As one of the most cherished traditions of the Chinese Lunar New Year, pasting Spring Festival couplets (also called Chunlian) carries profound cultural meanings and heartfelt wishes for the new year. This time-honored custom dates back over a thousand years and remains an essential part of Chinese people’s New Year celebrations.

Structure, and content of Spring Festival couplets

Spring Festival couplets are usually made of red paper, a color symbolizing good luck, joy and prosperity in Chinese culture. They consist of two vertical lines (one on each side of the door) and one horizontal line (on top of the doorframe). The lines are written with black or gold ink, featuring elegant calligraphy with auspicious words and verses that praise happiness, family harmony, career success and a bountiful harvest.

Pasting couplets

Before the Lunar New Year’s Eve, families gather to paste the couplets. The process is full of ceremony: people clean the doorframe first to welcome good fortune, then paste the vertical couplets symmetrically, with the last character of each line rhyming. The horizontal couplet, known as the “横批” (Hengpi), summarizes the wishes for the whole year.

Significance

Beyond decoration, couplets are a way to pass down Chinese culture and express people’s hopes for a better life. For Chinese people, pasting couplets is not just a custom, but a warm ritual that brings families together and ushers in a joyful and prosperous new year. It is a beautiful symbol of Chinese New Year’s spirit, shared and cherished across generations.