food + meaning
吃鱼 phrase + meaning
“年年有鱼（余）” may you have abundance every year
The reason for elders giving children red envelopes (红包）.
means passing on good fortune
why do we clean the house before new years?
we clean away the bad spirits and fortune, welcoming good fortune for the new year
what do we do on Chinese new years eve?
stay up and set off fireworks at 12.
what are some phrases you say when you 拜年？
“恭喜发财” ”年年有鱼“ ”身体健康“ ”万事如意“
吃年糕 phrase + meaning
"年高”; higher income/position
Why do we wear red on Chinese new year?
red is the color of luck + prosperity.
why do we put up 对联
we write our blessings on it for the new year, hoping our wishes will come true.
what do we do on the 28th of the lunar calendar before new year?
发面做馒头；准备过年食物。
生意吉祥话
”生意兴隆“ ， ”财源滚滚“，”招财进宝“
吃汤圆 phrase + meaning
“团团圆圆”；family + togetherness
Why do we set off firecrackers/fireworks?
Firecrackers/fireworks are used to scare away evil spirits.
why do we worship our ancestors?
we pray for their blessings on our family and the next generations.
what do we do on the 26th of the lunar calendar before new year?
prepare meat dishes
祝福学生吉祥话
”学业进步“，”学有所成“， ”金榜题名“
吃饺子 meaning + reason
dumplings represent wealth; depending on how you shape them, they can represent Chinese silver ingots
why do we hang an upside down ”福“ on the door
福倒（到）了
why do we put up 门神 posters on our doors?
door gods are believed to protect our family by guarding the doors.
what do we do on the 24th of the lunar calendar before new year?
clean around the house
祝福老年人的吉祥话
”长命百岁“， ”吉祥如意“，”健康长寿“
芥兰 meaning
harmony
why do we stay up till midnight on new years eve
we stay up till midnight in worries of 年 (evil），as well as staying up to wait for it to hit 12 AM, welcoming the new year
why do we have dragon/lion dances on chinese new year?
it brings luck and eliminates evil spirits.
what do we do on the 23rd （小年） of the lunar calendar before new year?
we send 灶王爷 back to heaven, and prepare candy for him on the stove.
祝福年轻人的吉祥话
”步步高升“，”飞黄腾达“，”事业有成”