On the New Year's Eve afternoon, it is the time to bid farewell to the old year. Sacrificial dishes and various kinds of New Year cake are offered to the deities and one's ancestors in gratitude for their blessings and to pray for peace in the coming year. On the New Year's evening, families come together for a New Year's Eve dinner. This custom is also called "Surrounding Hearth," from the custom in earlier times of having dinner around the family hearth. The dinner begins only after all the family members are present. A table setting is placed for those unable to come home for dinner to symbolize their presence.

      Several dishes served on this occasion have auspicious meanings and are indispensable to the night's menu: "Long Year Vegetables" (mustard greens) to represent longevity; "Whole Chicken" symbolizing wealth for the whole family (since "chicken" and "family" rhyme in Taiwanese dialect); a type of clam called "han" is eaten since it shares a near rhyme with the word for "fat", deriving the sense of "becoming well-off"; and fish balls, shrimp balls, and meat balls are eaten to symbolize the three top scores earned during the civil service examination in ancient China. Only one dish "whole fish" should not be eaten off and is intentionally left off, so that "there will be more to come" since the Chinese words for "fish" and "surplus" rhyme. Some families will prepare "chiao tzu", Chinese dumplings stuffed with meats and vegetables. Since the shape of dumplings resembles a gold ingot, eating "chiao tzu" symbolizes the calling of wealth into one's life. Some people even stuff real money in the dumplings to insure that the coming new year will bring fortune.

      At the end of the dinner, it is the time for children to receive New Year's Money from the elders. In the old days, the money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string, symbolizing one would live to one hundred years old. Today, coins or notes are placed inside red envelopes in denominations to be considered auspicious.

      On New Year's Eve, families often gether together and stay up throughout the night. This custom represents the hope that one's parents will live to an old age, and thus is also known as "Longevity Night". Since in Taiwanese "sleep" rhymes with "hardship", staying up all night with "no sleep" symbolizes that the coming year will have "no hardship." The evening reaches a climax at midnight when strings of firecrackers are lit to celebrate the newly born year (Nien). (2) 

      With the arrival of New Year's Day, life is renewed and the day begins to unfold amidst a din of firecrackers (3). People begin the day by worshipping their ancestors which is called "kai chen". People make offerings before /imagesu of gods, Buddha, and ancestral tablet. The whole family worships the gods and ancestral spirits and burns paper money.

      During the first few days of the New Year, it is imperative that the younger generations call on their elders, and that relatives and friends visit each other to offer New Year's felicitations. It has also a poetic name as "Spring Walking", meaning doing outings in spring time. When meeting friends during this time, it is required etiquette to clasp one's hands together and say "Kung Hsi" or "Congratulations." When receiving guests at home, the host must welcome the visitors with an array of sweets, or give "red envelopes" to guests' minors.

     To insure the arrival of luck and wealth in the New Year, several taboos must be heeded. Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed for fear of casting wealth out the door; cussing and quarreling is to be avoided; and anyone who breaks a dish on this day must quickly say "Peace for All Time" to avoid incurring misfortune.

      Long a custom of the New Year, married women return to their natal home to visit family on the second day of the first lunar month. It is believed that if a daughter returns home on the first day, poverty will strike the family. Thus, when visiting their natal home, daughters must prepare gifts for her family, a custom called "poan-chhiu" or "tan-lo" in Taiwanese

      On the fourth day of the first lunar month, it is traditional to welcome the gods. The Chinese saying "Send the gods off early and receive them late" came from the practice of saying good-bye to the gods early in the morning on the 24th day of the twelve lunar month, and welcoming the gods late in the afternoon on the fourth day of the first lunar month. During this time, families will prepare offerings of fruit, wine, and other delicacies. Incense and candles are lit, paper money is burnt, and firecrackers are set off, all to welcome and honor the deities on their return. Effigies of "Spirit Horses", "Armored Horses" and "Soldiers of Heaven" are also burnt on this day to welcome the gods to the mortal world.

      The bustle of Chinese New Year ends on the fifth day of the first lunar month, called "Separation." On this day, the New Year offerings made to the gods are removed. Factories begin operation and stores open their business again. In insure a good business in the coming year, store owners worship "Fortune Gods" on this day. The festive atmosphere of new year continues in this manner all the way up to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year before slowly back to normal life again.

      The 6th through the 15th days of the New Year mark the birthdays of several deities: the 6th is the birthday of Ching Shwei God; the 7th is "People's Day" when legend has it that the heavens created human beings. The 8th is considered the day when the celestial constellations were assembled, and people offer prayers to their individual stars. The 9th marks the birthday of the Jade Emperor, known as "God Birthday" in Taiwan.

      Though the customary festivities held on Chinese New Year have been handed down for millennia, they still retain tremendous significance today. The cleaning and arrangement of living environment improves household sanitation and symbolizes a new beginning; the worship of ancestors and deities reflects Chinese particularity about filial piety and family ethics; sitting around the hearth symbolizes family unity; and the customs of making New Year's visits and returning natal home after marriage helps to maintain social bonds between friends and families. Superstitious taboos may be seen as ancient ways of harmonizing and regulating one's lifestyle.