What is Chinese New Year?

Of the Chinese festivals celebrated throughout the year, the Lunar New Year is the most important and spectacular. In ancient China, the New Year was a time when the emeror honored his subjects. Today, the New Year celebrates the coming of a new year and family reunion. Families welcome the new year as a clean slate. They clean their house from top to bottom to remove all traces of the old year and misfortunate. They pray to the Money God for wealth and good fortune. Bills are paid and old debts are settled. They wash their hair and get new hair cuts. Children get new clothes. Lots of food is cooked and placed in front of a Kitchen God- as an offering. A plump Kitchen God is a happy Kitchen God. The Chinese believe that it is the Kitchen God that visits heaven and reports to the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the world. In China, all businesses are closed for the entire celebration so that family can be together. This year is the Year of the Pig.