Chinese New Year

2. The specific animal sign assigned to a person based on their birth year, believed to influence their personality, compatibility with others, and fortune.
4. Balance, peace, and unity among family members and community, emphasized through reunion dinners and shared celebrations during Chinese New Year.
9. Red lanterns, paper cutouts, flowers, and other ornaments displayed in homes and streets during Chinese New Year to create a festive atmosphere and attract good luck.
10. A mythical beast in Chinese folklore that was said to attack villages on the first day of the new year, leading to traditions of using noise and red decorations to scare it away.
11. Explosive devices traditionally set off during Chinese New Year to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck, though many areas now use digital simulations due to safety concerns.
14. A Chinese character meaning "fortune" or "happiness" that is often displayed upside down during Chinese New Year, as the word for "upside down" sounds like "arrival," symbolizing the arrival of good fortune.
15. A traditional food eaten during Chinese New Year that symbolizes wealth and prosperity due to their resemblance to ancient Chinese gold ingots.
16. Practices and behaviors to avoid during Chinese New Year, such as sweeping after New Year's Day (which sweeps away good fortune) or giving clocks as gifts (which sounds like attending a funeral).

1. Wealth, success, and good fortune, which is the primary wish expressed during Chinese New Year celebrations and symbolized through many traditions and foods.
3. A calendar based on the cycles of the moon rather than the sun, used in Chinese culture to determine the date of Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20.
5. Favorable, lucky, or bringing good fortune; a key concept in Chinese New Year celebrations where all activities and decorations are chosen to be auspicious.
6. A system of twelve animal signs (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig) that cycle through years and are believed to influence personality traits and destiny.
7. Decorative red paper strips with auspicious phrases written in black or gold ink, hung on doorways and walls to bring good fortune and ward off bad luck.
8. A traditional dish served during Chinese New Year dinners, symbolizing completeness, abundance, and togetherness because the Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for prosperity.
12. A special family meal held on Chinese New Year's Eve, symbolizing togetherness, harmony, and gratitude for the year past.
13. A tradition of thoroughly cleaning homes before Chinese New Year to sweep away bad luck and make room for good fortune in the coming year.