Another New Year Party
Last year we had the year of the
Ram, this year we have the Monkey- where did all the animals originate
from to represent each New Year and how has it changed in recent years.
Chi Chung Lee focuses on the celebrations held in the chinese community
every year.
There will be reason to party for some people
this month as January 22, marks the start of the Chinese New Year. 2004
is the Year of the Monkey as the Chinese horoscope is based on 12 animals
and so their year comes around every 12 years accordingly.
The Lunar New Year is the most significant festival for ethnic Chinese
around the world, wherever they come from. It is a very jubilant occasion
mainly because it is the time when people take a break from work to
get together with family and friends.
Origins and significance
The Western world celebrates their New Year in January, just after Christmas, but the Chinese New Year arrives February-time of each year; this is because they base their dates on the lunar calendar rather than the Western calendar. Specifically, it is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, a calendar which is tied to the 15-day cycles of the moon. These cycles were very important in an agricultural society like traditional China. The Chinese are known to have their legendary tales and for the origin of Chinese New Year, it is no exception, with the tale that once a beast known as Nian came out to eat people on new years, until a brave old man found a way to conquer it. Since then, the special day became the most important day for the Chinese and plays and important role in Chinese tradition. There is a Chinese zodiac, which consists of twelve animals, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig; a different animal in rotation of their order in the zodiac cycle represents each New Year. Anyone who was born in the year of a specific animal is said to share the characteristics of that animal. As Christmas is the most important holiday in the Western culture, the Chinese New Year is the most important holiday to Chinese. Chinese New Year is full of its own special traditions and it is a time for reunion and renewal; families get together, friends visit each other, the house is thoroughly cleaned and decorated, and everyone wears bright new clothing; it is also a time to relax and enjoy oneself after a hard year's work.
Before the Special Day
New Years Eve also plays an important role in the festival and is usually celebrated with a New Years Eve dinner, which is the biggest dinner of the year. The dinner is full of symbolic meaning, such as Chinese dumplings implying wealth since they have the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. After the dinner, the family chats while watching national TV shows or listening to radio together until the coming of the new year.
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A
man enjoying the razmataz of the carnival atmosphere © Renaud
Visage |
What’s involved?
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 throughout the first half of the first month. Traditionally fireworks are the sign of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. Fireworks are now banned in China, so this tradition is history.
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red packet |
Red packets are given during Chinese New Year is another tradition. A Red packet is simply a red envelope with money in it, which symbolises luck and wealth. Red packets are handed out to younger generation by the older generation.
Socialising is also a features offered at Chinese New Year. People usually wear new clothes and go out to visit and greet their relatives and friends, so the streets are filled with a lot of cheerful people. The greetings and visitings can go on for a few days.
Special cakes are also prepared during this time, which are called “nian-gao” ('year-cakes'). Nian-gao symbolise getting a lot of promotions, because the name is also short for the phrase nian-nian gao-sheng 'to get promoted higher every year'. The nian-gao and other special cakes serve as a treat and symbol of prosperity for the family, as well as an offering for use in paying tribute to the Gods and ancestors. Chinese people also use the New Year's time to express their appreciation to the gods for watching and protecting them during the year. More information about the food can be found on Chinese Culture.
Highly Symbolic Decorations are essential for the festival, where red and gold are the primary colors. They symbolise good fortune. Other decorations also reflect Chinese hopes for the New Year. The typical decoration is a set of couplets written in elegant calligraphy with black or gold ink on red paper. These phrases, which typically describe good luck or fortune, are called menlian 'door couplets' in Chinese because they are typically hung on either side of the doorway.
Jonathan Beh, from china now working in London as a trainee accountant discusses the importance of the festival and what it actually means to him; “…to me, the great thing about Chinese New Year traditions isn’t the red envelopes, the decorations, or the many interesting food. The best thing is the emphasis on the family where Chinese New Year traditions actually brings our families together.”
Traditionally, Chinese culture has been centered on the family. Family groups would stay in the same area for generations. A family living in the same place for that kind of time is something that we cannot comprehend in their culture. For them, a normal first question that they would ask someone is where he or she grew up. Their transient culture has caused them to lose some of the meaning of family that can be found in the Chinese culture.
They want to begin to incorporate the traditional values of Chinese New Year in their bi-cultural families, so can become part of an ancient tradition that honors the family.
Happy New Year!
As soon as the day breaks and the festival sets in, firecrackers can be heard everywhere and the sky is soon lit with flashes and colours. On the first day of the New Year, everyone put on new clothing and sets out to offer ritual homage to the ancestors and the Gods. The members of the younger generation also pay their respects to the older generation. After the important rituals, people usually go out to greet their friends and relatives.
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| Chinese
New Year fireworks in Hong Kong @2002 Hong Kong image courtesy
of Hong Kong Tourist Association |
Taboos During the New Year
The Chinese are very superstitious they will utilize a lot of the lucky words and signs to express their desire for good fortune and a good life. One taboo is that words that sound like unlucky or undesirable events may not be spoken during the New Year's festival.
Chinese
New Year is a jubilant occasion for the Chinese people, whether they
live in China or other parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia,
Taiwan, and of course, Hong Kong.
