Chinese New Year....

Chinese New Year (also known as "Spring Festival" in China) is a lunar holiday which means it changes each year based on the moon. This year CNY starts on Feb 14th. There is alot of preparation for CNY, the house is completely cleaned prior to the first day, hair is cut before CNY starts and food is prepared. There is alot of "luck" associated with Chinese New Year. Once the house is cleaned the broom is put away until after Chinese New Year (sweeping dirt out of the house is associated with sweeping your luck away) If you use scissors, it is thought that you are cutting your luck short. (BTW, that is also why long noodles are eaten, if you bite them or cut them you cut your luck short)
Decorations that are red with Chinese character of Luck, prosperity, wealth, etc are hung on the front door, usually in pairs.

The night before Chinese New Year starts (this year it would be Feb 13th) the children in the family stay up as late as possible becuase it means that the parents will live longer.

Everyone wears new clothes.

Children are given red envelopes with "lucky money" inside.

The food eaten also has lucky connotations: a whole steamed fish(complete with head, eyes, etc) means you will have plenty, chinese dumplings look like gold coins, Egg rolls or spring rolls bring weakth and of course the "long life" noodles.

I will try to finish telling about Chinese New Year tomorrow.