As in many cities with large Chinese community, traditional Chinese festivals are taken seriously and celebrated in a rather bombastic style with extravagant fireworks, colorful lights, street parades and endless variety of creative decorations...
Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year), is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar (usually falls sometimes between end of January and mid February) and ends on the 15th; this day is called the Lantern festival.
Macau's Chinese New Year celebrations are vivid and beautiful - a big carnival of colors, lights and sounds drags everybody to the city streets. Visitors who happened to be in Macau at this time of the year must not miss the events... The lovely flowers market at The Senado Square is a popular gathering place on the New Year's night and the 'Dragon and Lion dance performance' that runs through the city streets on the following day is enjoyed by a big crowd.
On the days before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning, known as 'spring cleaning'. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck.
Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. The city is decorated with Chinese lanterns and other traditional ornaments, all in red and gold colors that symbolize wealth and prosperity in Chinese tradition.
Statues and large dolls of the year's zodiac animal emblazoned everywhere and homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases.
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Symbols of the Chinese New Year :
Symbols are an important part of Chinese culture, and the Chinese New Year season is when you come across them quite frequently: Scissors and knives are not used, in order not to 'cut' the good luck... New brooms are used to "sweep away" the bad luck from home... New cloths are worn to symbolize a new beginning and sweets are given to the kids, in order to sweeten the coming new year...
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Chinese new year season is also a popular time for shopping. As an integral part of the holiday spirit, everybody buys new things to welcome the new year with cloths, shoes, households... you name it.
Shops offer irresistible sales and restaurants too have special holiday menus.
After the joyful celebrations on the New years night (and the following day) are over, the following days are spent with family and most of the city comes to a standstill... many shops and businesses close down for the holiday.
The holiday itself is marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as "new-year visits". Family reunion dinners are popular too, where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration.
New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year and Red packets with some money are given to juniors and children by the married and elders. Scissors and knives are not used, in order not to cut the good luck...
On the holiday's second day and thereafter, it is common to make a pilgrimage to the temples. Chinese New Year is a time to give thanks for the past 12 months and pray for good fortune in the coming year. Visiting the temples on these days is a unique experience, even though they can be crowded.
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The fifteenth day of the new year (the first full moon of the new year) is celebrated as Spring Lantern Festival. Candles are light outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns to celebrate the festivities. Big lantern-parades are held in the city's parks and at the large squares.
The Lantern Festival is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year.
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Next in line: The springtime holidays
