Lunar New Year odyssey

Lion dances and acrobatic performances are highlights of the Spring Festival celebrations in rural Yueyang. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After dinner, many people watch China Central Television's hit annual Spring Festival Gala and join in the fireworks around midnight.

But these days, the younger generations have found other means of entertainment like going out in groups.

According to custom, the next morning, young people wake up early to greet their parents and grandparents. In some villages, the youth visit elderly neighbors, too.

The most exciting part of the celebrations for children and young adults who don't work is receiving gift money, usually in red envelopes, from parents or other older family members.

In rural areas, one more exciting thing as a child, as I remember, is going door-to-door with a bag in hand to collect goodies from different houses.

The children visit the houses both on the eve of Chinese New Year to bid farewell to the old year and early the next morning to welcome the new year.

They receive all sorts of snacks. Their bags are usually bulging by the time they return home.

Nowadays, fewer children participate in such activities, mostly because people's economic situations have improved significantly.

In the first few days of the new year, people are busy with visits to the houses of their relatives.

They usually take turns to invite each other over and host feasts.

On such occasions, it is also important to remember the deceased.