Scenic Updates
Staying up late on New Year’s Eve
2026-04-07
Staying up late on New Year’s Eve
Keeping vigil through the New Year is a traditional folk custom observed on New Year’s Eve, as recorded in the Republican-era “Chronicles of Hongtong County.” The “Customs” section records: “On the eve of the New Year… people stay awake until dawn, a practice known as ‘keeping the year’s watch.’” In the Dao Guang era of the Qing dynasty, the “Zhaocheng County Gazetteer—Customs” notes: “On New Year’s Eve, young and old, men and women, gather together with wine and food to share a meal, an activity called ‘keeping the year’s watch.’” As for the origin of this tradition, it is said to be linked to the mythical “Nian” monster; to ward off its harm, people stayed up all night, refusing to sleep. Another tale holds that at the hour of the Rat on New Year’s Eve, the Heavenly Emperor opens the gates of heaven and scatters gold and silver treasures upon the mortal world, prompting everyone to stay awake in vigilance. More broadly, keeping the year’s watch is understood as a reminder to cherish time and value every moment. In the past, to pass the hours, after the New Year’s Eve dinner, families would begin making dumplings for the Spring Festival breakfast: adults shaped the filling, while children helped roll out the wrappers. To keep the kids engaged and prevent them from dozing off, adults often recited rhymes—such as those popular around Subao: “In the courtyard grows a money tree; beneath the altar lies a treasure basin; the qilin comes to bring a child, the Eight Immortals come to celebrate longevity. The heavenly gate opens, the earthly gate opens, pairs of ingots tumble in; horses carry gold, donkeys bear silver, and camels lug the treasure basin—filled to the brim with gold and silver…” Children learned these verses as they rolled out the dough, never feeling weary. Today, most people simply watch the Spring Festival Gala. At the stroke of midnight, the air erupts in a symphony of fireworks, firecrackers, and sparklers, rising and falling in waves that echo through the heavens, further enlivening the festive spirit.
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