The Chinese New Year starts with traditional Chinese decorations. It begins with first day of lunar calendar therefore exact date of celebration varies on every New Year. The people start decorating their houses a week ahead of New Year. The Chinese New Year decorations start up with cleaning up of the houses and coloring them. People in china believe that New Year brings happiness and prosperity to their houses therefore it is very necessary to keep their houses clean and tidy. Therefore, on the eve of New Year people change the look of their house. The Chinese New Year is incomplete without the graceful and colorful decorations that embellish common homes during this time. The favorite colors of Chinese New Year decorations are red and gold. Red indicates happiness while Gold indicates wealth.
These two colors are principal in most Chinese New Year decorations and greeting cards. Doors and windows are given a spanking new looking, by varnishing it with red paint on Chinese New Year. People in China titivate their front doors with Chinese decorations and Spring Couplets, which are perfumed with fresh India ink, to give the feeling of life's revitalization and the revisit of spring. Cooking special Chinese dishes and cookies for the family and friends are also apart of new year celebrations The Chinese New Year celebrations lasts for 15 days and every member of the family is assigned with New Year responsibilities. Each member of the family is given a task to organize for New Year celebrations. Red and golden color are generally used during these 15 days of celebrate the eve. Red indicated fire and keeps evil away, whereas gold indicated welcome to goddess of glory and richness. Red keeps evil thoughts and bad luck away whereas red color brings prosperity and sumptuousness.
Spring couplets are impressed with blessings and wishes for good fortune, happiness, prosperity, health, wealth and a long life. These Chinese couplets have three parts, two longer ones vertically hanging on each side of door, and one shorter horizontally hanging on the top of the door. Paintings of various such themes are also put up to adorn their homes with a festive look. In addition, the Chinese New Year decorations also include embellishing their doors or windows with auspicious Chinese New Year Children Figures, usually one boy and one girl, opposite each other. They both hold "Lucky" signs and are the symbols of "Good Luck" for the Chinese New Year.
Both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated in China as a family event, a time of gathering and appreciation. Deceased family members are remembered with great esteem, because they were conscientious for laying the foundations for the affluence and grandeur of the relations. The first day of the Lunar New Year is celebrated by "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Further the celebration continues for 15 days with various activities ahead of the New Year. Chinese New Year celebrations are turning out to be attraction point for tourists.
