Rites of the lunar new year

Most of China's 1.3 billion people, and millions more around the world, start celebrating lunar new year with family-based feasting and drinking on the eve, launching the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. 
For the vast majority of families, who once depended upon farming, the new year holiday fell shortly before the start of laborious spring tilling and planting in many areas.
The holiday traditionally lasts until the 15th day of the lunar year, ending with the Lantern Festival. But the ruling Communist Party has cut it to a seven-day break for urban employees and state workers.
The Chinese lunar calendar dates back to the third millennium BC. Many ancient customs are still observed today. 
In the sub-zero temperatures of Beijing and other northern cities, people flock outside to let off fireworks at midnight.
The lunar year opens with a cacophony of bangs, crackles and whizzes from traditional firecrackers and increasingly large and sophisticated fireworks. They are often set off by men who have been drinking strong liquor, with poor quality fireworks also contributing to hundreds of injuries and a few deaths every year.
In ancient superstition, the fireworks were said to expel evil spirits, especially a monster called Nian, a homophone for the Chinese word for year.
For extra protection, the windows of most homes display animal-motif lanterns or elaborate paper-cuts, while entrances are often flanked by pairs of door-god pictures or good-luck couplets wishing fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity. 
Once the fireworks are over, families in the north return to their homes to eat boiled dumplings, while many in the south round off the new year's eve feasting with a bowl of wonton or glutinous rice balls.
The Chinese word for the dumplings, jiaozi, echoes an ancient expression meaning "over midnight" that refers to the two hours from 11 pm to 1 am.
Jiaozi are made before midnight and eaten after it. Families from northern China usually assemble the dumplings together earlier on new year's eve, stuffing them with meat and vegetables and often adding a lucky coin to one of them.
On the first day of the new year, it is customary for people to visit their close relatives. Married adults should take red envelopes containing banknotes for any children and unmarried adults of the families they visit. It is also common for employers to give similar red envelopes to their employees as a bonus. 
On the first day many people abstain from eating meat because they believe this will ensure longevity. For Buddhists, the first day is also the birthday of Budai Luohan, when people would abstain from killing animals. 
Most people spend the rest of the holiday eating and drinking with friends and family, and watching television, playing mah jong, or touring traditional temple fairs and shopping centres.
It is customary to wear new clothing with the colour red or other bright colours, since red is considered a lucky colour and having new clothes symbolizes welcoming new beginnings.