The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, and better known as the Spring Festival (Chūnjié) in China, has become one of the five most celebrated festivals in the world. It is not only celebrated in China. Other countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia (such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Mauritius, and the Philippines) also celebrate it. It is also popular in Chinatowns around the world. In fact, Chinese New Year celebrations take place in New York, London, Vancouver, Sydney and other overseas cities. One-sixth of the world’s population participates in Chinese New Year celebrations, according to the China Travel Guide.
Chinese New Year is the longest holiday in China. Employees have seven to 12 days off work and students have one month of winter vacation. “No matter where they live, the Chinese try to come home to be with their families during the Chinese New Year, just as Americans do for Christmas,” said Dr. Ming Wang, an ophthalmologist and advocate for cultural diversity. in Nashville, Tennessee. “This creates the world’s largest annual migration, known as the Spring Festival Travel Rush.”
When is the Chinese New Year?
The Spring Festival is held in January or February because the Chinese use a lunar calendar, which is based on the movement of the moon. (Much of the Western world uses the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the movements of the sun.) “The Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar,” said Jianguo Chen, an associate professor of Chinese at the University of China. Delaware, he told Live Science. In the Gregorian calendar, the first day of the festival takes place on the new moon between January 21 and February 20. The 2018 Chinese New Year holidays begin on February 16th.
The Chinese calendar is also divided into lunar cycles of 60 years, and each cycle is divided into five cycles under 12 years each. Each year is represented by a Chinese zodiac animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
“Traditional Chinese timing is based on a sexagesimal system, called“ Heavenly Stems and Terrestrial Branches, ”Lotus Perry, an instructor of Chinese language and culture at Puget Sound University in Tacoma, Washington, and director of the Chinese reconciliation in Tacoma. , he told Live Science. “The coincidence of the 10 stems and 12 branches (stem-branch), combined with the 12 animals of the zodiac, produces a total of 60 possible combinations. The solar year 2018 is the 35th year of the 60-year cycle of the lunar calendar and known as the Wu-Xu Dog Year. ”
In the Chinese zodiac, the dog is a symbol of loyalty, responsibility, courage, sincerity, strength, confidence, determination, perseverance, friendship, tenderness, courage and heroism, Chen said.
Although it occurs in winter, it is called the Spring Festival or the “beginning of spring,” which marks the end of the coldest part of winter, when the Chinese traditionally await the beginning of spring.
History
This festival is believed to have originated during the Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1100 BC) as a spring carnival in which people offered sacrifices to gods and ancestors at the end of winter, welcoming the arrival of spring. , said Chen. It became a holiday in 1914 during the Republican period in China, but celebrations were banned in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution. The festival was later re-established.
Traditions
“Guo Nian Hao,” which means “Happy New Year,” is a common Chinese New Year greeting, Chen said. The Chinese also greet each other with blessings such as 恭喜 发财 (“gōngxǐ fācái” in Mandarin) or (“Kung hei fat choi” in Cantonese), which means “wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year.” It is a special occasion for people to express good wishes and be forgiven, leaving behind all the grudges and animosities of the previous year.
“The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China and is celebrated as such,” Chen said. “On Chinese New Year’s Eve, all members of the family will do their best to return home, no matter how far away they are (even on the other side of the world) to enjoy the reunion party known as nián yè fàn. “
Before the new year arrives, it is common for people to completely clean their homes to get rid of the bad luck of the previous year and decorate their tidy houses, all with an atmosphere of joy and celebration. The houses are usually decorated with pairs (vertical banners with two lines of poetry): popular painting, scraps of paper featuring complex designs (similar to scraps of paper snowflakes), festive scrolls, and lanterns. The decorations are usually bright red. “Basically, the red decorations are for the Chinese New Year festival what are the Christmas trees for Christmas,” Wang said.
The decorations are usually red because in Chinese culture color can bring happiness, wealth and prosperity while avoiding evil spirits and bad luck. The tradition may come from the history of the Nian. This fierce and cruel creature eats cattle and children, but is afraid of the color red, along with fire and noise, according to Reader’s Digest. People celebrate with red decorations and fireworks to ward off the Nian.
Throughout the celebration there are various types of celebratory activities, sponsored by the government or communities, including Shehuo, an ancient folk art that includes dances of lions and dragons, acrobats, stilt walkers, opera performances and drum performances.
“One of the most interesting holiday entertainment programs organized by CCTV (China Central Television) over the last three decades is the Chinese CCTV New Year’s Eve Gala, which is usually a 5-hour evening entertainment program. , which includes a varied show of dramas, dance, music and comedy, ”Chen said. “Spread around the world, the gala attracts more than 800 million spectators annually. The Chinese are so in love with this New Year’s Eve Gala that they organize the New Year’s Eve family reunion party without seeing it would be an unfortunate experience. “
A variety of foods are served during the New Year’s festival, including balls (“jiaozi”), rice cakes (“niangao”), spring rolls and fish. “The Chinese traditionally prepare sumptuous holidays during the holidays, with fish, pork, chicken and duck, as well as various kinds of fruits, sweets and nuts. The ball of dough is a must, especially in northern China,” he said. Chen.
Gifts are also made. “Instead of wrapped gifts like Americans, Chinese of all ages exchange red envelopes stuffed with‘ lucky money, ’from older to younger, from bosses to employees, and from leaders to subordinates,” he said. Wang. “Kids spend their lucky money the way they want.”
The last day of the 15-day celebration is the Lantern Festival. It includes various types of activities, including folk dances, eating “yuánxiāo” (rice balls with various types of fillings), playing riddle games, making fireworks, and organizing festive parades enhanced with lanterns of various styles. “This festival is sometimes traditionally known as China’s Valentine’s Day, when singles expect to meet a partner,” Chen said.