also known as "men dui," "chun tie," "dui lian," or "dui zi," belong to the category of couplets and are a unique form of literature.
The world's earliest spring couplet, "San Yang Shi Bu, Si Xu Chu Kai," is recorded on the Dunhuang manuscripts found in the Mogao Grottoes. The author of this couplet was Liu Qiu Zi from the Tang Dynasty, written in the 11th year of the Kaiyuan era (723 AD). The folk custom of posting spring couplets began to become popular during the Ming Dynasty, with its origin in Nanjing. Now, people in southern China usually post spring couplets in the morning on the eve of the New Year.
Red Envelopes (Ya Sui Qian)
Red envelopes are given by elders to younger family members. In some homes, after the reunion dinner, everyone sits at the table and does not leave until everyone has finished eating. Then, the elders give red envelopes to the younger generation, encouraging them to study hard and behave well in the new year. In some homes, parents place the red envelopes under the children's pillows after the children fall asleep at night. More commonly, children gather in the main hall, shout "Happy New Year" to their grandparents, parents, and others, kneel in line, and then reach out for red envelopes.
Stay up late (Shou Sui)
The custom of staying up late has a history of nearly two thousand years in China. According to Zhou Chu's "Feng Tu Ji" from the Jin Dynasty, it mentioned the customs of Sichuan during the end of the year, where families exchanged gifts, called "Kui Sui"; held banquets, called "Bie Sui"; and stayed up all night on the eve of the New Year, called "Shou Sui." This is the earliest recorded mention of the custom of staying up late. However, at that time, the custom of staying up late seemed to be local, and after the Sui and Tang dynasties, it became a common custom throughout the country.
Offering Sacrifices to Ancestors (Ji Zu)
Offering sacrifices to ancestors is the first important event on the eve of the Chinese New Year. In many places in China, on this day, people set up rich dishes at home, light incense and candles, and the head of the family leads the descendants to pay homage. In some rural areas in the north, paper money is burned at home. On the evening of the eve of the New Year, incense and candles are lit in front of the ancestor's portrait, wine is poured, and dishes are placed on the table. The whole family holds a solemn ceremony to express feelings of "respecting the past and remembering the ancestors." After the ancestors have enjoyed their New Year's Eve dinner, people begin to enjoy it themselves.
Why do people stay up late on the eve of the Chinese New Year?
Staying up late on the eve of the Chinese New Year is not only a way to inherit traditional customs but also a way to show affection for the passing old year and hope for the upcoming new year. Every year on the eve of the New Year, the whole family gathers together. People who are away from home must return before the New Year's Eve. They have the reunion dinner together and then stay up late to welcome the arrival of the new year. On the night of staying up, we also keep the lights, fires, and set off firecrackers all night long.
Different Meanings of Staying Up Late for Different People
1. In ancient times, staying up late was to drive away evil diseases and plagues, preventing harmful forces from harming people in the new year.2. For elderly people, staying up late means "saying goodbye to the old year," to hold onto the final moments of the past year, expressing the idea of cherishing time.
3. For young people, staying up late is not only an expectation for the new year, but also a way to stay with their parents and elders to protect time and help their parents and elders live longer.
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