1, the origin of New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve, and the New Year's first and last night, the old year to the end of the night and the next day will be replaced by a new year, so it is called "New Year's Eve".
(1) The origin of New Year's Eve can be traced back to the ancient times when it was a custom to get rid of the old and offer sacrifices to ancestors at the end of the year.
(2) The earliest mention of the name "New Year's Eve" in Chinese historical documents is in the book "Fengduji" (Records of the Land and the Wind), a local history of local customs written by Zhou Chu of the Western Jin Dynasty.
(3) Later, it was also called "New Year's Eve" (除夕) and "New Year's Eve" (除夕).
2, the legend of New Year's Eve
There are many legends and stories about New Year's Eve, of which the classic stories are as follows:
Chinese folklore says that there is a monster called "Xiu", which comes over on the 30th day of the Lunar New Year every year to plague the people.
Then the people asked the slightly clumsy Master Zao for help. So Master Zao went up to heaven to get help, and invited Nian, the grandson of Shennong.
Though Nian is still small, he is brave and a little hero. "Nian decided to come down to earth to rid the people of evil, and he brought with him two magic treasures, a bamboo tube that breathed thunderbolt sparks, and a colorful red silk.
On the night of the 30th day of the Lunar New Year, the monster "Xi" really came. "Nian took his two treasures and fought fiercely with the monster Xiu, and finally got rid of the monster Xiu.
Afterwards, in order to commemorate, people called the day of the 30th day of the Lunar New Year "New Year's Eve"; and in order to commemorate the "New Year's Eve heroes", the first day of the first month of the year is called "New Year". On the first day of the month, we have to be happy to "welcome the new year".
And "year" with the two pieces of subdued monster treasure, colorful red silk and thunderbolt bamboo tube evolved into couplets and firecrackers.