Spring Festival (one of the four traditional festivals in China), that is, the Chinese Lunar New Year, commonly known as Xin Nian, Xin Sui, Sui Dan, etc., is also called Guo Nian or Guo Danian orally.  The Spring Festival has a long history, which evolved from the worship of praying at the beginning of the year in ancient times. The origin of the Spring Festival contains profound cultural connotation and carries rich historical and cultural heritage in the inheritance and development. During the Spring Festival, all parts of the country hold various activities to celebrate the Spring Festival, with strong regional characteristics. These activities are mainly about removing the old and making the new, exorcising evil spirits, the worship of gods and ancestors and praying for the New Year, which are the essence of Chinese traditional culture.

 

In modern times, people set the Spring Festival on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, but it usually doesn't end until the 15th day of the first month. The Spring Festival is a folk festival that integrates worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, reuniting relatives and friends, enjoying entertainment and eating.Among hundreds of Festivals in China, the Spring Festival is the most solemn traditional festival of the China. Influenced by Chinese culture, some countries and regions in the world also have the custom of celebrating Chinese New Year. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 20 countries and regions have designated the Chinese Spring Festival as a legal holiday for the whole or some cities under their jurisdiction. The Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are known as the four traditional festivals in China.

 

The origin of ancient traditional festivals is related to ancient primitive beliefs, sacrificial culture, as well as human and natural cultural contents such as astrology and calendar. According to the research results of modern anthropology and archaeology, there are two most primitive beliefs of human beings: one is the belief in heaven and earth, and the other is the belief in ancestors.  Most of the ancient traditional festivals were formed in the ancient people's sacrifice on a day to thank the gods of heaven and earth, the kindness of ancestors, and the activities of praying for blessings and ward off evil spirits. The early festival culture reflects the humanistic spirit of the ancients, such as the worship of nature, the unity of heaven and man; A series of sacrificial activities contain the profound cultural connotation of only respecting and gratefulness, etiquette and music civilization. The origin and development of new year's Day (Sui Jie) covers the contents of humanistic philosophy and natural laws.

 

In the traditional farming society, the beginning of spring is of great significance, which has derived a large number of folk cultures related to the Spring Festivals. Although since then, due to the promotion of the solar calendar and lunar calendar system in the historical development, the solar calendar festivals and lunar calendar festivals have been separated, many festival folk customs have remained. The Spring Festival is evolved from the prayers and sacrifices at the beginning of the year. In ancient times, people held sacrificial activities at the beginning of the year to pay tribute to the gods of heaven and earth, the kindness of ancestors, to exorcise evil spirits, and pray blessing and happiness for the new year when the spring returns to the earth, and everything starts and renews.The origin and development of the Spring Festival is a process of gradual formation, subtle improvement and popularization. As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, spring festival culture not only carries the profound Chinese cultural heritage, but also records the rich and colorful social life and cultural content of ancient people.

 

The astrological culture in China has a long history and is extensive and profound. The ancients began to explore the mysteries of the universe very early, and thus deduced a complete and profoundly astrological culture. The Big Dipper rotates in a circle, and the shifting of the stars is closely related to seasonal changes. The Big Dipper is an important astrological phenomenon in the northern hemisphere (China is located in the northern hemisphere). When the stars change, the natural rhythm of the corresponding area  in the vicinity of the yellow-red intersection in the northern hemisphere is also gradually changing, so it has become the basis for people to judge the change of seasons. 

 

The Spring Festival is a festival for people's entertainment and carnival. At the turn of the new year, firecrackers, fireworks, farewell to the old year, welcome the new year and other activities to celebrate the new year reached a climax. After the first day of the lunar new year, a variety of colorful entertainment activities are carried out, adding a strong festive atmosphere to the Spring Festival. The warm atmosphere of the festival not only permeates every household, but also fills the streets and alleys around the country. During this period, the city was full of lanterns and the streets were full of people. The Spring Festival was not really over until after the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month.