1. Paste window grilles and the word "Fu"
In the folk, people also like to paste various paper-cuts - window grilles on their windows.
Window grilles not only enhance the festive atmosphere, but also integrate decoration, appreciation and practicality. With its unique summary and exaggeration techniques, window grilles vividly express auspicious symbols and good wishes, decorating the festival with prosperity and splendor.
At the same time as pasting Spring Festival couplets, some families have to paste large and small "福" characters on their doors, walls, and lintels. The word "福" refers to blessing and luck, expressing people's yearning for a happy life and their wishes for a better future. Some people simply paste the word "福" upside down to express "happiness has arrived" or "blessing has arrived".
2. New Year pictures
New Year pictures are an ancient folk art in my country, reflecting the people's simple customs and beliefs, and reposing their hopes for the future. New Year pictures, like Spring Festival couplets, originated from the "door god". With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year paintings is no longer limited to monotonous themes such as door gods, but has become rich and colorful. In some New Year painting workshops, "Three Stars of Fortune, Luxury and Longevity", "Blessings from Heavenly Officials", "Five Grain" Classic color New Year pictures such as "Prosperous Harvest", "Prosperity of Six Livestocks", "Welcoming Spring and Receiving Good Luck" can satisfy people's good wishes of celebrating the good year.
3. Firecrackers
There is a saying among Chinese people that "firecrackers open the door". That is to say, when the New Year arrives, the first thing every household does when they open the door is to set off firecrackers to ward off the old and welcome the new with the beeping sound of firecrackers.
With the passage of time, the application of firecrackers has become more and more widespread, and the varieties and colors have become more and more numerous. Firecrackers must be set off during major festivals and happy events, as well as weddings, house construction, openings, etc. To express congratulations and for good luck.
4. New Year’s Eve dinner
Of course, you must prepare a New Year’s Eve dinner during the Spring Festival. Among them, cured meat is also a special dish in the New Year’s Eve dinner. Many provinces in my country have the custom of pickling cured meats, among which the cured meats of Guangdong Province are the most famous.
In addition, because rice cakes are homophonic to "year high", they have become a must-have seasonal food for every family. The styles of rice cakes include square yellow and white rice cakes, which symbolize gold and silver and convey the meaning of getting rich in the new year.
The night before the New Year is called Reunion Eve. People who are away from home have to travel thousands of miles to get home. Dumplings are an indispensable dish for New Year’s Eve dinner in the north. The whole family will sit together and make dumplings to celebrate the New Year. There are also ways to eat dumplings, such as fried dumplings and baked dumplings (pot stickers). Because the word "和" in noodles means "合"; the characters "Jiao" and "Jiao" in dumplings are homophones, and "He" and "Jiao" also mean getting together, so dumplings are used to symbolize reunion and joy; they are also used to symbolize reunion. The meaning of Jiaozi is very auspicious; in addition, because dumplings resemble ingots in shape, eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year also has the auspicious meaning of "bringing in wealth and treasure". The whole family gathers together to make dumplings, talk about the New Year, and have fun.