Chinese New Year's (or Spring Festival) Traditions & Customaries

Why we hang red paper decorations on the door for 15 days during  Spring Festival?

ORIGIN:
        There are 2 versions as to the origin of Spring Festival, but both involves the conquest of a legendary beast Nian. 
Version 1:    The beast Nian (modern Chinese means "year") would come out from the mountains and prey on people on the eve of a new year.  People are terrified.  Then, an old man said that it feared loud noise and red colour.  Hence, before its arrival on the eve, people would put up red paper on their doors and windows and when it comes, all would start to hit drums, pots, light fire crackers to scare the beast away.  Indeed the plan worked and from then on, Nian did not appear anymore.  Hence the beginning of red paper decorations, lighting of fire crackers and lion dance.

Version 2:    Nian had a very big mouth and would swallow a great many people with just one bite.  One day, an old man came and offered to subdue Nian. To Nian he said, "I hear say that you are very capable, but can you swallow the other beasts of prey on earth instead of people who are by no means of your worthy opponents?" So, swallow it did many of the beasts of prey on earth that also harassed people and their domestic animals from time to time.  After that, the old man disappeared riding the beast Nian.  He turned out to be an immortal.  Now that Nian is gone and other beasts of prey are also scared into forests, people began to enjoy their peaceful life.  Before the old man left, he told the people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again.

Why we fire crackers on New Year's Day?

The tradition behind the firing of firecrackers was to expel demons. According to the Chinese classical records: "In the deep mountain of the West, there was a fierce demon that caused people to fall ill. The sound of firecrackers will drive this demon away.Unfortunately in Singapore, we are forbidden to fire crackers. So to drive the "demon" away, we could take the pragmatic way out by playing the recorded sound of exploding firecracker found in many New Year's song during Chinese New Year!

What people do before Spring Festival comes?

Houses are thoroughly cleaned, debts repaid, hair cut and new clothes purchased. Houses are festooned with paper strips bearing auspicious poems, and in many homes, people burn incense at home and in the temples to pay respects to ancestors and ask the gods for good health in the coming months. On New Year's Eve, families come together to feast. Jiaozi, a steamed dumpling, is popular in the north, while southerners favor a sticky sweet glutinous rice pudding called nian gao. At midnight, where it is not prohibited, people ring in the New Year with fireworks, which serve to drive away the evil spirits. The public holiday lasts three days, but following tradition, special events are planned until the 15th of the month.

What people do on New Year's Eve onwards?

1) Closing the door on New Year's Eve
Traditionally, Chinese households will fire crackers before closing the door on the eve of the New Year to prevent the "yin" or bad energy from entering the house. This is known as the "Door Closing with firecrackers protection".

After closing the door, family members will gather to celebrate with food and drink, awaiting to send away the old and to greet the new. After the door is closed, it is usually sealed with a paper cutout, in red, of the Chinese character " wealth". The children are usually allowed to play till well after midnight on the eve while the adults stay up even longer. It is said that the later the adults (grown-up) stay up, the longer the family elders (grandparents) will live and in good health too.

2) Door Opening on the New Year's Day
Chain of firecrackers are lit once again immediately after the first door opening on New Year's Day. A single chain signifies "Door opening with cracker protection"; Triple chains signify " Triple promotion. Four chains signify " Happiness, Fortune, Longevity and Joys". Six chains signify "Smooth Fortune". The scene of the exploded red crackers covering the front door is auspiciously known as "Wealth in abundant".

3) Offering to "God of Fortune"
After opening the door. Taoist followers will make offerings to the Resident's deities and followed by making the offerings to the "God of Fortune" in a particular direction, which the God is supposed to descend to earth.