The monster that cannot bear noise Why do Chinese call celebrating Chinese New Year-Guo Nian (过年)? Nian in this case is not just the New Year, it also is a spell to chase away the Nian, which one could interpret as the last year, but which is actually a monster by the name Nian. Like in many ancient cultures, the end of winter is marked by celebrations and rituals that chase away evil spirits. The legend The legend behind the celebration is actually quite funny and gives some insight into old traditions. There once was a monster called Nian(年). Its teeth were sharp and its horns were intimidating to say…