Thoughts on the lost holiday traditions of China

I was talking with a friend tonight, who commented on our Christmas preparations, and we got into a conversation about holiday traditions in China for the Spring Festival...Chun Jie (also known as Chinese New Year. We have been trying to get people to tell us where are the best places in China to see customs associated with Chinese New Year. In our minds, we are thinking about Lion Dances and fireworks, everyone dressed in silk outfits, you know, like Chinatown in San Francisco or New York. Michael's students have been stressing that usually only families gather together at home or in a restaurant. Our friend added that during the Cultural Revolution, the old traditions, the folk beliefs, and traditional customs were forbidden and considered dangerous thinking. He pointed out that when his parents' generation were children, these customs were mostly gone from mainland China. What remains are the traditional foods, and the giving of hong bao "lucky money" to children and unmarried young people. Families travel long distances to be reunited. He thought that in remote areas of China maybe some of the more colorful customs remain. One more example of the legacy of the "hidden" past of recent Chinese history casting its shadow.