About Chinese New Year - I've never heard of it before!

I was reading a travel guide book named "INTERCONTINENTAL'S BEST OF CHINA" and I also know something about Chinese New Year first time!

There is an example:
Chinese character 年(nian 4) means YEAR. We hang red paper with Chinese caligraphy on it on our doors and we also light firecrackers on such celebration days. I just know like these but do no know why. The author of this book tell us that once upon a time, there was a monster called NIAN that attacked Chinese Villages every spring, eating anything that came its way - people, animals, plants and the odd building. One spring, villagers hung red paper on their doors and threw bamboo on a fire when NIAN arrived. The monster was so startled by the brigt colors and loud crackling noise of the burning bamboo that it turned and fled.

Since that day, Chinese people hang red paper signs and lanters outside their homes and enjoy making loud noise on New Year's Eve. Firecrakers replaced bamboo after gunpowder was invented and the main idea today is the louder and bigger, the better.


Now I wanna note something else about Spring Festival.

In the days leading up to the Spring Festiveal, every household gets a thorogh clean since sweeping on New Year's Day itself might sweep away the year's good fortune. Breaking dishes or using sharp objects is also seen as potentially unlucky.

The holiday is a time for family celebration and nearly every university student or migrant worker heads home. It'll seem like the whole country is going to somewhere at this time, whether on their way home or taking advantage of the long holiday to do some traveling.

On New Year's Eve, once the family has been gathered, food becomes a central consideration. Large numbers of delicacies are prepared and fish is often eaten as the Chinese word for fish(yu 2 鱼) is a homophone for surplus(yu 2 余).

Children particulary enjoy the custom of receiving red envelopes(hong2bao1 红包). The evnelopes contain gifts of money and are distributed by family elders to young unmarried relatives.