The myth and history behind China’s biggest holiday.
Happy Chinese New Year, 2019! February 5 is the first day in China’s traditional lunar calendar and is the country’s most important holiday. People gather with their extended families for a big meal the night before, party on the streets, set off fireworks, and decorate everything in red. Think of it as a combination of Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
The traditions behind it, however, are very different — and really interesting. In addition to the fireworks, Chinese New Year also features a dragon dance and decorating everything in red. This has to do with a Chinese folk legend about a monster plaguing a town, explained really nicely in a video from the English-language operation of CCTV (China’s state broadcaster) embedded below.
