The Chinese New Year which is otherwise referred as Spring Festival usually occurs in January or February. It falls on different date each year for it is based on the combination of lunar and solar movements. The New Year celebration is continued for the next fifteen days which ends on the full moon day. The Chinese believe on a cycle of twelve years where each year is named after an animal and they also have a strong faith that people born in a particular year such as the year of the Dog will have some of the characteristics of that animal. The Chinese New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in the country and is declared as a public holiday for three days from the day of the New Year.
History and Origin
The Chinese New Year has a great history behind its origin. The origin of the Chinese New Year is itself centuries old - in fact, too old to actually be traced. There was a beast Nian which was very poisonous and it can swallow so many people at a single time. They people used to be very scared of the beast Nian and they didn't know of how to escape from this deadly beast. One day an old man came to their rescue where he very cunningly said the Nian the people are not worthy opponents for the Nian's strength but instead go and swallow other beasts of prey on earth. By this way the people were safe from the beast and also they along with the domestic animals were not affected by the other animals of prey on earth. After the old man along with Nian was not seen and he became an immortal God.
But before he left told people at the end of each year put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color the beast feared the most. Thus according to history from then on the tradition of observing this day is been carried out every year. History also says that the term "Guo Nian" meaning "Survive the Nian" which is now become "Celebrate the (New) Year" as the word "guo" in Chinese having both the meaning of "pass-over" and to"observe".History also mention's that Chinese peasants eagerly wait for this day because it is on this day that the kitchen God is supposed to depart away to the lord of heaven (known as to the Jade Emperor) to report about the family. During his absence-that is, the period in which He leaves the kitchen only to return in the New Year -the family members clean up the house and make a fresh start to welcome the God as well as the new promising year.
Customs and Traditions
It is a custom among the Chinese to clean up the entire house before the New Year for they believe in cleaning up will wash away all the fortune in the house and bring good luck in the coming New Year. Much before the New Year they also paint the house along with the doors and the window panels especially with red colour and fully decorated with paper cuttings and couplets which have condensed language, but have deep meaning and mostly rhyme. The themes generally used are happiness, wealth and longevity. On the eve of Chinese New Year they have a very elaborate supper where "jiaozi" dumplings boiled in water is supposed to be one must dish. After the supper the entire family spends time with each other by playing some games and they remain mostly awake through out the night for it is also a tradition to keep the lights on till morning. They also follow the practice of lighting fireworks in the mid night. The next morning to signify, whatever the past was and to welcome the New Year with fresh mind they greet the family members and the relatives followed by the neighbhours.This is in a way helps to reestablish a close relationship between friends and families forgetting the past grudges. There is also a very old tradition of where on the New Year the Chinese offer variety of food in front of the altar for the ancestors. There is another custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place.
Children wake up early to find the small red envelopes known as "Lai Si"(Cantonese) or "Hong Bao" (Mandarin) envelope containing sweets or "lucky money" under their pillows given by parents to their children. So for the next fifteen days people visit each other and host dinner and exchange gifts with each other giving a major festive mood. The end of the New Year celebrations is marked with the Lantern festival where there are lantern shows and folk dances happening everywhere. One of the important traditional which is supposed to be prepared during New Year is Tang Yuan, which are dumplings made of sweet rice. However the customs and traditions of the Chinese New Year vary in different parts of the country.
Chinese New Year Celebrations
The Chinese New Year or the 'Spring Festival's one of the major festivals of the Chinese. The celebrations starts with the cleaning up of the house much before the arrival of the New Year and is painted mainly with red colour, for according to many Chinese legends red is a symbol of fire and it can ward off evil and bad spirits from entering the house. On the eve of New Year an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place.
Children wake up early to find the small red envelopes known as "Lai Si" (Cantonese) or "Hong Bao" (Mandarin) envelope containing sweets or "lucky money" under their pillows given by parents to their children. The doors and windows are decorated with small and big banner all conveying good wishes like happiness, wealth and longevity. The celebration also includes where people as gifts carry new plants which symbolizes good luck. The Chinese New Year celebration is very colourful with the fireworks giving bright illuminated sparkles lighting up the entire sky. 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.
Feasting is again of the major part of celebration where apart from the market being loaded with sweets and other New Year special items, there are lavish preparations of food even at home. Various delicacies like traditional jai cuisine, Lotus seed, Ginkgo nut and Bamboo shoots are prepared since they symbolize good luck, prosperity and wealth .Also as a part of celebration buying of new clothes and repaying of debts also takes place. There are street parades where thousands of people line the streets to watch the procession of floats in the New Year parade. Dancing dragons and lions weave their way through the crowded streets. The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.
Chinese New Year Celebrations across the globe
The Chinese New Year is celebrated by lot of people throughout the world from China to Vietnam to Australia to Canada. Though the culture varies in different parts of the country the highlight is it is celebrated with family and friends and with fireworks and feasting. In San Francisco, the city hosts a month long celebration culminating in the largest parade outside China and in Vietnam the country is bedecked in flowers. The other customs and tradition followed during the celebrations in different parts of the country are the lantern festivals, dragon dances, drums and floats.
Chinese New Year Gifts
Most of the celebrations are eagerly anticipated for family reunion to spend time together and to share our love with each other. The best way to express our love is to exchange gifts between family and friends. This is also a customary tradition in China. Chinese New Year Gifts are credited by serving as a medium to showcase much of the quintessence of Chinese culture and the tradition. Chinese New Year Gifts run a gamut from Lanterns, Chop Sticks, Cane Umbrellas, T-Shirts, Dragon Heads, Fans, Bamboo Hats, Statues, Postcards and many other wonderful items. The Chinese usually go in for useful gifts rather than the fancy ones.
Wine also takes place in the list of gift items. Chinese calligraphy is one of the great form of art so Chinese calligraphy art works are great gift ideas. The celebration also includes where people as gifts carry new plants which symbolizes good luck. Another traditional gift for children is the small red envelopes known as "Lai Si" (Cantonese) or "Hong Bao" (Mandarin) envelope containing sweets or "lucky money" under their pillows given by parents to their children.