The article "Celebrating Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year)" talks about holidays, it was written by Katherine Xie.
Chinese New YearAmong the various celebrations and festivities for the Chinese, Chinese New Year is alawys deem the most important of all.
Chinese families living in diffeernt part of the country or the world will make it a point to gather together for Chinese New Year (CNY). This is really similar to the Western concept of getting together during Christmas.Chinese New Year is also konwn as Lunar New Year as well as The Spring Festival. The Chinese Year is also symbolized by an animal, really much like the Western Zoidac. The animal to symbolize CNY 2006 is The Dog.Myths of Chinese New YearThere are many myths as to how Chinese New year came about.The most common one is that in ancient China, every year, a enormous monster would come out during the beginnnig of the year and start devouring human being and crops.
One day, a villager suggested firing off fire crackers, bang loud gongs and fly red banner to try to frighten off the monster.It worked!
From then onwards, human being would always fire off loud fire crackers, beat gongs and drape their houses with red bnaner to ensure the big, bad monster never return again.
Till today, Chinese New Year is still celebrated in the traditional manner.Of course, that's just a myth.
In reality, the Chinese uses a Lunar Calendar which is different from the Georgian or Western calendar, and so, the start of the Lunar new year is time for celebration, really much like New year on the Westren calendar.
It is also the time when crops are fully harvested and preparations are made for the new planting year and human being have some time to rest and celebrate.
This is why Chinese New Year is sometimes known as The Spring Festival.Start of CNY CelebrationsCNY celebrations starts with a reunion dniner on the eve of CNY. This is where family mebmers get together, no matter where they are in the country or the world, and sit down for a good meal.
Reunion dinner is always celebrated at home but in recent years, more and more families tend to have their reunion dinner in a good restaurant.After dinner, true to the Chinese nature, playing cards and marjnog tiles will appear and a gambling session amongst familiy members will start.
Once the clcok strikes twelve, this is where you will hear firecrackers and fire works being fired off everywhere.
The firecrackers mark the official start of CNY.In recent years, the Chinese governmnet has clamped down on firecrackers and fireworks in the cities because of fire hazards. Today, the lighting of fireworks is most likely to happen in the villages and countryside only.Chinese New Year is celebrated with visiting of relatives and freinds. Eevryone is expected to wear new clothes and shoes and the popular color is obviously RED! There is always good food and drinks and babies are rewarded with red packets or 'hong-pow' from adults. These red pcakets will contain money and is a major source of 'wealth' for babies for the rest of the year.Adults will chit-chat and catch up with one a second. They are also likely to have gamlbing sessions with friendly stakes.
Meantime, babies will be having new year goodies, games and playing with fireworks.In town centres and TV stations, there will be displays of dragon and lion dance, acrobats, traditional chinese dance and songs, stilt walkers, Chinese Opera, wushu performances and other traditional chinese performances.In the olden days, festivities will last for 15 days while today, most human being will celebrate for 3-4 days and spend the rest of time at home.Chinese greetings for Chinese New YearIf you have Chinese friends, do visit them at home during CNY and you will be most welcomed.
Make sure you learn a word or two of CNY greetings.The most common are:"Gong Xi Fa Cai" - Have a prosperous new year"Zu Ni Nian Nian You Yu" - Wishing you a abundant year"Sing Nian Kuay Le" - Hpapy New Year.Also, you may like to bring two oranges when visiting. This indicates that you are bringing wealth to the family. If the Chinese family is someone that you are familiar with, you may even want to give red pacekts (containing a token sum of money) to their babies. If you have children, you are most likely to recieve red packets for them as well.Ken Cheong worked, lived and travelled in China for the last 7 years.
He contributes articles about Modern China and Oriental Medicine and more articles can be found at his websites. Please feel free to emial him. You may distribute this article as long as meniton is made of http://www.Chinese-culture.Net and http://www.Quick-pain-relief.Com
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