Anyone who has been in the so called western Chinatowns of San Francisco, Sydney or London around this time of year can be in no doubt of the importance of the Spring Festival. The consumerism mirrors the pre-Christmas rush experienced in Christian countries in the ten days leading up to Christmas day, but as with that celebration there is so much more than merely the buying of gifts and food.

The excitement is tangible, a vibe that permeates through the shops, restaurants and tea houses to spill out onto the streets creating a whole new unique vibe. Even before the Festival arrives, the streets are busier and the businesses are flourishing.

In China's mainland the levels of excitement and anticipation increase ten-fold. Whether it's the abundance of food, the promise of rebirth and renewal or simply the fading of winter, the centuries of celebratory tradition come to the fore and the new lunar year is welcomed in with a riot of color and noise.

Phrases such as 'spring-welcoming days' are easily digested by westerners, our own habits of spring cleaning, of sweeping out the old to make room for the new, make it easier for us to make a universal connection with this time of year. In the west we also celebrate the waning of winter with flower festivals, admittedly later in the year, but the importance of color is readily recognized.

Important elements they maybe, but only a fool would believe that the cleansing of dirt or the arrival of blooms were the prime focus of the Festival.

The story of the Nian, a creature who terrorized Chinese in the past, is gradually becoming known around the world, helping to explain the origins of the firework onslaught that comes with every Spring Festival. A few firecrackers may have been enough in folk lore to scare away the mythical beast but if it was to find the courage to reappear today it would be greeted by a crescendo louder than an artillery barrage.

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