How do Chinese people spend New Year’s Eve?

On New Year's Eve, there are several traditional customs observed by the Chinese people:

1. Reunion Dinner (New Year's Eve Dinner): On the evening of New Year's Eve, family members gather to enjoy a sumptuous reunion dinner, symbolizing family unity and harmony. The dishes served during the dinner often carry auspicious meanings, such as fish (symbolizing surplus every year), chicken (representing good fortune), duck (signifying continuous luck), and more.

2. Staying Up Late (Shousui): Families stay up late on New Year's Eve, awaiting the arrival of the new year. Staying up until midnight, listening to the striking of the clock, signifies welcoming the beginning of the new year. In some places, people also set off fireworks to drive away evil spirits and welcome good luck for the upcoming year.

3. Worship and Ancestral Rites: Some families perform rituals to worship deities and ancestors, seeking blessings and protection. This may involve offering incense, burning symbolic money (joss paper), and expressing respect for the divine and ancestral spirits.

4. Posting Spring Couplets and Scrolls: Around New Year's Eve, households often affix spring couplets and scrolls. The spring couplets bear words of good fortune, and the scrolls serve as decorations for door frames, welcoming good luck into the home.

5. Red Packets (Hongbao): Elders give red packets containing money (known as "hongbao" or "ya sui qian") to younger family members as a gesture of blessing. The red color symbolizes auspiciousness and good luck.

6. Watching the Spring Festival Gala: On New Year's Eve, families typically watch the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, a large-scale variety show featuring performances such as singing, dancing, cross-talk, and skits. It has become a traditional part of family gatherings on this festive occasion.

These customs represent Chinese people's wishes for happiness, reunion, and auspiciousness on the special day of New Year's Eve. It's worth noting that due to the vast geographical diversity in China, there may be some regional variations in customs.