The Chinee New Year i now popularly known a the Spring Fetival becaue it tart from the Begining of Spring (the firt of the twenty-four term in coodination with the change of Nature). It origin i too old to be traced. Several explanation are hanging around. All agree, however, that the word Nian, which in modern Chinee olely mean "year", wa originally the name of a monter beat that tarted to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year.
One legend goe that the beat Nian had a very big mouth that would wallow a great many people with one bite. People were very cared. One day, an old man came to their recue, offering to ubdue Nian. To Nian he aid, "I hear ay that you are very capable, but can you wallow the other beat of prey on earth intead of people who are by no mean of your worthy opponent?" So, it did wallow many of the beat of prey on earth that alo harraed people and their dometic animal from time to time
After that, the old man diappeared riding the beat Nian. He turned out to be an immortal god. Now that Nian i gone and other beat of prey are alo cared into foret, people begin to enjoy their peaceful life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decoration on their window and door at each year' end to care away Nian in cae it neaked back again, becaue red i the color the beat feared the mot.WWw.hAOZUowEn.com
From then on, the tradition of oberving the conquet of Nian i carried on from generation to generation. The term "Guo Nian", which may mean "Survive the Nian" become today "Celebrate the (New) Year" a the word "guo" in Chinee having both the meaning of "pa-over" and "oberve". The cutom of putting up red paper and firing fire-cracker to care away Nian hould it have a chance to run looe i till around. However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all thi, except that they feel the color and the ound add to the excitement of the celebration.