Preparation
Step1
Know when the New Year will be. Due to the way that the Chinese calendar works in combining the lunar and solar movements, the actual date of the New Year changes. In 2008 it will be on February 7. It begins on the first day of the new year and ends fifteen days later when the moon is full. You can find out when on The Chinese Calendar website.
Step2
Prepare your home. According to superstitions there are a few rules to follow, so you will need to clean your house before the New Year, not only because you will be entertaining guests, but also to "sweep" out the bad luck of the previous year. During the first 5 days of the celebration you are not permitted to use the broom as you may accidentally "sweep" your good luck or wealth for the oncoming year out of your home. Put away all knives and scissors so as not to accidentally "cut" the "thread of good luck."
Step3
Decorate. This is a fun and easy way to add to the aura of festivity. This should certainly include live flowers and plants, which play a large part in the traditional festivities. You can look on the 123 Holiday website to find out more specifically which plants and flowers are best and their meanings. Red papers with happy wishes should be placed around your home along with candies and tangerines and oranges aplenty. If you do not live near a traditional Chinese market, improvise the best you can and have fun with it.
Step4
Buy tickets if needed. On New Year's Eve, traditionally there would be a reunion dinner. This is where you would travel to the oldest family member's home and celebrate and pay homage to your ancestors. So, in the spirit of the holiday, this would be a nice time to visit if you are able.
Celebration
Step1
Visit. New Year's Day is traditionally a big family day, filled with warmth, forgiveness, gifts, and food. You should wear new clothes, especially red and gold as these colors ward off evil and invite wealth. You and your loved ones will feast on rich and delicious foods. Traditional ideas can also me found on the 123 Holiday website. Money is given in red envelopes to the younger people and everyone celebrates the older members of the family. This is also a time when the Chinese communities might host banquet dinners and you would see the lion or dragon dancers in the streets or at private parties.
Step2
Return to your parent's home on the second day if you are a married daughter. A newlywed husband is to bring a gift with him. Do note that any visits you make during the celebration time should include taking along tangerines and oranges, especially with stems intact if you are able to find them.
Step3
Go to bed early on the night of the third day. This is due to the charming legend that the mice marry off their daughters during this night and need the time to perform their ceremonies.
Step4
Prepare your food offerings for the return of the Kitchen god on the fourth day. And then clear them away on the fifth and return to a more normal life through the next few days. It is okay to "sweep" again.
Step5
Visit the temple to lay out offerings or gifts to the Jade Emperor whose birthday is the ninth day just after midnight. Sugarcane and tea were customary offerings during this time.
Step6
Invite friends and relatives to dinner and celebrations during the tenth through twelfth days and evenings. On the thirteenth day you should purge your body of the rich foods with a simple rice and mustard green diet to cleanse and renew your system.
Step7
Light the night with your lanterns on the fifteenth evening. The Lantern Festival traditionally brings an end to the New Year's celebration. You can read the fascinating history of this celebration on Internet sites like Chinese Culture. Along with the parades of lanterns, there are typically fireworks where permitted, lion and dragon dancers, and lots of delicious Tang Yuan to eat.
