Spring Festival Legend

Once upon a time, there was a huge, savage animal that lived under the sea, whose name was "Nian".  Every Spring, Nian needed to replenish his larder.  He jumped out of the water and attacked villages, eating everything he saw: people, animals and plants. Over years, the people tried to protect themselves from Nian.  One spring, Villagers hung bright red paper on every door in the village and as soon as Nian entered the village, they threw bamboo into the fire, which gave out thousands of explosions.   Nian suddenly ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.  Since then, every year around this time, people hung red paper and burned bamboo to protect themselves from Nian.  This practice has evolved to the current celebration of Spring Festival, where people hang red posters (paper) and light firecrackers ( originally made from bamboo).