中国新年：传统与习俗 | Chinese New Year: Traditions and Customs

中国新年：传统与习俗 | Chinese New Year: Traditions and Customs

春节是中国最重要的节日，也是全球规模最大的年度人口迁徙——"春运"期间约30亿人次出行。

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is China's most important holiday, triggering the world's largest annual migration — about 3 billion trips during the "Chunyun" travel rush.

春节时间线 | Spring Festival Timeline

腊月二十三（小年） — 祭灶神、吃灶糖，从这天开始"忙年"。北方小年比南方早一天。

The 23rd of the 12th lunar month ("Little New Year") — offerings to the Kitchen God and eating malt candy. Preparations begin. Northern China celebrates a day earlier than the south.

除夕 — 全家团聚吃年夜饭（北方饺子、南方年糕/汤圆），看央视春晚，守岁到午夜放鞭炮。年夜饭桌上一定有鱼（"年年有余"）。

New Year's Eve — family reunion dinner (dumplings in the north, rice cakes/tangyuan in the south), watching the CCTV Gala, staying up until midnight for firecrackers. Fish is always served (the word for "fish" sounds like "surplus").

大年初一 — 穿新衣、晚辈给长辈拜年、长辈给晚辈发红包。不扫地（怕扫走好运）、不说不吉利的话。

Day 1 — wear new clothes, younger generation pays respects to elders, elders give red envelopes (hongbao). No sweeping (might sweep away luck) or saying unlucky words.

初二到初六 — 走亲访友、逛庙会、看舞龙舞狮。初五"破五"迎财神，商家开门营业放鞭炮。

Days 2-6 — visit relatives and friends, attend temple fairs, watch dragon and lion dances. Day 5 "Po Wu" welcomes the God of Wealth; shops reopen with firecrackers.

正月十五（元宵节） — 吃汤圆/元宵、赏花灯、猜灯谜。这一天标志春节正式结束。

The 15th (Lantern Festival) — eat tangyuan/yuanxiao, admire lantern displays, solve lantern riddles. This day officially closes the Spring Festival.

旅行者如何体验春节 | How Travelers Can Experience It

最佳城市：北京（庙会和故宫）、西安（城墙灯会）、成都（武侯祠大庙会）、哈尔滨（冰灯+春节）。注意：春节期间很多小店和餐厅歇业，提前备好食物和现金。

Best cities: Beijing (temple fairs and Forbidden City), Xi'an (city wall lantern festival), Chengdu (Wuhou Temple Grand Fair), Harbin (ice lanterns + Spring Festival). Note: many small shops and restaurants close — stock up on food and cash in advance.

小贴士 | Tips: 春节红包现在多用微信/支付宝发电子红包，但实体红包在正式拜年时仍不可少。外国人收到红包不用推辞，接受就好。 Red envelopes are now mostly digital via WeChat/Alipay, but physical ones are still essential for formal visits. Foreigners receiving hongbao don't need to refuse — just accept graciously.