To the Chinese people, Spring Festival is as important as Christmas to people in the West. According to the Chinese tradition, preparation for the festival starts from the beginning of the last lunar month and festival celebrations extend until the Lantern Festival on the 15th of the first lunar month. As a matter of fact, nowadays few Chinese people can afford spending a whole month on festival activities due to the fast-paced life. However, most of the working people can enjoy a week-long public holiday, during which the most important are the New Year's Eve and the first three days of the first lunar month.