The Origin Of The Spring Festival

Now is the Spring Festival holiday, the grandest celebration in China. But have you ever known how this festival came to be?
The origins of traditional festivals intertwine ancient beliefs, sacrifices, astronomical events, calendars, and rich cultural traditions. Many of these festivals originated from the practice of offering gratitude to celestial gods and ancestral spirits on auspicious days.

Ancient civilizations marked the beginning and end of each season based on heavenly and earthly cycles. "Nian" became a term encompassing the four seasons. As the Earth completed its orbit around the sun, a year was defined on calendars, with each cycle repeating itself. The start of the year was determined by observing seasonal changes like spring's arrival when nature blossoms under the influence of celestial alignments.

Legend has it that over 2,000 years ago, Emperor Shun led his people in worshipping heaven and earth on a particular day. Since then, this day became known as the Lunar New Year or what we now celebrate as the Spring Festival.