In ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came and Buddha named a year after each animal. Chinese New Year remains the most important holiday for Chinese people across the world, as it marks the new year and reunites families through feasts and ceremonies honoring ancestors. Families also walk the street carrying lanterns, which serve as a guide for spirits. Many traditions and superstitious views are defined in Chinese New Year.
Foods, such as eggplant, are believed to heal sicknesses. The color red is believed to scare away evil spirits and bad fortunes. Mandarin oranges represent luck and fortune and are the most abundant fruit during the New Year.
Vivian Zhang, a sophomore, loves celebrating Chinese New Year with her family. "We always have envelopes with money inside to represent prosperity. We also eat a lot of fish and noodles in a big feast and a lot of my family comes to visit. It's a lot of fun."
This year's Chinese New Year begins on February 3rd. Rabbit is the spotlight animal of the lunar holiday this year. People born in the year of the rabbit are said to be ambitious and dedicated. The duration of the holiday is fifteen days, with the fifteenth day being the Lantern Festival, or the Chinese version of Valentine's Day.
The Chinese calender differs from the Western calender -- The beginning of a Chinese new year changes every year, on dates ranging between late January and late February. If you were born early in the year, you may be interested in looking at the description of the animal of the year before. It may suit you better!  |
 | Rat 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 You are ambitious yet honest, prone to spend freely. Seldom make lasting friendships. Most compatible with Dragons and Monkeys. Least compatible with the horses. |
 | Ox 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Bright, patient and inspiring to others, you can be happy by yourself, yet make an outstanding parent. Marry a Snake or a Rooster. The Sheep will bring you trouble. |
 | Tiger 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Tiger people are aggressive, courageous, candid and sensitive. Look to the Horse and the Dog for your happiness. But beware of the Monkey. |
 | Rabbit 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Luckiest of all signs, you are also talented and articulate. Affectionate, yet shy, you seek peace throughout your life. So marry a Sheep or a Boar. Your opposite is the Rooster. |
 | Dragon 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 You are eccentric and your life is complex. You have a very passionate nature and abundant health. Marry a Monkey or Rat late in life. Avoid the Dog. More... |
 | Snake 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 You are wise and intense with a tendency towards physical beauty, vain and high tempered. The Boar is your enemy. The Rooster and Ox are your best signs. More... |
 | Horse 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Popular and attractive to the opposite sex, you are often ostentatious and impatient. You need people. Marry a Tiger or a Dog early, but never a Rat. |
 | Sheep 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Elegant and creative, you are timid and prefer anonymity. You are most compatible with the Boars and the Rabbits, but never the Ox. |
 | Monkey 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 You are very intelligent and are able to influence people. An enthusiastic achiever, you are easily discouraged and confused. Avoid the Tigers. Seek a Dragon or Rat. More... |
 | Rooster 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 A pioneer in spirit, you are devoted to work and quest after knowledge. You are selfish and eccentric. Rabbits are trouble for you. Snakes and Ox are fine. |
 | Dog 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 Loyal and honest, you work well with others. You are generous yet stubborn, and often selfish. Look to the Horse or Tiger. And watch out for Dragons. |
 | Pig 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 Nobel and chivalrous. Your friends will be life long, yet you are prone to marital strife. You should avoid other Boars. Marry a Rabbit or a Sheep. |
This year's Chinese New Year begins on February 3rd. Rabbit is the spotlight animal of the lunar holiday this year. People born in the year of the rabbit are said to be ambitious and dedicated. The duration of the holiday is fifteen days, with the fifteenth day being the Lantern Festival, or the Chinese version of Valentine's Day.
A festive decoration seller holds out a set of Spring Festival couplets at an open market in Donggao Villlage of Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 22, 2011. The Chinese become busy making their new year's shopping as the Spring Festival, China's Lunar New Year, draws closer
The origin of the Chinese New Year itself is centuries old - in fact, too old to actually be traced. It is popularly recognized as the Spring Festival and celebrations last 15 days.
Preparations tend to begin a month before the date of the Chinese New Year (similar to a Western Christmas). During this time people start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year, when Chinese houses are cleaned from to bottom. This ritual is supposed to sweep away all traces of bad luck. Doors and windowpanes are often given a new coat of paint, usually red, then decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them.
The eve of the New Year is perhaps the most exciting part of the holiday, due to the anticipation. Here, traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing. Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings, signifying different good wishes. Delicacies include prawns, for liveliness and happiness, dried oysters ( ho xi), for all things good, fish dishes or Yau-Yu to bring good luck and prosperity, Fai-chai (Angel Hair), an edible hair-like seaweed to bring prosperity, and dumplings boiled in water (Jiaozi) signifying a long-lasting good wish for a family. It is customary to wear something red as this colour is meant to ward off evil spirits. But black and white are frowned upon, as these are associated with mourning. After dinner, families sit up for the night playing cards, board games or watching television programmes dedicated to the occasion. At midnight, fireworks light up the sky.
On the day itself, an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place. This involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then the family begins to say greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then to their neighbours. Like the Western saying "let bygones be bygones," at Chinese New Year, grudges are very easily cast aside.
Tributes are made to ancestors by burning incense and the symbolic offering of foods. As firecrackers burst in the air, evil spirits are scared away by the sound of the explosions.
The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.
At the Festival, all traditions are honored. The predominant colors are red and gold. "Good Wish" banners are hung from the ceilings and walls. The "God of Fortune" is there to give Hong Baos. Lion dancers perform on stage continuously. Visitors take home plants and flowers symbolizing good luck. An array of New Years specialty food is available in the Food Market. Visitors purchase new clothing, shoes and pottery at the Market Fair. Bargaining for the best deal is commonplace!
Prosperous New Year 4709!
Courtesy : News china,
www.keralites.net |
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