What is the origin of the year?

The original meaning of "Year" comes from agriculture. In ancient times, people called the growth cycle of the valley "year". The Xia calendar came into being in Xia and Shang Dynasties. The moon's profit and loss cycle is regarded as one month, and a year is divided into twelve months. Every month, the day when the moon can't be seen is the new moon, and the first day of the first month is called the beginning of a year, also known as the "year".

The name "Nian" began in the Zhou Dynasty, and it was not officially fixed until the Western Han Dynasty, and it continues to this day.

A long time ago, there was a monster named "Xi" who came out to hurt people every year. Even the kitchen god who protects the people can't do anything about it. So the Kitchen God invited a child prodigy named Nian, who was very powerful and wiped out the wild animals with red silk and bamboo poles crackling in the fire. This day happened to be the last day of the twelfth lunar month, and people got rid of Xi on this day to thank and commemorate this year. Calling the first day of the New Year Chinese New Year, people hope that every household has red silk and firecrackers, so the red silk and bamboo poles burned in the fire gradually evolved into red couplets and red firecrackers that every household has in the New Year. This legend about the New Year can be said to be clear and orderly.