The celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year may last only a few days including New Year's Eve, but the New Year season actually starts from the 15th of the last month of the old year and ends on the 15th of the first month of the new year.

The New Year's Eve is very carefully observed. Supper is a feast, with all members of the family coming together. One of the most popular courses is dumplings boiled in water. After dinner Chinese families traditionally sit up for the night having fun, playing cards or mahjong and watching television programs dedicated to the occasion. It is also customary to visit a flower market and to keep lights on at home for the whole night. The zenith of the festivities comes at midnight when fireworks light up the sky and the sound of firecrackers fills the night.

Early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive some money as a gift in red wrapping. After this families traditionally go from door to door first greeting relatives and then neighbors. It is a time for reconciliation when old grudges should be cast aside and the air is permeated with warmth and friendship.

During and several days following New Year's Day people visit each other and exchange gifts. The New Year atmosphere is brought to a close fifteen days later when the Festival of Lanterns begins. As the name suggests that festival sees more lanterns hung, and there is folk dancing across China. The boiled dumplings of New Year give way to a new kind--tang yuan--made with rice rolled into balls and stuffed with sweet or spicy fillings.