CRI听力:Chinese New Year Celebrations are Underway

The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle. Each of the years is named after an animal and this is the year of the horse.

Many have decorated their homes with horse-shaped ornaments and red banners as it is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar.

Going to temple fairs is one of the popular ways to welcoming the Lunar New Year across China.

"I want to feel the traditional culture of Beijing by visiting the temple fair and watching some worship ceremony."

"It is part of the local folklore to pray for blessings here. There must be a reason to do the praying here as that's what our ancestors have passed down to us. As we live on, we have even more faith that tradition should be the way."

The temple fair tradition began as vendors who did business near the Buddhist and Taoist temples when many pilgrims came to pay tribute to the gods during the festivals. As such practice grew; it has gradually turned into a regular event.

An indoor temple fair at the Washington DC has drawn many people to experience the hustle and bustle of Chinese hospitality on top of the appetizing food.

"Oh it's lovely. it's really fun. Lots of festivities and explaining what the new year is like and re-creation of the festival. It's really nice. It's really really good, I never tried the candy, caramelized cherries? They're delicious."

Another routine to embrace the Chinese New Year is setting off firecrackers and fireworks as Steven Tin, Executive Director of Better Chinatown in the United States explains.

"Well fireworks are to welcome the new. But in traditional old time you talk about a lot of devil, evil - so the firecrackers' purpose is to scare them away."

But Eric Ha from Staten Island says no matter in what ways the festival is celebrated; it is the reunion spirit that accounts.

"I think what's special is families coming together, eating, celebrating together. It's a new year of new hopes. You know, all the bad energy from the prior years - we're gonna bring it towards the New Year. And this is the year of the horse. It's supposed to be a good year, so hoping for that."

Meanwhile, crowds also gathered in Chinatown of Malaysia as the Lion Dance performed through out the streets invites people to join the ritual of welcoming good luck, happiness and prosperity.

"I thought it was great. It was probably one of the best lion dances I've ever seen. Very professional, very acrobatic. Everything was good. The kids had a great time."

Chinese New Year will end with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month. According to traditions, people will hang glowing lanterns on the streets and at the windows of their houses and dress in red clothing head to foot for the celebrations.

For CRI, I'm Hu Jia.