It is Spring Festival season, a hugely important holiday for China and the Chinese. Preparations for the celebration start early.

Some traditions include a nice spring cleaning for the house. A very deep cleaning in all parts of the home. Almost everyone goes shopping for new clothing to totally start the year out fresh.

The idea behind all of this is that one can get rid of bad luck from the previous year by totally resetting everything.

Traditional Chinese banners are hung as a reminder of the occasion, and they’re always in lucky colors like red and gold, which symbolize happiness and prosperity.

Chinese New Year is also a time to pay respects to ancestors through offerings of food. Speaking of food, it plays a huge role in celebrating Chinese New Year.

The Chinese typically spend the New Year’s Eve making Chinese dumplings, which are also known as Jiaozi.

When the day arrives, it signals a time for firecrackers and fireworks. Legend says they were once used to ward off monsters.

Spring festival can be a lucrative time for children, who can expect to receive lucky red envelopes with money inside.

When celebrations wind down after 15 days, the Chinese mark the close of the holiday with a Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiaojie (元宵节).

As the name implies, those lanterns light up the night sky of the Chinese calendar’s first full moon.

Food again factors in with the Chinese eating ball-shaped dumplings with sweet fillings inside.

The dish is called Tangyuan, which means “family reunion”, which is a time to hope for best wishes for loved ones and for the future.