As the most important festival in China, Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated by Chinese people around the world. It usually falls between late January and early February based on the lunar calendar. With thousands of years of history, this holiday is a time for family reunions, delicious food, and customs such as fireworks and red envelopes.

One of the most notable aspects of the Spring Festival is the tradition of “returning home”. For many Chinese people living and working in cities far away from their hometown, Spring Festival is the one chance they have to return to their family and spend time together. Train tickets sell out immediately when released in advance, and the entire nation seems to be travelling towards home in a race against time.

Upon arriving home, families will clean their houses to sweep away any bad luck from the previous year and make way for good luck. Red decorations and images of the pig (as 2019 is the Year of the Pig) are hung up around the house, and the family typically spends several days preparing for the upcoming celebrations.

Food plays a big part during the Spring Festival. Certain dishes are considered to be lucky, such as fish, which symbolizes prosperity, and dumplings, which resemble the shape of old Chinese silver ingots. The dumplings are often made by the whole family on New Year's Eve, representing unity.

Fireworks are also common during the Spring Festival. They are set off at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve, creating a seemingly endless boom of noise and light to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck for the upcoming year. However, in recent years, concerns have risen over the negative impact of fireworks on the environment and public safety, leading many cities to ban or restrict fireworks.

Lastly, red envelopes are another important symbol of Spring Festival. They are filled with money and given to children and unmarried adults by their parents, grandparents, or married friends and family as a symbol of good luck. In the digital age, red envelopes have also become a popular feature on social media platforms, with people sending and receiving digital red envelopes.

In conclusion, the Spring Festival is a time for Chinese people to come together, enjoy good food, and welcome the new year with hope and optimism. Although some aspects of the festival are changing due to modernization, the essence and spirit of this age-old tradition will continue to endure.