Chinese New Year or Spring Festival starts on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which changes every year, and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar (January or February). It is the longest and most important festival within Chinese population (not only China). Traditionally, people clean their houses thoroughly to sweep away the bad luck from the last year and to make space for good luck in the coming year. Some people paint their door and window frames in red to keep the evil spirits or bad fortunes away. Some buy new clothes symbolizing a fresh start or having enough to wear throughout a year. Families have dinner together, traditionally fish, dumplings, and a cake. Dragon and lion dances are common, which eliminate evil spirits. Lantern Festival ends the celebration with people lighting candles outside their houses and families walking the streets with lighted lanterns. Children take lanterns to temples and solve riddles on them. Today lanterns are in varied designs and different shapes of animals. Traditional lanterns are made of paper or wood. Modern more sophisticated lanterns are electric or neon. The most popular is Dragon Pole 27 meter-high spewing fireworks from its mouth. This is popular in such cities as Hangzhou and Shanghai. One of the beliefs of the origin of the Lantern Festival is that it is a celebration of positive relationships between people, families, and nature.
