What we saw last night In Beijing
As part of the the Chinese New Year celebration, people buy presents, decorations, special foods and new clothing. Railroad stations throughout China are filled with travelers who take their vacation days around New Year to return home for a family reunion. Days before the New Year celebration, Chinese
families are busy giving their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes the house ready for good luck to enter. All brooms and dust pans are put away on New Year's Eve so good luck cannot be swept away.
In many homes, doors and windowpanes get a new coat of red paint. The home is decorated with paper-cuts and poems called couplets of "happiness", "wealth", "longevity" and "satisfactory marriage with children".
The New Year's Eve supper is a feast with all the members of the family getting together. One popular food is "jiaozi" which are dumplings boiled in water. After dinner, the whole family stays up all night playing cards, board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the New Year's celebration. Lights in the house are kept on during the whole night. 
At midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks which symbolize the sending out of the old year and the welcoming in of the new year. People open all the windows and doors in the house in order to let the old year go out. we have a plan for tomorrow to participate Temple Fair at Ditan.
Very early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive their New Year present. They get lucky red envelopes, called lisee or laisee with money inside. The rest of the first day of the New Year is spent visiting relatives, friends and neighbors.
There are many ancient superstitions still practiced on New Year's Day in China. Many people do not eat meat on this day because they believe it will give them happy lives for the rest of the year. Also, some believe it is bad luck to wash your hair on this day because you would wash away the good luck of the new year. It is believed that if you cry on New Year's day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are indulged by their parents, even though they might be naughty they are not punished on New Year's Day!
The second day of the new year is a day for prayer to the gods and to the ancestors of the family. It is also a day to be extra kind to dogs. An ancient belief is that the second day of the new year is the birthday of all dogs!
The fifth day of the new year celebration finds many Chinese families staying home. It is considered bad luck to visit friends and relatives on the fifth day. This day is called "Po Woo". It is a day to honor the God of Wealth.
The seventh day is a time for farmers to show off their produce. Farmers make a special drink using seven different vegetables and eat raw noodles for a long life. This day is considered the birthday of all human beings.
Chinese New Year is a time for reconciliation. Old grudges are forgiven. People are warm and friendly toward one another. Sometimes people exchange gifts. An important part of the New Year celebration is to honor and respect relatives and ancestors who have died. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The thanksgiving celebration is highlighted with a ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The thanksgiving ceremony to the family's ancestors, unites the living family members with those who have died. Ancestors are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the present day family.
The spiritual presence of ancestors is acknowledged by a family banquet on New Year's Eve. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living relatives, celebrate the New Year together. A special feast called "surrounding the stove" or "weilu" symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
The Festival of the Lanterns begins fifteen days after New Year's Day. It is celebrated with lantern shows and folk dances. Children display their lanterns in a night time parade. This is when the Chinese people welcome the first full moon of the new year. A typical food is "Tang Yuan", dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings. The Festival of the Lanterns mark the end of the New Year's celebration and life goes back to normal.
Chinese New Year customs vary from place to place in China because China is a big country geographically, demographically and ethnically. But the spirit underlying the diverse celebrations of the New Year is the same, a sincere wish of peace and happiness for family members and friends.
