Houses
are cleaned to prepare them for the New Year. Feasts of food, often
including dumplings are eaten. Chinese Restaurants in the US do a huge
business on this day. I would compare the meal to Thanksgiving in the
US, which is also a family gathering. Firecrackers are lit to scare
away bad spirits. Red Envelopes with money are given to the old and
young (my daughter loves this). At Chinese run companies, they are
also given out as bonuses. New money is used in the envelopes and for
the younger, $2 dollar bills are a favorite. In Mandarin, 2, 6, and 8
are considered lucky numbers. 4 is avoided since it's an unlucky
number. Red is considered a lucky color and is worn.
