Ok, so everyone knows about the firecrackers and the fireworks, but there is a lot more to Chinese New Year celebrations than loud noises. Lasting up to 30 days, we look at the ways the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year. Just like Christmas has presents in the morning, alcohol in the afternoon and arguments in the evening, we'll try and take a look at what happens on each day of the celebrations.
- Before you break out the champagne, you need to break out the sweeping brush. The first part of Chinese New Year celebrations is too clean the house from top to bottom. The idea is to sweep away any bad spirits and it has to be done before Chinese New Year Eve. Decorations are completed with red banners and signs hung around the house.
- The Chinese New Year equivalent of the Christmas Tree is a house filled with flowers. Orchids are a perpetual Chinese favorite but Kumquat trees and Orange trees are the most popular picks at Chinese New Year and houses will be decorated with at least one. During the run up to Chinese New Year, flower markets spring up in all major Chinese cities and as clock ticks down many stalls stay open around the clock.
