Context: The informant, CC, describes the legend of Nian that is a popular Chinese folktale
CC: “In chinese lunar new year theres this story where in this old Chinese village, they were all terrorized by this big ol monster called ‘Nian’ …and to combat this they ended up creating big sounds through fireworks and firecrackers, which is a predominant reason why people today as tradition uses fireworks to celebrate the new year.”

Q: Where did you first hear about the story?

CC: “I first heard about it from my parents and other family members since we always get together to celebrate the Lunar New Year.”

Q: Have you heard of the story being told outside of your family?

CC: “Honestly no…well, there was this thing my middle school used to do where we celebrate each other’s culture and one of my teachers told us about the story of Nian. It was pretty accurate to the story I already knew.”

Analysis: The Legend of Nian, as described by CC, is a popular Chinese folktale that tells the story of Nian, a beast who used to terrorize villages in China. Many feared Nian due to its destructive nature. Because of this, many created loud sounds using fireworks and firecrackers in order to scare off the Nian beast and ward it away.