What is the Spring Festival in China?

Learning a foreign language involves discovering the culture and traditions of the country.
To familiarize yourself with the Chinese language and culture , you should not overlook important events such as the Chinese New Year .
On the streets of China, when the New Year approaches, everything turns red.
Symbolized by a traditional family gathering, you can’t miss the New Year’s Eve party ( Chunjie  in pinyin, 春节 in simplified Chinese), also known as the Spring Festival.
It is celebrated throughout the Chinese world (People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong-Kong and Macao), in countries and regions where there is a large Chinese community: Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea ; but also in the metropolises of the western world (Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Sydney…).
The Spring Festival marks the beginning of a new lunar year, which occurs from the second moon after the winter solstice.
According to the Chinese calendar, we observe a twelve-year cycle (corresponding to twelve terrestrial branches), each one corresponds to a Chinese astrological sign, represented in the shape of an animal: Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse , Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
Each year therefore represents a different Chinese zodiac sign with a specific symbolism that is associated with each of the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire, earth.
On this day (February 16, 2018 in this case), we wish a prosperous Chinese New Year and wish our neighbors all the best.
In the following two weeks (until the Lantern Festival) different celebrations take place, from the year -104 AD, the date of creation of the Chinese calendar.
During this festival we stay up until the dawn of the new year enjoying hearty meals that symbolize the abundance of agricultural crops and prosperity.
In these meals we find:
Fish: symbolizing “abundance.”
Gyōzas in the north, in the form of ancient gold bars that are exchanged. In the south, rice buns.
Chicken.
Tofu.
The New Year’s cake ( Niangao ) for dessert, symbolizing growth.
So we can start the Chinese New Year on the right foot. What is the Spring Festival in China?