In the upcoming year Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 8. Though it is at the beginning of February for our modern day society, the New year actually takes place on the last day of the last month according to the Chinese calendar. The holiday is also known as the spring festival and has only recently been modernized and adapted into "Chinese New Year". Even so, it is a very traditional celebration and usually important to Chinese family's. The holidays many traditions encompass around an ancient legend. It tells a story about a man-eating beast called Nian. Nian lived deep underwater but every Chinese New Year he would come out of the sea to eat livestock and humans. One year, though, an old man asked to be left in the village on the New Year with the promise that he will scare away the beast. When Nian came into the village the old man shot fireworks at the beast, scaring him back into the water. When the villagers returned the old man was gone but had left the fireworks for the villagers. From then on Chinese families would light firecrackers and hang red banners to ward off Nian.  A common celebration of Chinese New Year is a parade with dancers, fireworks, and beautiful floats. People frequently hand out red envelopes with money to children to ward off evil and keep them in good health. Many will also decorate their homes to welcome the New Year, adding lanterns, red patterns, and more. On the first day of the New Year some people will stay inside all day while others will go out to greet everyone they meet. On the second day married women will visit their parents and religious ceremonies will be held. On a third another ceremony takes place, and on the fifteenth people celebrate the lantern festival. A Popular food eaten on Chinese New Year  is Yú, or fish. The way the fish is prepared is very important. The head should be placed towards guests or elders to show respect. The meal can be enjoyed only after the person who the head is pointing toward has finished his meal. The fish can not be moved either. Dumplings are also served in Northern China but are rare in Southern China. Spring rolls and noodles are also traditional and have their own important traditions as well. A traditional Chinese saying on the New Year is 福禄寿, or fú lù shòu, meaning happiness, prosperity, longevity. People say this
during and after the New Year in hopes of brining good luck to those people.  Chinese New Year
interested me because I had heard the mythological tale before but had never looked into it. The festivals seem exciting. I also found it interesting that Chinese New year connected with gunpowder.