New Year celebration saw a new high

Source: CRI | 02-23-2007 18:24

Special Report:   2007 Spring Festival

Feb.23 - The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Beijing saw its second climax on Thursday after New Year's Eve with a bash of fireworks set to purge bad luck and poverty.

Fireworks shook the city and illuminated the skies. The revelry started shortly after night fell and lasted until midnight. This is the second Spring Festival permitting Beijing residents to light fireworks within the Fifth Ring Road of the city after a 12-year ban was lifted in December 2005.

February 22 is the fifth day of the first month on China's lunar calendar. According to Chinese custom, fireworks are lit on that day aiming to drive away devils, bad luck and poverty.

People also eat jiaozi, or dumplings. China Economic Net reported jiaozi sales volumes at supermarkets and restaurants in Beijing doubled on Thursday.

In most elderly Chinese minds, diners who find money, dates or sugar wrapped in jiaozi are usually perceived to have a sweet new year in store.

Cleaning is also a very important tradition on the day. Since floor-sweeping is not allowed from New Year's Eve to the fourth day for fear that good luck would be swept away, according to Chinese custom, people perform a thorough cleaning on the fifth and sweep away all the litter from their homes, hoping to chase poverty away.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan