There is a mythical story for children in China of how fireworks became associated with Chinese New Year. A monster, named Nian, would climb down the mountain every New Year's Eve and try to eat the people. But the villagers wore red and painted their houses red, because Nian was afraid of the color red. And they also set off fireworks, and so Scared Nian was frightened away and climbed back up the mountain. Thereafter, the Chinese people always set off fireworks every New Year's Eve, just i