The history of Chinese New Year is the history of the oldest cultural festivals in the world with the history tracing back years and years back. Its history is closely related to the old farming customs and the celebrations during the spring in relation to the greetings of the spring.
Initially in the Chinese society, farmers relied on the natural cycles of seasons in order to enjoy successful harvests. The winter was over and spring was coming in as a sign of the better weather and fruitful agriculture. This was a time of year-end ceremonies in which communities remembered the ancestors and asked blessings on a successful future.
There is a well-known mythology related to the Chinese New Year and one of the mythical creatures is known as Nian. Folklore demonstrates that this monster came at the beginning of every year to scare away the people in villages and kill the crops.
It turned out that people found out that the creature was scared of loud sounds, bright lights, and red color. Villagers employed fireworks, lanterns, and red decoration to make away the creature to protect themselves.
These preventive measures eventually developed into holiday customs which are still practiced today. Fireworks, red banners, lantern displays are still considered as the key elements of the Chinese New Year celebrations of the modern era.
The festival was also more organized and popularized during ancient dynasties. The ceremonies held by emperors were to worship heaven, ancestors and the well-being of the state.
The Chinese lunar calendar is significant in the process of establishing the date of the festival. Lunar calendar is based on the moon cycles as compared to Gregorian calendar. Due to this reason, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on a different day every year.
The performance was made a global festival as the Chinese culture began to spread to other parts of the world through Asia. There are a lot of countries where there are public festivals of traditional performances and cultural activities.
Though Chinese New Year is affected by modernity, ancient practices are still maintained. The festival has continued to be a strong sign of renewal, family cohesion and cultural pride.
It has a long tradition that has been mirrored in its rich history and in the way the new beginnings are always celebrated.