give the red envelopes to their parents to wish them health and good fortune in the new year. Relatives usually give to each other's kids, so everything comes out somewhat equal, unless of course you are a single adult with lots of nieces and nephews. I know. I have nine.

　　Staying Up All Night to Welcome in The New Year

　　Similar to the practice in the United States, Chinese usually stay up late or even go without sleep on New Year's Eve. This is called shou-sui 'keep the age'. This is one time during the year when children are allowed to stay up as late as they want. In fact, children are told that their parents will live longer if they stay awake until the new year. In general, people spend the night watching special New Year's Eve programs on TV, playing cards, chatting, drinking, and enjoying hanging around with their families.

　　The New Year

　　As soon as the day breaks and the festival sets in, firecrackers can be heard everywhere and the sky is soon lit with flashes and colors. Fables tell of a monster who always comes out to eat people during the first few days of the New Year. Chinese people traditionally lit fireworks and wore red clothing to scare away the monster. Now these have become the signs for an auspicious and happy New Year!

　　On the first day of the New Year, everyone dons new clothing and sets out to offer ritual homage to the ancestors and the gods. The members of the younger generation also pay their respects to the older generation. On this day the sound of fireworks blends everywhere with the aroma of burning incense and ritual paper and the sound of ceremonial music.

After the important rituals, people usually go out to greet their friends and relatives. The most common greetings phrases are gongxi 'congratulations!' or gongxi facai 'congratulations and be prosperous!' or gong-he-xin-xi 'best wishes for a happy new year!'. The street are filled with cheerful people, and here and there one sees the performance of the dragon and lion dances. When the dancers stop in front of a residence or business it brings good fortune to the occupants, and in return they usually present the dancers with some lucky money in red envelopes as a thank you