Snake’s Sweeping Soiree

by Li Xia Wen Zhihong Liu Haile and Zhao Yue

Chinas biggest holiday， Spring Festival （or Chinese New Year）， started on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month， January 19， 2013. After that date， millions of people began heading home for New Years Eve to meet family for a reunion dinner. For thousands of years， Chinese New Year has been the period people bid farewell to the past year and welcome the new， pay homage to their ancestors， socialize with relatives and friends， and pray for prosperity. Their remembrance， gratitude， and aspirations are embodied in colorful folk celebrations which last weeks.