Our Spring Festival, Chinese Traditional Festival Series

Author: Peng Guoliang (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: It is said that the "Year" was an ancient man-eating beast that gnawed its teeth and sucked blood, causing the ancient people to tremble in fear. Eventually, Shennong, the legendary figure, subdued it with a magical artifact on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month. The common people then called this day "celebrating the New Year," with the character "guo" implying removal—celebrating the New Year meant removing the beast. The tradition of setting off firecrackers during the New Year, as it exists today, originally had the primal meaning of driving away the beast. This belongs to mythology. The New Year is a lively and explosive festival. Liveliness is the characteristic of the New Year.