Chinese New Year(based on the lunar calendar)or Spring Festivals comparable only to Christmas for its joyousness and personal significance. New Year's Eve dinner is the most important event when the whole family is present. Preparations for the meal and house cleaning begin days in advance. Special foods are served and more meat the usual is prepared. Dumplings, jiaozi, are considered lucky and will be part of the northern Chinese meal while in a southern household there is likely to be a banquet with many courese including pork,duck,fish, shellfish, chicken, vegetables and a soup or two. Foods can have a symbolic value. For instance, blood clams called pang sound like the work for fat, so eating them will make one rich and plump. Fish balls mean re and turnip boodes well.The New Year Cake, is a sweet and sticky confection made with glutinous rice and brown sugar. On New Year's Eve,the family stays up all night as is described in Su Dongpo's poem, "Guarding the Year." Children refuse to go to bed, watching the night together. The house will be illuminated and pungent with incense. Fireworks will pierce the night, scaring the demons and bad luck away. The incense and the fireworks welcome back the deities that left heaven at the end of the previous year. That night, housewives prepare the sacrifices for New Year's Day:colored paper money, tinfoil shapes and fruit. Pictures of the Door Gods will be posted on the outside door with couplets limned in bright red. Folk art posters and paper cut outs adorn windows. The posters depict chubby babies, gods and goddesses. There are special activities every day for a fortnight until the 15th day of the first month, Lantern Festival. Yuan Xiao is the 15th day of the Lunar Calendar. On the night of Yuan Xiao, also known as the Lantern Festival, Chinese custom calls for the display of lanterns inside or outside of the homes. According to Taoist belief, the Lord of Heaven visits the earth on the Lantern Festival to confer luck and happiness on those who are morally upright. Dating back to the Warring States period,people spent this night gazing at lanterns under the moonlight. Emperors canceled the nightly curfew they imposed on the common folk and allowed their people to enjoy the festivities.
