年節也是祭祝祈年的日子。古人謂谷子壹熟為壹“年”，五谷豐收為“大有年”。西周初年，即已出現了壹年壹度的慶祝豐收的活動。後來，祭天祈年成了年俗的主要內容之壹。而且，諸如竈神、門神、財神、喜神、井神等諸路神明，在年節期間，都備享人間香火。人們借此酬謝諸神過去的關照，並祈願在新的壹年中能得到更多的福佑。年節還是合家團圓、敦親祀祖的日子。除夕，全家歡聚壹堂，吃罷“團年飯”，長輩給孩子們分發“壓歲錢”，壹家人團坐“守歲”。元日子時交年時刻，鞭炮齊響，辭舊歲、迎新年的活動達於高潮。各家焚香致禮，敬天地、祭列祖，然後依次給尊長拜年，繼而同族親友互致祝賀。元日後，開始走親訪友，互送禮品，以慶新年。年節更是民眾娛樂狂歡的節日。元日以後，各種豐富多彩的娛樂活動競相開展：耍獅子、舞龍燈、扭秧歌、踩高蹺、雜耍諸戲等，為新春佳節增添了濃郁的 歡度春節喜慶氣氛。此時，正值“立春”前後，古時要舉行盛大的迎春儀式，鞭牛迎春，祈願風調雨順、五谷豐收。各種社火活動到正月十五，再次形成高潮。
因此，集祈年、慶賀、娛樂為壹體的盛典年節就成了中華民族最隆重的佳節。而時至今日，除祀神祭祖等活動比以往有所淡化以外，年節的主要習俗，都完好地得以繼承與發展。春節是中華民族文化的優秀傳統的重要載體，它蘊含著中華民族文化的智慧和結晶，凝聚著華夏人民的生命追求和情感寄托，傳承著中國人的家庭倫理和社會倫理觀念。歷經千百年的積澱，異彩紛呈的春節民俗，已形成底蘊深厚且獨具特色的春節文化。近年來，隨著物質生活水平的提高，人們對精神文化生活的需求迅速增長，對親情、友情、和諧、美滿的渴求更加強烈，春節等傳統節日越來越受到社會各界的重視和關註。要大力弘揚春節所凝結的優秀傳統文化，突出辭舊迎新、祝福團圓平安、興旺發達的主題，努力營造家庭和睦、安定團結、歡樂祥和的喜慶氛圍，推動中華文化歷久彌新、不斷發展壯大。
翻譯：The Spring Festival known as "festival", the Chinese nation is the most solemn preach to celebrate the Spring Festival holiday series. Since the first year of emperor the beginning, beginning with summer years (the lunar) for the first day of the first month "at" (the "year"), the date of the festival this fixed down, continue today. Festival times, "New Year's day". 1911 years after the revolution, began to the Gregorian calendar (Gregorian calendar) JiNian, hence say calendar January 1 as "New Year's day", said the first day of the lunar year for "Spring Festival". When old festival, also known as "traditional festival". They has a long history, spread wide, for great popularity, mass, even the characteristics of honor. The day of the festival is ChuJiuBuXin. Although the festival for the first day of the lunar year, but the festival's activities but and more than the first day of the first month this day. From the twelfth 23 (or 24) small festival on, people began to "busy" houses, shampoo and bath, and preparing for the festival appliances, etc. All of these activities, there is a common theme, namely "special". People with big ceremony and enthusiasm to greet the New Year, and meet the spring.
Festival is also offering wish the day of prayer. The ancients refers to a ripe for 壹“ millet in ", the grain harvest for "a year". Early zhou dynasty, that has emerged of the celebration of the annual harvest activities. Later, actually became the prayer in the main contents of the call. And, such as kitchen, goalkeeper, mammon, like god, JingShen as the way the gods, during the festival, and earth for incense. People like to take this opportunity to thank the gods of the attention, and wishes for in a New Year can get more bliss. Festival or family reunion, the days of king diyi kiss, fathers. The New Year's eve, the family gathered, eat "reunion dinner", the elder give children distribute "lucky money", the family TuanZuo "shou sui". YuanRi son/years time, firecrackers neat ring, resigned, the activities of the old New Year up to the climax. A salute to his burning incense, and heaven and earth, and the chief fathers, and in turn give thine elder New Year, and to congratulate each other wayward relatives and friends. Yuan in the future, starts to go visit family and friends, gift giving, to a New Year. Festival but also people entertainment gala day. YuanRi later, all sorts of rich and colorful entertainment to carry out activities: play the lion, WuLongDeng, stilted, juggling the yangge dance, theatre, in New Year Spring Festival to celebrate the Spring Festival add rich festival atmosphere. At this point, is worth "year" before, during and after the winter days will have a big ceremony, NiuYingChun whip a wish for the good, the grain harvest. All kinds of activities to jan on January 15, once again, the formation of upsurge.
Therefore, the collection prayer, congratulations, the entertainment is a body festival festival became the most grand holiday of the Chinese nation. And today, in addition to offer a sacrificial activities such as god than ever before to fade beyond, the festival's main custom, are in good condition to inheritance and development. The Spring Festival is the fine tradition of the Chinese national culture of the important carrier, it contains the Chinese cultural wisdom and crystallization, condensing Chinese people's life pursuit and emotional reposing, inheritance of Chinese family ethics and social ethics. After one thousand years of accumulation, colorful folk customs of the Spring Festival, has formed the details profound and unique culture of the Spring Festival. In recent years, as material standard of living rise, people on the cultural life of the rapid growing demand, the family love, friendship, harmony, and happy thirst for more intense, the Spring Festival is a traditional festival, by more and more attention and concern from all walks of life. To carry forward the fine tradition of the condensate Spring Festival culture, outstanding new, blessing of peace and prosperity of the reunion theme, work hard to build harmonious family, stability and unity, joy and harmony in the festive atmosphere, promote Chinese culture griselda, the constant development and expansion.