Title: The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological record in history, dating from 2600BC. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly one, with the start of the lunar year being based on the cycles of the moon. Because of this cyclical dating, the
1- The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest
chronological record in history, dating from
2600BC. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly
one, with the start of the lunar year being based
on the cycles of the moon. Because of this
cyclical dating, the beginning of the year can
fall anywhere between late January and the middle
of February.
2- Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on
the first day of the new year and ends on the
full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new
year is called the Lantern Festival, which is
celebrated at night with lantern displays and
children carrying lanterns in a parade.
3Chinese New Year Dates
-
- 2004 - Jan 222005 - Feb 92006 - Jan 292007
- Feb 18
4Preparation
- Usually the preparation starts a month before
the new year. The preparation includes thoroughly
cleaning and decorating the house, buying new
clothes, and preparing enough food for at least
two weeks.
5- Instead of presents as in the West, the Chinese
give gifts of money at Chinese New Year, at
weddings and birthdays. The money is usually
placed in a red packet/envelope decorated with an
appropriate symbol, greeting or lucky sign.
6- If flowers open on New Year's Day it is
believed to be a symbol of good luck. The New
Year is also a time to settle debts--if not both
the debtor and his family will face shame.
7- Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese families
decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty
blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and
a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet
fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets,
happy wishes written on red paper.
8Forbidden during New Year
- All sharp tools (knives, etc. are hidden away
since they may sever good fortune from the
family. - No foul language or unlucky words because it will
bring bad luck to the family.
- Handle fragile item with care. If anything
breaks, the family will break up or have seven
years of bad luck.
9New Years Eve
- The New Year's Eve is the time for families.
The New Year Eve's dinner is the biggest dinner
of the year, much like Thanksgiving dinner in the
United States. The dinner is full of symbolic
meaning, such as Chinese dumplings implying
wealth since they have the shape of ancient
Chinese gold or silver ingots.
10Firecrackers
- Firecrackers are set off as soon as the new
year arrives. You can hear or see firecrackers
everywhere and this usually lasts for a few
hours. Traditionally fireworks are the sign of
getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.
11New Year Greetings
- Chinese New Year is also the time for
socializing. People usually wear new clothes and
go out to visit and greet their relatives and
friends, so the streets are filled with a lot of
cheerful people. The greeting and visiting can go
on for a few days.
12The dragon dance is an important festive
tradition in China. It was originally performed
to please the dragon, who is the deity of water,
to ask for rain during drought years. Gradually
it became an entertainment and dance form in
festive occasions, usually during the Spring
Festival and Lantern Festival.
13- The dragons, usually ranging from several
meters to more than 100 meters long, are mainly
made of bamboo, wood, rattan, cloth and paper,
etc.
There are poles attached to the belly of the
dragon. During the performance, performers hold
the poles and raise the dragon, starting the
grand dance with the beat of roaring drums.
Sometimes a man raises a pearl and entices the
dragon to follow his rhythm.
14Lantern Festival
- The 15th of the first month of Chinese New
Year, marks the end of the New Year celebrations.
It is the time for family reunion again, where
families eat a kind of cake, which looks like a
table tennis ball (a little smaller) made of
sticky rice with sweet stuffing inside. Everyone
eats a few on Lantern Festival, which symbolizes
that the family will stick together.
15Candy Tray
- The candy tray arranged in either a circle or
octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness" and
has a dazzling array of candy to start the New
Year sweetly. Each item represents some kind of
good fortune.
16- Candied melon - growth and good health
- Red melon seed - dyed red to symbolize joy,
happiness, truth and sincerity - Lychee nut - strong family relationships
- Cumquat - prosperity (gold)
- Coconut - togetherness
- Peanuts - long life
- Longnan - many good sons
- Lotus seed - many children
17- The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged
on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them
at the family banquet table. The spirits of the
ancestors, together with the living, celebrate
the onset of the New Year as one great community.
The communal feast is called "surrounding the
stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and
honors the past and present generations.
18- On New Year's Day, the Chinese family will eat
a vegetarian dish called jai. Although the
various ingredients in jai are root vegetables or
fibrous vegetables, many people attribute various
superstitious aspects to them.
19- Lotus seed - signify having many male offspring
- Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots
- Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding
in wealth - Dried bean curd is another homonym for
fulfillment of wealth and happiness - Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like
"wishing that everything would be well" - Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it
is white and unlucky for New Year as the color
signifies death and misfortune