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Q: Is there anything you like about Spring Festival in China?
For those that are new to China, I suggest spending this time with some close family friends that live in a small town or village. The event is new and some places actually have very interesting traditions.
Some cool little traditions I like:
- Fortune Dumplings (dumplings are made and someone hides about 5-6 coins (I think it may be one for every person eating) in the dumplings. So you eat carefully in hopes to find one of these coins as it symbolizes wealth and fortune for the coming year. If you find a few coins, it is going to be an awesome year, if none... money troubles head.
- The Lanterns above the doors of the large complex houses. You only really see this in small villages/towns or very traditional places. But they look beautiful at night when walking down the street. The tale is that these lanterns keep away evil spirits and one in particular Guo or Gao or something that was a large wild beast similar to the beast in the movie "Brotherhood of the Wolf".
- The fireworks and firecrackers. I love messing around with these simply because I can't back home. There are some really cool ones... like smoke bombs, crazy fire crackers that spin and fly off and then explode... kind of dangerous but hilarious as hell when a rogue one goes flying off at someone and they freak out running.
So what about you guys/gals? Anything you like about it at all or just a down-time for you in/out of China?
I think the family part is nice. Dinner after dinner in the company of my wifes family is pretty nice, they are great people.
Although Spring Festival is down time / travel time, i manage to spend time with my local friends making dumplings 
- either in China or at home
Also the children in my extended family like the decorations i bring back: it breaks their routine and brings colour to the drab February, just before all the spring flowers come out.
I quite like the end of it when things back back to normal (or as normal as China allows things to be).
definitely the less-than-controlled fireworks works! what a blast! (pun intended)
the paid time-off is kinda nice too. 
I actually look forward to the occasional get together with my wife's family. I drink a bunch of baijiu with her dad and uncles, eat till I'm stuffed and lounge around most of the day waiting to rinse and repeat. Call me crazy but I enjoy a few of these dinners here and there. It's nice on a cold Dong Bei day to drink up and eat some oily Chinese food sometimes. But not too often 
.
i like walking around on the actual holiday when everyone is inside and the streets are empty, for one day a year, i remember what solitude is in an open area.
ScotsAlan:
I enjoy that too. Its amazing how much wildlife you can hear when the noise dims down.
I think the family part is nice. Dinner after dinner in the company of my wifes family is pretty nice, they are great people.
This will be my second festival here in China. Last year was ok. There was a light snow falling, fireworks were abundant in my small town, and there was good company. At midnight, it sounded like a war zone. I had to yell loud to be heard on my video I shot. It was amazing. I am not a huge fan of the tons of people crowding everywhere and the traveling part of the festival. But, I enjoy the festival as much as I can. Not as fun as if I had a family here I am sure. But, it is entertaining. I will be in a new part of China this year. So, maybe I will see some different traditions.
I like how a lot of the "regulars" have given in to the family spirit of the celebrations. No doubt about the fabulous way my family and I am sure most of your Chinese families just enjoy the "time off".
Bottom line... I think they have great family relations, and I am happy to be a part of this family, and I have no problem learning about my great aunt's, second cousin third daughter on mom's side... no problem... family is family and I RESPECT it all.
