According to the Chinese mythology, every 1st day of year the villagers had to fight the Nian which was a mythical beast.The Nian used to eat crops and children.But the Nian saw a child dressed in red and the Nian afraid of it , so the villagers every year were hanging red laterns in their doors to scare the Nian.The Nian got finally captured by a Taoist monk whose name was Hongjun Laozu
Every year people exchange gifts which gifts include fruits (typically oranges, and never pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, candies, or some other small gift.But the most exciting thing in the Chineese year in my opinion are the fireworks beacause they create beautiful clours when they are in the sky.
THE CHINESE CALENDAR
| Animal | Branch | New Year dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鼠 Shǔ Rat | 子 Zǐ | February 19, 1996 | February 7, 2008 | January 25, 2020 |
| 牛 Niú Ox | 丑 Chǒu | February 7, 1997 | January 26, 2009 | February 12, 2021 |
| 虎 Hǔ Tiger | 寅 Yín | January 28, 1998 | February 14, 2010 | February 1, 2022 |
| 兔 Tù Rabbit | 卯 Mǎo | February 16, 1999 | February 3, 2011 | January 22, 2023 |
| 龍 Lóng Dragon | 辰 Chén | February 5, 2000 | January 23, 2012 | February 10, 2024 |
| 蛇 Shé Snake | 巳 Sì | January 24, 2001 | February 10, 2013 | January 29, 2025 |
| 马 Mǎ Horse | 午 Wǔ | February 12, 2002 | January 31, 2014 | February 17, 2026 |
| 羊 Yáng Goat | 未 Wèi | February 1, 2003 | February 19, 2015 | February 7, 2027 |
| 猴 Hóu Monkey | 申 Shēn | January 22, 2004 | February 8, 2016 | January 27, 2028 |
| 雞 Jī Rooster | 酉 Yǒu | February 9, 2005 | January 28, 2017 | February 13, 2029 |
| 狗 Gǒu Dog | 戌 Xū | January 29, 2006 | February 16, 2018 | February 3, 2030 |
| 豬 Zhū Pig | 亥 Hài | February 18, 2007 | February 5, 2019 | January 23, 2031 |
