Since its establishment in Chicago in 1878, Chinatown has always celebrated the Chinese New Year with festivities and a parade, says Moy. In legend, the Chinese New Year began thousands of years ago when a village planned to scare away an evil beast that attacked the village annually. The villagers hung red banners, a color believed to ward away evil. Firecrackers, drums and gongs sounded to scare the beast. The plan worked, and since then people gathered every year to celebrate the Spring Festival with fireworks, drums, feasts, parades and ancestor worship.
Families celebrate the New Year in various ways, but tradition remains similar.
The Chinese clean the house before the New Year but not on the actual day, to avoid cleaning away luck. Debts must be settled and bad words must not be said. Now out friends have a potluck dinner at someone's house and we play cards or mah jong.