The Legend of Chinese New Year (1)
BackIn ancient China, there was a beast called "Nian." Nian had sharp horns on its head and was extremely fierce and terrifying. It lived in the mountains throughout the year and only came out on a specific day (now known as Chinese New Year's Eve) to attack livestock and harm people. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, villagers would flee to the mountains to avoid Nian's attacks.
One year on New Year's Eve, an old beggar came to the village. The villagers were in a hurry and panic, and no one paid attention to him. Only an old woman at the east end of the village gave the old man some food and advised him to hurry up to the mountains to escape from Nian. The old man stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "If you let me stay in your house for one night, I promise to drive Nian away." The old woman tried to persuade him again, but the beggar just smiled without saying a word.
At midnight, Nian broke into the village. It noticed that the atmosphere in the village was different from previous years. At the old woman's house in the east of the village, the door was covered with red paper, and the house was brightly lit. Nian shuddered and let out a strange cry. As it approached the door, loud "crackling" sounds suddenly came from the courtyard. Terrified, Nian trembled and dared not go forward. It turned out that Nian was afraid of the color red, bright lights, and loud noises. At that moment, the door of the old woman's house opened, and an old man dressed in a red robe laughed loudly in the courtyard. Nian was so frightened that it fled in panic.
The next day, on the first day of the lunar new year, the villagers returned from their refuge and found the village safe and sound. They were amazed. The old woman suddenly realized what had happened and quickly told the villagers about the old beggar's promise. The news spread quickly to the surrounding villages, and people learned the methods to drive away Nian. From then on, every New Year's Eve, people would paste red couplets on their doors, set off firecrackers, light up their homes, and stay up late to welcome the new year. Early in the morning on the first day of the new year, they would visit relatives and friends to exchange greetings and celebrate.
This tradition became widely practiced and developed into China's most important traditional festival, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).