As evidenced by my recent posts, the Chinese New Year is no small affair.  What do people in China do during the new year celebrations?  Children are among the happiest, as they collect 红包 (red envelopes) which have money from relatives and family friends.  The money inside the envelopes is referred to as 压岁钱 (keep age down money).  The most popular program watched on the night of the new year is the 春晚 (new year’s eve program).  Prior to the program, families gather around the table to eat 年夜饭(new year’s eve meal), complete with homemade (not in all cases) 饺子 (dumplings).  Anyone and everyone stays up until midnight, a process known as 守岁 (staying up for the change in age).  Firecrackers are set off, dating back to an old tradition that held that there was a monster called the 年 (year) who feared the color red and could be scared off by loud noises.  Families’ doors will have couplets known as 春联 (specifically vertical couplets positioned on both sides of a door positioned with auspicious words) on them, and along the top will be pasted a 横幅 (a piece of red paper containing one 4-word auspicious phrase).  During the day, people visit their relatives in a process known as 拜年 (new year well-wishing).

红包 hong2bao1 – red envelope(s) containing money given during new year’s
春晚 chun1wan3 – short for 春节联欢晚会, it’s the gala broadcast by CCTV every new year’s eve
压岁钱 ya1sui4qian1 – money to press one’s age down
年夜饭 nian2ye4fan4 – new year’s eve meal
饺子 jiao3zi3 – dumplings
守岁 shou3sui4 – where families pass the new year and reflect on the past year’s events
年 nian2 – here “year” but it also refers to a mythical beast from long ago
春联 chun1lian2 – couplets pasted on a door bearing auspicious words
横幅 heng2fu2 – a rectangular piece of paper pasted above the door frame to complement the 春联
拜年 bai4nian2 – to visit people’s houses to wish them a happy new year