The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar Festival or Spring Festival, is an important religious and cultural celebration not only in China but in whole of East Asia where Chinese traditions are deeply rooted. It is characterized by elaborate decors, rituals, superstitions and lavish feasts. The Chinese greet each other Guonian! (a send-off for the old year) and Bainian! (welcoming the new year) as they observe traditions like honoring gods and deities, visit temples, burn colored papers and firecrackers, dress up and eat special foods.

The 15-day celebration begins on the first day of the first Chinese lunar month called the New Moon Festival and ends on the 15th day called the Lantern Festival. The dates for the annual jubilation is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which often starts from late January to the first week of February of the Gregorian calendar. The 40 days or so around the new year festival is called the Chunyun period, a time when the largest number of Chinese are traveling to and from the mainland to be home for this important family occasion.

Each of the 15-day celebrations are dedicated for specific activities. There's the welcoming of the deities on Day 1, home visits by married daughters on Day 2, grave-visiting on Days 3 and 4, celebration of the Chinese god of wealth and eating of jiao zi (dumplings) on Day 5, every man's birthday (when every Chinese adds one year to their age) on Day 7, up until Day 15 known as the Yuanxiaojie or Lantern Festival, where tangyuan or rice dumplings are prepared and lanterns are paraded to guide spirits home, marking the end of the celebrations.