Traditional Spring Festival decorations

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-10-2008 15:21

No Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is complete without the elegant, colorful decorations that adorn homes.

The tradition of placing Spring Couplets on doors  goes back centuries.(CCTV.com)

And doors, walls and windows are often given a fresh coat of red paint.

Chinese New Year begins on doors and walls.

The tradition of placing Spring Couplets on doors goes back centuries.

The poems are blessings and auspicious words, such as "Springtime", "good fortune", "good health", "wealth" and "longevity."

Before the Lunar New Year Eve, every household will paste the couplets on front doors to provide a happy and prosperous atmosphere.

Shen Ping, Research Fellow, Capital Museum of China, said, "A huge clean-up needs to be done in the last week of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. People sweep away the dust of the past year, and put up new year ornaments. Decorations including the couplets often stay up for the entire Spring Festival season."

Some of the most popular decorations are the New Year paintings.

The subjects are usually a boy and a girl both holding lucky signs to express wishes for the coming year.

The Door Gods is also an option. The famous ancient warriors are believed to help drive away evil.

Some of the most popular decorations are the New  Year paintings.(CCTV.com)

Chinese usually buy the Door Gods in the market, but are reluctant to say that they are bought. They like to use the word "invite" to show respect to the characters from old legends.

Shen Ping, Research Fellow, Capital Museum of China, said, "The Door Gods originated from a legend in the era of Tang Dynasty, some one-thousand years ago. An emperor met ferocious devils in his dream one night. To prevent them from returning, he asked his two warriors to stand in front of the doors of his bedroom. That method worked and was passed down to ordinary people. So Chinese paste the painting of the Door Gods on front doors of their house, to scare away all the ill-fortune."