When the bell of the zero hour rings, people play fireworks to celebratethe coming of the New Year, with firecrackers bursting all aroundand fireworks blossoming in the sky. Actually, the Spring Festivalmeans the same as the New Year's Day according to Chinese lunarcalendar. However after the Revolution of 1911, China began to takethe Georgian Calendar to number the years, so the 1st day of thelunar month was revised as the Spring Festival. The tradition of playingfirecrackers in the Spring Festival originated from a legend. It wassaid that the ancient people burnt bamboo to frighten the ghosts andmonsters, because the cracking sound of burning bamboo intimidatedthem a lot. Later, people used gunpowder, one of the four greatinventions of ancient China, to make firecrackers, which producedthe same cracking sound, when played, as that of burning bamboo.Furthermore, various kinds of fireworks were invented to play on NewYear's Eve so as to pursue good fortune and avoid disaster, and tosignify good luck and happiness.
