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More of
Chinese New Year
Here are some more features of Chinese New
Year:
Good Luck Couplets
Decorations are an important feature of the celebrations for the Chinese
New Year. One of the main forms of decoration are the 'Red Couplets',
which are Chinese good luck sayings written on red paper, often with gold
trimmings and usually made up of four Chinese characters which ask for
luck in terms of long life, wealth etc. Red is not only a lucky colour for
the Chinese, but also frightens off the monster 'Nian' who arrives at this
time of year and destroys crops and homes.
Some New Year couplets are intended to be pasted or pinned in special
places such as the kitchen or doors, while some can be placed anywhere.
The couplets are usually taken down after the New Year celebrations,
though some people keep them up all year long in the hope of keeping good
luck.
 Red
Packets
Giving Hongbao (Red packets or Red envelopes) during Chinese New Year is
another tradition. A Red packet is simply a red envelope with money in it
which symbolizes luck and wealth. Red packets are typically handed out to
younger generations by their parents, grandparents, relatives, close
neighbors and friends. Money given like this may not be refused and the
pretty envelope makes the present seem less vulgar. The immediate family
give presents to children on New Year's Eve. This is called Ya Sui Qian,
meaning "suppressing age money," which is supposed to stop children from
getting older. This comes from the belief that everyone becomes one year
older on New Year's Day. Red is the lucky color and will bring good luck
to the person receiving the present.
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are traditionally set off to frighten away ghosts so that the
new year would be free of them. Legend says that long ago there was a
monster who terrorized people and animals at the end of the year. It was
discovered that this animal was frightened of loud noise, bright lights,
and the red color. At midnight, on the last day of the old year, these
things are used to chase away the monster of the whole year.
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. Some
people will continue to play firecrackers occasionally through out the
first half of the first month. Traditionally fireworks are the sign of
getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.
Foods
Since the Sping Festival marks the first day of a brand new year, the
first meal is rather important. People from north and south have different
sayings about the food they eat on this special day.
In Northern China, people usually eat Jiaozi or dumplings shaped like a
crescent moon. It is said that dumplings were first known in China some
1,600 years ago. Its Chinese pronunciation Jiaozi means midnight or the
end and the beginning of time. According to historical records, people from
both north and south ate dumplings on Chinese New Year's Day. Perhaps
because Southern China produced more rice than any other area, gradually,
southern people had many more other choices on New Year's Day.
In addition to Jiaozi, the most common foods for the first meal of the
Spring Festival are noodles, New Year Cakes and Tangtuan, a kind of round
sweet dumplings. Both the cakes and dumplings are made of glutinous rice
flour.
In China, the noodle symbolizes longevity. The New Year Cake is called
Nian Gao in Chinese. It conveys the hope of improvement in life year after
year, the round sweet dumpling is a symbol of reunion.
Celebrated Activities
To pay a New Year visit is an important event during the Spring Festival.
In olden times, high-ranking officials would go to the court to wish the
emperor a Happy New Year. The entire clan would hold a ceremony. However,
the most frequent visits were those between relatives and friends. This
activity would continue for several days.
 Beginning in the Song Dynasty in the tenth century, people began to send
cards to express a New Year's greeting. At first, the sending of New
Year's cards was limited to the circle of people in high positions. So it
was also a way to show off one's social status. However, at the beginning
of the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, ordinary people also began to
exchange cards. The practice continues today during the Spring Festival.
Recreational activities during the Spring Festival are various and
colorful. The Dragon Dance and Lion Dance are traditionally performed
during the festival. The dances do not have to
be performed by professionals. Sometimes the dancers are farmers, street vendors or
craftsmen.
Walking on stilts is another traditional performance-event popular in
China, especially in the northern part of the country. According to the
archives, Chinese ancestors began using stilts to help them gather
fruits from trees. This practical use of stilts gradually developed into a
kind of folk dance. Today's skillful performers can do truly amazing
feats and extremely difficult movements on stilts .The professionals even
put on dramas while walking about on stilts.
Want to know when exactly the 2004 Chinese
New Year is ?
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Page established: Dec 27, 2003
Last updated: Dec 27, 2003
Information is from
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