Spring Festival: A Timeless Chinese Tradition Recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China – a time for family reunions, traditions, and preparing for the year ahead. In China, the spring festival marks the beginning of the new year. It falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and involves a variety of social practices to usher in the new year, pray for good fortune, celebrate family reunions and promote community harmony. This process of celebration is known as ‘guonian’ (crossing the year). In the days preceding the festival, people clean their homes, stock provisions and prepare food. On New Year’s Eve, families dine together and stay up late to welcome the new year. During the festival, people wear new clothes, make offerings to heaven, earth and ancestors, and extend greetings to elders, relatives, friends and neighbours. Public festivities are held by communities, cultural institutions, social groups and art troupes.

The traditional knowledge of the rituals, customs, legends and ballads associated with the spring festival, and the skills of preparing festival decorations and supplies, are transmitted informally within families and communities as well as formally through the public education system. Related crafts and performing arts are transmitted through apprenticeships. The spring festival promotes family values, social cohesion and peace while providing a sense of identity and continuity for the Chinese people.

As a signature part of Chinese culture, the Spring Festival, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the most important festivals practiced in China and around the world. UNESCO added “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional New Year” to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held on December 4, 2024, which is an acknowledgment of not only its Chinese roots but also the ideas it carries that connect all humanity. 

The Spring Festival bears Chinese civilization’s pursuit of peace and harmony, promotes best wishes for the future, and substantiates the common values of humanity such as social inclusion and a sound relationship between man and nature.

Spring Festival puts family at its core. The Chinese cherish family and the strong bonds among family members, and extend this affection to the community and the nation and beyond. That’s why each Spring Festival, millions of people from across the country embark on the journey home, making the phenomenon the greatest human migration on Earth. 

Celebrations for the Spring Festival last for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival, to give full play to family gatherings, feasts, and various cultural activities. 

It starts at the dining table in every household. Spring Festival food traditions contribute a great deal to the culture of Chinese cuisine. From dumplings to sticky rice cakes, from fried meatballs to braised fish, and geographically from north to the south, all dishes carry the best blessings for people’s loved ones during the Spring Festival. One mealtime tradition is to place a small item, usually a coin or jujube, into one of the dumplings. If someone gets the coin, it means that person will have good financial luck in the New Year, whereas a jujube would signify romantic luck. 

The Spring Festival incorporates a comprehensive range of intangible cultural heritages at various levels. It is a festival filled with folk tales and the traditions based on them.

The fireworks and the red decorations in front of many homes and businesses were originally intended to scare away the beast called nian (year), a mythical beast thought to have preyed on people and livestock at the turn of the year. The monster, however, was afraid of loud bangs and the color red.

Today, during the Spring Festival, people carry on the tradition of hanging red lanterns, setting off fireworks and fixing red scrolls with rhyming phrases on their doors in the hopes these can ward off evil spirits and attract good luck.

In addition to the customs on specific days, there are also other interesting cultural symbols and events related to the festival. Many of these celebrations and events that have been passed down from generation to generation are practiced in China, Asia and beyond. They include paper-cuts, the dragon dance and lantern festival events, together forming the happiest of days for those who celebrate this event.

The reason why Spring Festival has become such a notable representative of Chinese culture is because of the rich cultural connotations and widespread public participation. The evolution from ancient practices to today’s Chinese New Year reflects how Chinese traditions are passed on from generation to generation. But it is not only a unique festival for the Chinese people, it has also been gradually accepted and celebrated around the world, becoming a global cultural event.

Over time, Spring Festival has been innovating itself while preserving traditions. Spring Festival’s connotations and functions are rich and diverse.

Spring Festival: From traditional Chinese festival to world intangible heritage

China now boasts 44 cultural elements or practices, the most of the kind worldwide, on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list with this fresh addition, which reinforces the festival’s legacy as a symbol of joy, unity, and shared human values.

TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL GOES GLOBAL

Rooted in the Chinese culture with celebrations of various forms, the Spring Festival marks the first day of the lunar calendar and symbolizes renewal and family unity. It is a time to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring through cherished traditions such as spring cleaning, red decorations symbolizing prosperity, and festive family feasts.

The festival’s iconic dragon and lion dances, accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats, are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring blessings. These vibrant performances have become synonymous with the celebration, captivating audiences around the world. From bustling Chinatowns in New York and London to community events across Africa and South America, the festival’s influence transcends cultural and geographical boundaries.

It is a festival that extends beyond a single day; it involves weeks of preparation and reflects values such as filial piety and community spirit.

UNIVERSAL CELEBRATION OF UNITY AND JOY

More than just a cultural tradition, the Spring Festival serves as a global celebration of unity and joy. Through vibrant parades, culinary fairs, and workshops on Chinese crafts, it invites people from all walks of life to experience its inclusive and festive spirit.

Among the festival’s cherished traditions is the giving of red envelopes, or “hongbao,” symbolizing wishes for good fortune and blessings in the new year. The color red dominates the festival’s decor, representing happiness, family reunions, and collective celebration.

Red represents wishes for happiness and good fortune, symbolizing family reunions and the joy of togetherness. During the Spring Festival, these values hold special importance.”

HERITAGE THROUGH GENERATIONS

The inclusion of the Spring Festival on UNESCO’s Representative List highlights the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage. China’s efforts to document, promote, and share its traditions have been widely recognized as a model for global cultural preservation.

“China’s initiatives, including digitalization and cultural exchange programs, help ensure that traditions like the Spring Festival remain vibrant in the modern world. These efforts inspire countries with rich cultural traditions to actively protect their heritage,” noted Jose Luis Punzo, a researcher at Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The festival is gaining traction across the world and serves as a call for other nations to prioritize cultural preservation.

Adding the Spring Festival to the UNESCO list is about “preserving the history of humanity itself.” Dating back thousands of years, the festival continues to connect people across the globe.

In an increasingly divided world, the Spring Festival stands as a powerful reminder of humanity’s shared values. As the Year of the Snake approaches, the festival promises to bring even more joy and unity. UNESCO’s recognition marks the beginning of a new chapter, ensuring that these traditions will inspire generations to come.