The Lunar New Year

When I was a child in Taiwan, I was told a legend about how the Lunar New Year commemorated a monster that used to haunt the Chinese people around this time of the year. Imagine my reaction upon discovering as an adult that the legend could not be traced back to ancient times. What, then, is the New Year or "Spring Festival" all about? And how have customs of the holiday developed over the millennia? Happy Year of the Tiger! Support the show