Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, signals the beginning of the new lunar year and traditionally starts on the 23rd day of the 12th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, the festivities begin on January 29. The celebration typically concludes on the 15th day of the first lunar month, with most businesses reopening by the fifth day. In Mauritius, the festival is celebrated similarly to China, with traditions to fend off misfortune before the festivities begin. The day is marked by preparing an array of traditional Chinese dishes.

History of the Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese community in Mauritius observes the Spring Festival according to the lunar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, the date usually falls in January or February. The modern-day celebration is thought to have evolved from an ancient Chinese tradition of celebrating the end of the autumn harvest. In those times, people would clean up storage areas for millet, toast guests with traditional red wine or mijiu, slaughter lambs, and visit their masters’ homes to offer toasts and wish for long lives together. Today, families gather for a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, serving dishes with symbolic meanings. Fireworks are lit to ward off bad luck as the new year arrives.

In Mauritius, despite having a small Chinese community, the Spring Festival is a national public holiday, unique outside Asia. The main celebration takes place in the Chinatown of Port Louis, featuring vibrant parades with traditional costumes, such as the dancing dragon, along with dynamic performances and fireworks.

Key Milestones in the Chinese Spring Festival

771 B.C.: The first known story of the festival appears in “The Classic of Poetry,” written during the Western Zhou period.
1928: An attempt by the ruling Kuomintang party to move the New Year to January 1 of the Gregorian Calendar meets strong resistance and is rescinded.
1967-1976: The celebration was halted during the Cultural Revolution in China.
1983: C.C.T.V. begins broadcasting the Spring Festival Gala, now viewed by over a billion people annually.

Duration of the Chinese Spring Festival

The festival spans about 23 days, beginning on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month and ending on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Celebrating the Spring Festival in Mauritius

Mauritian families gather for a special dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year, enjoying traditional Chinese dishes. The celebrations often include lively parades with dancers and colorful costumes.

Spring Festival Celebrations in the U.S.

In the U.S., the festival is celebrated by lighting firecrackers at store entrances and thoroughly cleaning homes to remove bad luck. Engaging in these rituals and following them can enhance the celebration.