Traditional folk customs of Spring Festival: stay up all night

The festive holiday atmosphere in China has gotten stronger since the beginning of the twelfth month of the lunar year, as Chinese people gear up for the upcoming Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year.

The countdown to the Spring Festival usually starts on the 23rd day of the twelfth month of the lunar year, when Chinese people get busier with preparations for the festival and observe traditional folk customs in the country.

On Lunar New Year's Eve, Stay Up All Night

The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is called Chinese New Year's Eve. It is a day for ringing out the old year and ringing in the new.

People who are away from home all return to their homes to enjoy a family reunion on Chinese New Year's Eve, when a hearty dinner is prepared in every family, and family members usually sit together to enjoy the meal wearing festive red clothes, light up red lanterns, and stay up all night.

According to folklore, the reason why people stay up all night on Chinese New Year's Eve is that they have to try to drive away a monster called Nian (year). The monster was believed to hurt people in villages during the eve of the New Year.

People learned that Nian was afraid of lights and loud sounds, so they hung red lanterns, made fires, created loud sounds and used firecrackers to scare off the monster.

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