Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is celebrated every year on the 24th day of the last lunar month, which usually falls between January 21 and February 19. The exact date is designated by the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, formerly known as Nankin.

One of the oldest Chinese New Year tales is that of the ferocious monster "Nian" which means "year". It was said that Nian lived in the ocean, but on the eve of every new year, would leave his marine habitat to bring fury and destruction onto the villages. The villagers used to this scourge, would flee to the mountains and hide until the next morning.

One year, while the villagers were preparing to go hide in the mountains, a woman spotted an unfamiliar old man, who, unlike the others, was sitting inertly. She approaches the seated man and advises him to prepare to flee like everyone else. He refuses, and suggests that the woman stay with him to repent the monster. The woman finds him foolish and leaves with the rest of the villagers.

At sundown, the old man enters every home to light candles and place long ribbons in front of the doors. In addition, he prepares a large quantity of firecrackers. At nightfall, Nian makes his way to the village, becoming more and more apprehensive of the red and the fire, which provokes such a wretched anger in him that he decides to destroy everything. It's at this moment that a succession of deafening explosions begin ringing. Terrified, the monster runs off and returns to the ocean.

The next morning, the villagers are shocked to see their village intact. They notice the ribbons, the candles and the firecrackers. The old man tells them how he was able to ward off the monster. The tale quickly made its way to all the villages, and ever since, at every new year, the Chinese post the story on their doors and light candles and firecrackers to ward off the monster, and to wish everyone joy, happiness and bliss.