People around the world, including Chinese and foreigners, have joined in the various Chinese-style activities to celebrate the Year of the Tiger this year, which falls on Feb. 14.
Posting Lunar New Year paintings, writing Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers and fireworks, performing dragon-and-lion dances, staging stilt-walking shows, rowing boats on "land", and eating dumplings, people have lots of fun at the annual Chinese festival.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, local residents and foreign visitors put up red lanterns, performed dragon-and-lion dances, and showed the Chinese Kungfu, calligraphy, acupuncture and other Chinese skills to welcome China's Lunar New Year.
In Paris, France, China's tea art, the shadow show or the leather silhouette play, and dumplings made their debut one after another at the Spring Festival celebrations.
In Thailand, all kinds of Chinese snack foods, colorful lanterns and the Avalokitesvara dance attracted thousands of tourists.
As time passes by, the content and style of China's Lunar New Year celebrations around the world have become richer and more interesting. The concept of "family reunion" and "bidding farewell to the past and ushering in the new" resonates among all races in the world, not just the Chinese.
Today's Chinese Spring Festival serves not only as a bond for the nostalgic overseas Chinese, but also as a window for curious foreigners to have a better understanding of Chinese culture.
However, with different cultures interacting deeply in the era of globalization, foreign holidays have also made their way to China. Christmas, Valentine's day, and Halloween have all become a fashion among Chinese youngsters, and have even been accepted as part of their life.
Compared to their older generations, today's Chinese are more open in the celebration of holidays. They are content to find a great deal of fun in various holidays, Chinese and Western alike.