Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is known to be a 15-days period of time of reunion and thanks-giving.
Families and relatives get together and have a meal as one. One of the most important dinner is on the Chinese New Year's eve. As a family, everybody will sit on the same table, having a reunion dinner, which is very important to all Chinese.
On the first day, families usually visits the most senior or oldest in their extended family, most probably their great grand parents or grand parents. Several families get the lion dance troupe to perform at a location to ward off the bad luck and omen. At the end of meals, everyone will come together to toss raw fish salad, also known as "Yu Sheng".
Usually, married daughters do not have the time to spare for their own birth families. The second day of Chinese New Year is normally the day which is made use of for the married daughters to visit their birth families.
From the 3rd to the 8th day, some celebrations will be held, as it will normally be schooling days and will be inconvenient for most people.
Prayers will be held on the 9th day. It is the day whereby the Chinese will offer prayers to the Jade Emperor. It will usually be hold at the midnight of the 8th day. Arriving at midnight, the Teochews and Hokkiens will be preparing the offerings. Sugarcane will be inclusive for the Hokkiens.
On the 15th day, also known as "yuan xiao jie", is the day whereby families get together to have dinner, mostly for Teochews.
There are many superstition for the Chinese during the Chinese New Year. For example, if any of one's kin passed away for the past 3 years, they are not supposed to go for visiting, as a form of respect to the dead. After passing midnight of the Chinese New Year's eve, no families are allowed to decorate or do any cleaning , as it resembles of sweeping away their fortune. Windows and doors will be open to welcome the fortune. Doors open to welcome the God of Prosperity, also known as "Cai Shen Ye". The money in Red Packets are used to suppress or put down the evil spirits around us. People usually wear red coloured clothings to ward away the evil spirits and bad fortune.
Basically, the Chinese New Year is a period whereby families create bondage between one another and to catch up with the times.