As verified by archaeological discoveries, Shanghai has a history of over 6,000 year. Its customs have also been developed for over 6,000 years alongside with the vigorous social development of the city. 
The Shanghai customs have undergone three stages of social development, namely primitivc culture, slavery and feudalism. With Shanghai located at the juncture of the Kingdoms of Wu and Yue, its customs were affected predominantly by the cultures of these two kingdoms and formed mainly at the time of feudal rule. To under- stand how Shanghai customs stand the test of time, we might try to get a hint by looking at their customs of celebrating the lunar New Year. 
The New Year celebration starts with thanks-giving ancestor worship on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month. Ancestors are sanctified as gods and believed to have divine powers to decide the destiny of the family. 
On New Year's Eve, every household worships its ancestors with sacrificial offerings to pray for good luck throughout the year. On New Year's Day. as soon as the day dawns, the head of the family leads his entire family in ancestor worship which follows certain rituals and rules in respect of sitting arrangement and sequence of worship. 

Spectacle of a dragon lantern race in the '30s.

Thanks-giving worships to the Kitchen God and other gods are also made on the tweniy-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month. It is said that the Kitchen God will return to heaven to present a memorial to the Jade Emperor on that day. The offering of malt sugar and puncture vine will make him report on people,s good deeds only. The Kitchen God will be welcome back on New Year's Eve. Following the sacrificial offerings to ancestors and gods, a series of New Year,s activities will be launched in succession. 
To welcome the coming of a new year, firecrackers are let off at the main entrance. The practice is meant to dispel pestilence. 

Shanghai families staying up all night on New Year's Eve to wait for the new year.

The deafening sound of gongs and drums resounds through the sky. New Spring Festival couplets are pasted up on branches of cypress are hung from the eaves. Everything looks fresh and gay. 
New Year calls will be made from the early moming of the New Year's Day till the tenth day of lunar New Year, but not later than the fifteenth day. It starts with children's offering New Year felicitations to their parents who will then lead their children to visit their friends and relatives to extend congratulatory greetings.
Paying New Year calls is also said to bring happiness to the family. The guests will be treated to "yuanbao tea" (tea with two Chinese olives) and liquor-saturated rice while the young will be given red packets. 
On the night of the fifteenth day of lunar New Year, the thunderous roar of firecrackers reverberates in the whole city which will be illuminated by a multitude of festive lanterns and thronged with large crowds of people. The whole scene is a tremendous spectacle. On that day, women and children will have a night out to adnure the lanterns and also to cross three bridges so as to dispel disease. All the festive lanterns will be removed on the night of the twenty-third day.