Spring Festival: The Magnificent Chapter of Chinese Culture Engraved in the Passage of Time

The Spring Festival, a traditional festival that carries the profound cultural heritage and emotional sustenance of the Chinese nation, is just like a bright pearl shining brightly in the long river of history, illuminating the hearts of generations of Chinese people.

The origin of the Spring Festival can be traced back to the sacrificial ceremonies at the beginning of the year in ancient times to pray for a good harvest. At that time, people held grand ceremonies at the turn of the old and new years to express gratitude to the gods of heaven and earth and their ancestors for their blessings and protection, and to pray for favorable weather, bumper harvests, and prosperity in the coming year. As time goes by, the customs of the Spring Festival have been continuously enriched and evolved. From a simple sacrificial activity, it has developed into a grand celebration that encompasses various elements such as family reunions, visiting relatives and friends, and folk performances.

Before the Spring Festival, “spring cleaning” is an essential part. The whole family mobilizes to clean every corner of the house. With a bright and clean home, it symbolizes sweeping away all the bad luck and troubles of the past year and welcoming the New Year with a brand-new look. “On the day when thousands of households are bathed in the warm sunlight, the old peachwood charms are always replaced with new ones.” Putting up Spring Festival couplets is also an important symbol of the Spring Festival. On red paper, there are black or golden characters, forming neatly antithetical auspicious words that contain people’s yearning and blessings for a better life. The character “Fu” pasted upside down on the gate is even more ingenious, as it is a homophone for “Fu has arrived”, conveying the beautiful expectation of the arrival of happiness.

On New Year’s Eve, the whole family sits around and enjoys the New Year’s Eve dinner. This meal is the most sumptuous and warm gathering of the year. Dumplings in the north are shaped like ingots, symbolizing the bringing in of wealth. The New Year’s cakes in the south are a homophone for “higher year by year”, symbolizing that life will be better and better every year. The dining table is filled with a variety of delicious foods, and each dish is full of the taste of home and deep family affection. After the New Year’s Eve dinner, the whole family stays up late to welcome the New Year. The children play and laugh merrily, while the elders…