The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and Lantern Festival have rich histories in Chinese culture. Here is a brief explanation of their origins in English:
**Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)**
**Origin:**
The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and marks the beginning of the year. It has a history of over 4,000 years.
**Legends:**
There are several legends associated with the Spring Festival, one of the most famous being the story of Nian, a mythical beast that would attack villages. People believed that the beast was afraid of loud noises and red colors, so they would set off fireworks and wear red clothes to scare it away. Another popular legend is about the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who fought against the beast to protect the villagers.
**Celebrations:**
The festival is typically celebrated with family reunions, traditional meals, dragon and lion dances, red decorations, and the exchange of red envelopes (hongbao) containing money. The celebration lasts for 15 days, from the Lantern Festival.
**Lantern Festival**
**Origin:**
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival, is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is the end of the Spring Festival celebrations.
**Purpose:**
The festival is named after the lanterns that are lit up and displayed during the celebration. It's believed that lighting lanterns helps to honor the moon god and brings good luck for the upcoming year.
**Legends:**
One of the legends of the Lantern Festival is about a princess who was banished to a remote land by her jealous stepmother. To save her, the people in her village lit lanterns to guide her back to the kingdom. The festival is also linked to the story of the famous poet Su Dongpo, who is said to have started the custom of eating yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) during the festival.
**Celebrations:**
Lantern Festival celebrations often include lantern shows, dragon and lion dances, and the consumption of yuanxiao. Fireworks may also be set off to add to the festive atmosphere. The festival signifies the transition from the more solemn Spring Festival to a more relaxed and joyous period.
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