The Monster Nian

Every year on the day before the start of a new lunar year, a horrible monster with sharp teeth and horns called “Nian”, would ascend from the seas and ravage the villages, eating the livestock and hunting the people of the village. The villagers would hide from this horrendous monster up in the mountains every single year. 

On one particular year, as the villagers prepare for the move to the mountains to avoid Nian, an old man dressed in old rags and walking with a stick. This strange old man was wandering the village and looked around as the villagers packed their necessities to venture up in the mountains. The villagers try to warn this strange old man that this monster would ravage the village, but he ignores these warnings. 

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As the day gets closer, one by one families retreat into the mountains, leaving this old man alone in the village, but as the villagers leave, they also leave some food and clothes for the old man. The day before the lunar year approaches, the village is empty but this old man. 

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On the day of lunar new year's eve, Nian shows up, destroying the crops and houses, and eating the livestock. As Nian goes through reeking havoc it slowly moves closer to the village, where the old man is sitting there, almost as if he’s waiting for this monster. Nian approaches the old man and walks closer to the village, and notices something different about it. There’s the red paper, sparkling bamboo, and bright red lanterns, it seems as if the atmosphere of the village has changed. The old man sitting there wearing red clothes the villagers had given him before they left. Nian stands in front of the village, confused as to why it seems different than every other year approaches the village but as it steps closer the monster trembles and gets angrier and irritated, then loud crackling and a sudden BANG scares this monster. 

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Suddenly, the old man stands up and puts on a red gown with a dragon mask, he starts to laugh and roar, this frightened Nian along with those loud crackling sounds it fleets through the night sky. 

The next day, the villagers returned from the mountains and were surprised by the undamaged houses and buildings, the village surrounded by red paper, burnt bamboo, and lanterns. In the front of the village there stands a walking stick with a red gown and a dragon mask, the villagers recognized the stick as belonging to the old man. The villagers realized the old man was an old sage that had taught the village to defend themselves from the Monster Nian. 

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From then on, the villagers would put up those red papers, lanterns and ignite bamboo to scare the beast every year. Now, the village can live in peace during the lunar New Year’s Eve, and because of this, they celebrate this time by wearing red, dancing with dragon masks, and spreading joy to their neighbors. 

This is why on lunar New Year’s Eve it is celebrated with red, fireworks, firecrackers, and dragon and lion dances, the Cantonese for Chinese New Year is  “Guo Nian” and can be translated to the passing of Nian, or in other words the survival of the monster Nian.