New Year. During the latter years of imperial Chinese history, the most important family gathering was the New Year festival, a time when the whole family joined in celebration. During this festive season, families celebrated their prosperity and prayed for continued success. The New Year was also a time for paying respects to the ancestors and the God of Wealth.

Party. The celebration of the New Year started early in the morning of the first day of the lunar year. For most families the kin-clan gathered and celebrated the five parts of the holiday ceremony. Individuals were expected to make sacrificial offerings to heaven and earth; to worship the god or goddess belonging to the family tradition; to worship deceased ancestors; to prostrate themselves before living parents and grandparents (it was the time parents and grandparents offered small change, or "blessed...