Christmas is the most important Christian holiday.

First of all Christmas is not the most important holiday. The most important is New Years. New Year emphasizes happiness. Chinese New Year is a festive occasion that calls for celebration in many places around the world. "iStockphoto.com/araraadt What do people do? Chinese New Year is the most important and longest of all Chinese festivals, celebrated in Chinese communities throughout the world. Chinese New Year celebrations have certain variations from country to country but they all usually include offerings to household deities, house cleaning, new clothes, a large banquet, ancestor worship and firecrackers. Families may gather for special meals on this occasion. People may also wear red clothes and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Household doors are thrown open to let good luck enter on the first day of the New Year. Families go out to visit friends and worship at temples. Words are carefully watched to avoid saying anything that signifies death, sickness or poverty. Chinese New Year may also feature lantern festival, where people hang decorated lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade. Dragon and lion dances are performed around this time of the year with many people supporting the long dragons, which are typically made of silk, paper and bamboo. Acrobatic demonstrations, the beating of gongs and the clashing of cymbals are also popular activities as part of the Chinese New Year festivities. Public life Chinese New Year is a public holiday in China, where the public holiday lasts for about three days. It is also a public holiday in countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. It is not a public holiday in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, some businesses may close early and some streets may be closed for a short while to allow for festival parades to take place. Background The Chinese New Year festival is believed to date back to prehistory. It marks the start of the new lunar cycle and is called the Spring Festival (in the northern hemisphere) as it falls between the December solstice and the March equinox. China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but the dates of the Chinese New Year and other important festivals are determined by the Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year, which is the first day of the first month, in the Chinese calendar is assigned to an animal. According to one belief, Buddha promised gifts to all animals that would pay him homage. Only 12 animals came to honor Buddha so, to favor these 12 animals, each one was given one of the 12 years of the Chinese zodiac. People born during one of the animal's years are said to inherit distinctive characteristics of that animal. The signs repeat every 12 years. The animal signs are: Rat " ambitious and sincere. Ox " bright, cheery, and a leader. Tiger " courageous and sensitive. Rabbit " talented and loving. Dragon " robust and passionate. Snake " wise and strong-willed. Horse " attractive and popular. Sheep " aesthetic and stylish. Monkey " persuasive and smart. Rooster " pioneering spirit and wise. Dog " generous and loyal. Boar (or pig) " gallant and noble. The Chinese calendar is based on astronomical observations of the sun's longitude and the moon's phases. It is believed to have been introduced by Emperor Huangdi (or Huang Ti) at some stage around 2600 to 3000 years BCE. According to legend, the emperor invited the calendar in 2637 BCE. This calendar predates the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in 1582. The Chinese lunar calendar is used to determine festivals, so the dates of these festivals vary each year. Various Chinese communities around the world also use this calendar. Symbols Chinese New Year has various symbols and traditions. For example, flowers are an important part of New Year decorations. Two flowers that are often associated with Chinese New Year are the plum blossom (courage and hope) and the water narcissus (good luck and fortune). Writings that refer to good luck are often seen in homes and business environments. They are usually written by brush on a diamond-shaped piece of red paper. Tangerines and oranges are also displayed in many homes and stores as a sign of luck and wealth. Envelopes with money (Hong Bao, Ang Pao, or Lai See), often come in the color red, which symbolizes happiness, good luck, success and good fortune. The color red is also used on these envelopes to ward off evil spirits. These envelopes are mainly given as presents to children. Each Chinese New Year is associated with an animal name for one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, as mentioned earlier.First day The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth, officially beginning at midnight. It is a traditional practice to light fireworks, burn bamboo sticks and firecrackers and to make as much of a din as possible to chase off the evil spirits as