"The Spring Festival- Chinese New Year" by Li Yi Huang

New Year Fireworks display, Hong Kong

The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China, and I like it very much. It comes from a legend. In the ancient time, there was a monster called "Year" who always attacked the people on January 1st of the lunar calendar. Fortunately, "Year" was afraid of firecrackers. So people set off firecrackers to beat it out. People celebrate this day and call it "New Year". Nowadays, we also celebrate the Spring Festival as the harvest festival and reunion day. It lasts for 15 days until January 15th.

We do a lot preparation for the holiday. Before the holiday, we do a deep cleaning of the house and go shopping for new clothes, some beautiful flowers and red scrolls for the new year. We decorate our house with the flowers and paste the red scrolls on doors or walls.

Chinese Dragon

On New Year's Eve, we cook a lot for a big dinner, like the whole chicken, the whole goose and some special dim sum. Before the dinner, we used to worship heaven and the ancestors with chicken, goose, and joss sticks. After the joss sticks burn through, we can start our big dinner. All the family members sit around a big round table chat and laugh. That's the happiest time.

After dinner, we watch some TV shows and wait for the count down to welcome the Spring Festival. In the morning of the first day, we wear new clothes and new shoes to go out and walk around for the New Year fortune. For the New Year, we must say some good words to our parents and other elders. At the same time, we receive the red packet called lucky money from them. That was the most exciting thing when I was a child.

Lion Dance

From the first day of new year, different kinds festivities start. We have a Lion Dance, a tug-of-war competition, volleyball match, and a wonderful fireworks display at night. And these activities last for several days.

We really enjoy this holiday. Not only do we have a week off, but also all our family members can gather together to share the things that happened the year before, and welcome the New Year.