NewYearseasonlastsforfifteendays.Thefirstweekisthemostimportantandmostoftencelebratedwithvisitstofriendsandfamilyaswellasgreetingsofgoodluck.ThecelebrationsendontheimportantandcolourfulLanternFestivalontheeveningofthe15thdayofthemonth.However,Chinesebelievethatonthethirdday(年初三)oftheChineseNewYearitisnotappropriatetovisitfamilyandfriends,andcalltheday"chechao"(赤口),meaning"easytogetintoarguments".

　　ThedateoftheChineseNewYearisdeterminedbytheChinesecalendar,alunisolarcalendar.ThesamecalendarisusedincountriesthathaveadoptedtheConfucianandBuddhismtraditionandinmanyculturesinfluencedbytheChinese,notablytheKoreans,theJapanese,theTibetan,theVietnameseandthepaganBulgars.ChineseNewYearstartsonthefirstdayofthenewyearcontaininganewmoon(somesourcesevenincludeNewYear'sEve)andendsontheLanternFestivalfourteendayslater.Thisoccursaroundthetimeofthefullmoonaseachlunationisabout29.53daysinduration.IntheGregoriancalendar,theChineseNewYearfallsondifferentdateseachyear,onadatebetweenJanuary21andFebruary20.IntraditionalChineseCulture,Lichunisasolartermmarkingthestartofspring,whichusuallyfallsoneitherFebruary4or5.

　　Daysbeforethenewyear

　　OnthedaysbeforetheNewYearcelebration,Chinesefamiliesgivetheirhomeathoroughcleaning.Itisbelievedthecleaningsweepsawaybadluckandmakestheirhomesreadyforgoodlucktoarrive.AllbroomsanddustpansareputawayonNewYear'sEvesothatgoodluckcannotbesweptaway.Somepeoplegivetheirhomes,doorsandwindowpanesanewcoatofredpaint.HomesaredecoratedwithpapercutoutsofChineseauspiciousphrasesandcouplets(shortphrases)thatspeakof"happiness,""wealth,""longevity."

　　Reuniondinner

　　AreuniondinnerisheldonNewYear'sEvewheremembersofthefamily,nearandfar,gettogetherforcelebration.TheNewYear'sEvedinnerisverylargeandtraditionallyincludeschicken.Fish(鱼,yú)isincluded,butnoteatenupcompletely(andtheremainderisstoredovernight),astheChinesephrase年年有余(niánniányǒuyú),whichmeans"maytherebesurpluseseveryyear",soundsthesameas"maytherebefisheveryyear",since"yú"isalsothepronunciationfor余("leftover"or"surplus").Atypeofblackhair-likealgae,pronounced"fatchoy"inCantonese,isalsofeaturedinmanydishessinceitsnamesoundssimilarto"prosperity".Hakkawillservekiunyuk(扣肉)andngiongtiufu.Becausecertainthingsand/orfoodsoundaliketocertainChinesewell-wishes,thebeliefisthathavingonewillleadtotheother.

　　AnillustrationofwhataChineseAncientGoldNuggetmightlooklike.MostNorthernersservedumplingsasthemaindishinthisfestiveseason,althoughmostChinesearoundtheworldwoulddothesamebecauseitisbelievedthatdumplings(饺子,jiǎozi)arewrappedinthesemblanceofChinesegoldnuggets(illustrated)usedinancientChina.Thisgoldnuggetiscalled金元宝(jinyuánbǎo).However,mandarinorangesarethemostpopularandmostabundantfruitduringChineseNewYearamongstChinesesimplybecauseof,interalia,howthenameofthefruitisphoneticallysimilartogold--jinju(金橘子)orkam(金)inCantonese.

　　Clothing

　　RedclothingiswornthroughouttheChineseNewYear,asredwillscareawayevilspiritsandbadfortune.Also,peopletypicallywearnewcloth