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 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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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

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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.

3
Chinese New Year Dates
  • 2004 - Jan 222005 - Feb 92006 - Jan 292007
    - Feb 18

4
Preparation
  • 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.

8
Forbidden 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.

9
New 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.

10
Firecrackers
  • 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.

11
New 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.

12
The 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.
14
Lantern 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.

15
Candy 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
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