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Traditions of Chinese New Year
Even though the climax of the Chinese New Year, Nian, lasts only two or three days including the New Year's Eve, the New Year season extends from the mid-twelfth month of the previous year to the middle of the first month of the new year. A month from the New Year, it is a good time for business. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration material, food and clothing. Transportation department, railroad in particular, is nervously waiting for the onslaught of swarms of travellers who take their days off around the New Year to rush back home for a family renunion from all parts of the country.
Days before the New Year, every family is busy giving its house a thorough cleaning, hoping to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for the wishful in-coming good luck. People also give their doors and window-panes a new paint, usually in red color. They decorate the doors and windows with paper-cuts and couplets with the very popular theme of "happiness", "wealth", "logevity" and "satisfactory marriage with more children". Paintings of the same theme are put up in the house on top of the newly mounted wall paper. In the old days, various kinds of food are tributed at the alta of ancestors.
The Eve of the New Year is very carefully observed. Supper is a feast, with all members coming together. One of the most popular course is jiaozi, dumplings boiled in water. "Jiaozi" in Chinese literally mean "sleep together and have sons", a long-lost good wish for a family. After dinner, it is time for the whole family to sit up for the night while having fun playing cards or board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the ocassion. Every light is supposed to be kept on the whole night. At midnight, the whole sky will be lit up by fireworks and firecrackers make everywhere seem like a war zone. People's excitement reach its zenith.
Very early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive their presents in terms of cash wrapped up in red paper packages from them. Then, the family start out to say greetings from door to door, first their relatives and then their neighbors. It is a great time for reconciliation. Old grudges are very easily cast away during the greetings. The air is permeated with warmth and friendliness. During and several days following the New Year's day, people are visiting each other, with a great deal of exchange of gifs. The New Year atmosphere is brought to an anti-climax fifteen days away where the Festival of Lanterns sets in. It is an occasion of lantern shows and folk dances everywhere. One typical food is the Tang Yuan, another kind of dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings.
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year season and afterwards life becomes daily routines once again. This description is based upon the recollection of my own experience. Customs of observing the New Year vary from place to place, considering that China is a big country not only geographically, but also demographically and ethnically. Yet, the spirit underlying the diverse celebrations of the Chinese New Year is the same: a sincere wish of peace and happiness for the family members and friends.
中国新年禁忌
Do's and Don'ts of Chinese New Year
Do's:
Wish everyone you meet a happy New Year by saying
"gong xi fa cai", which translates to: "Have a happy and
prosperous New Year!"
Wear articles of red clothing because red symbolizes luck.
Eat vegetarian food because it's not good to see blood.
Buy new trousers because the Chinese word for trousers
is "fu", (Chinese homonym for wealth)
Children should stay up as late as possible on New Year's Eve for it is believed that the later they stay up, the longer their parents will live.
Visit family (especially those older than yourself) and friends to pass on your wishes on good fortune for the New Year. (plus kids and single people will receive lai-see lucky red packets full of money.
Give two lai see to each child. Because happiness comes in two's, do not just give one. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. Business owners also give lai see to employees and associates.
Don'ts:
Don't wear white or black clothing, since they are the traditional colours of mourning.
Don't buy new shoes for the first months of the New Year, because the sound of shoe in Chinese is "hai". "Hai" is similar to the sound of sighing, which Chinese believe is not a good way to start the year.
Don't wash your hair for the first three days of the New Year, because the Chinese word for hair is a homonym for the Chinese word for wealth. Therefore, Chinese believe it isn't a good thing to 'wash away your wealth' right at the start of the New Year.
Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed of on the first day of the New Year for fear of casting riches out the door.
Don't swear or quarrel.
Don't break any dishes, otherwise you may incur more misfortune for the New Year. In the event of breaking a dish, quickly say "Peace for all time", and the bad luck will be warded away.
Don't greet people who are in mourning.
Don't drop your chopsticks.
Don't say the number 'four' (Chinese homonym for death) or mention death.
Don't borrow or lend money.
中国舞狮
Lion Dance
Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, and
represent joy and happiness. Lion dances are performed
to bring luck and to get rid of the devil. This tradition can be
traced back to a story that took place long ago.
During the rule of the legendary "Yellow Emperor", a
monster called "Nien" appeared in China, attacking the
men and the animals. It was so fast and fierce that neither the fox nor the tiger could beat it. In despair, the people asked the lion for help. The lion bravely rushed towards the monster and wounded it. The "Nien" fled, but declared to come back to take revenge.
A year later, the "Nien" returned. Without the lion's protection this time, the people produced a "lion" out of bamboo and cloth. Two men crawled inside and approached the "Nien". The "lion" pranced and roared, driving the monster away again.
From then on, lion dances have become a yearly tradition to frighten evil away during the Chinese New Year.
中国鞭炮
The history of fireworks
Fireworks weren't just invented all of a sudden; they were
gradually produced, with the inventions of other substances,
such as gunpowder. Although many nations claim the
invention of gunpowder, it was actually invented by the
Chinese in the 9th Century.
A Chinese cook happened to mix together three ingredients
commonly found in the kitchen - potassium nitrate (salt
substitute), sulfur (flammable solid), and charcoal. The cook
noticed that, when ignited, the three ingredients burned viciously with a considerable force. The cook apparently also discovered that if these same ingredients were enclosed and then ignited, the combination exploded rather than burned, producing a loud bang. The chemical gunpowder spread throughout the world. There are many uses of gunpowder, in Europe were mainly used for canons during war. While the Europeans were using gunpowder for war, the Chinese used it for firecrackers and fireworks