Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar

Of the many stories and legends the best known is the “Legend of Nian(年兽)”: There was a monster in ancient times with the body of a bull and the head of lion. It was a ferocious animal that lived in the mountains and hunted for a living. Towards the end of winter when there was nothing to eat Nian would visit the villages and attack and eat whatever it could causing the villagers to live in terror. Over time the villagers learned that the ferocious Nian was afraid of three things: the color scarlet, fire, and noise.

Eventually the villagers came together and agreed that when it was time for Nian’s annual visit, towards the end of winter, they would start a fire in front of every door, hang a scarlet painted board in front of every house, and rather than to sleep make lots of noise all night long.

The night came when Nian was spotted coming down the mountain and as planned they started the fires, put up the boards painted with scarlet and stayed up all night long making noise. The monster came down heard the ruckus, saw the fire and the painted boards. Terrified it ran back into the mountains never to return again. The next morning everyone congratulated each other and had a big celebration. They repeated this the next year and thus the annual ritual known as Guo Nian (过年) began and has been passed down from generation to generation.