Offerings:
Offerings are set out for the gods and spirits. Candles, incense, food, and alcohol (bei jiu, which is clear white lightening about 40-90%). There are three glasses of alcohol there with get emptied onto the ground. One is for the underground spirits, I think the relatives, one for the gods and spirits and I think one for the living. The celebration is for Spring Festival and the new year. This day is the last day of Spring Festival and called Lantern Day. The lantern part came from people going around with red lanterns lit with a candle for light and looks. This day is also for blessings for the living and businesses which line the streets.
This is taking place in a city residential area which is has not been updates so mostly one story housing with small streets and alleys.
Fireworks are a major part of the festival for celebration and to notify the spirits to get out of town. There was once a bad spirit that caused trouble but did not like noise so much. The burning of bamboo scares him. Bamboo snaps when it burns so the people got wise to this and simulate the loud cracking with firecrackers. It also gets the good spirits off their duff and excited so they can go out and do some good.
The fireworks are wound of polls or stung out on the ground. There are firecrackers and fireworks going for for the whole month of Spring Festival. Every day firecrackers and at night fireworks in abundance. Going into the last week of the festival the crackers and works get to be heard all day and all (all) night. On the last day the firecrackers going on all day long everywhere.
Burning yellow crape paper symbolic of money as an offering to the relatives and spirits.
