Chinese New Year celebrates the end of winter and is also called the Spring Festival. The Chinese calendar is lunar, so it has 13 months, and the festival date changes slightly according to when the new moon appears. It falls between late January and the middle of February.

The festival is so old that it's not sure how it started. However, there are several legends including one involving a monster that can be frightened away by the red and coloured decorations that are typically displayed at this time.

New Year is seen as a time to clean houses, have a feast with your family and make a fresh start, looking forward to a good year ahead. People visit relatives, give special gifts and, if you have a problem with anyone, New Year is the time to bury the hatchet and, as with other things in your life, start afresh. The celebrations end with the famous Festival of Red Lanterns.

For a brief overview of Chinese New Year customs, please click here.