Chinese New Year Introduction

(Note: You can zoom in on images bearing this symbol: )

To

keep

ghosts

and

monsters

away,

prints

of

Door

Gods

are

pasted

on

the

front

of

doors.

(Courtesy of the Council for Culture Affairs)

The

Chinese

New

Year

Festival

is

the

most

significant

holiday

for

Chinese

people

around

the

world, regardless of the origin of their ancestors. It is also known as the Lunar New Year Festival

because it is based on the lunar calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar. The holiday 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.

The

origin

of

the

Chinese

New

Year

Festival

can

be

traced

back

thousands

of

years

through

a

continually evolving series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is

that of Nien

?

, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast, which the Chinese believe, eats people on

New Year's Eve. To keep Nien away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and

firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nien is said to fear the color red, the light of

fire,

and

loud

noises.

Early

the

next

morning,

as

feelings

of

triumph

and

renewal

fill

the

air

at

successfully keeping Nien away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is kung-hsi

?

尺

, or

To ensure good luck in the coming year, the Chinese always give every dish a special name. This

dish

is

called

the

Blessings

for

the

New

Year

and

represents

longevity,

wealth,

peace,

wisdom, and righteousness. (Photo by Su-ching Chang)

Even though Chinese New Year celebrations generally only last for several days, starting on New

Year's Eve, the festival itself is actually about three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day

of the twelfth lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to heaven to pay their

respects and report on household affairs to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. According

to tradition, households busily honor these gods by burning ritualistic paper money to provide for

their traveling expenses. Another ritual is to smear malt sugar on the lips of the Kitchen God, one

of the traveling deities, to ensure that he either submits a favorable report to the Jade Emperor or

keeps silent.

Next,

couplets

are

hung

up

around

the

house.

Spring

couplets

are

paper

scrolls

and

squares

inscribed

with

blessings

and

auspicious

words,

such

as

fortune,

and

The

paper

squares

are

usually

pasted

upside

down,

because

the

Mandarin Chinese word for

paper squares represent the

Tradition says that the wider the split in the top of the fa-kao

祇縷

, which is a type of rice cake,

the more prosperous the coming year will be.

On lunar New Year's Eve, family members who are no longer living at home make a special effort

to return home for reunion and share in a sumptuous meal. At that time, family members hand out

Year. Chinese people have long believed that staying awake all night on New Year's Eve would

help their parents to live a longer life. Thus, lights are kept on the entire night-- not just to drive

away Nien, as in ancient times, but also as an excuse to make the most of the family get-together.

Some families even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to welcome the God of the New Year

into their homes, a ritual that is often concluded with a huge barrage of firecrackers.

For children, the most exciting part of the holiday comes when they receive their hong-bao

??

,

red envelopes full of cash.

The first order of business on Chinese New Year's Day is offering ritual homage to one's ancestors.

Reverence is then paid to the gods, followed by younger family members paying their respects to

their living elders. New clothes are worn, and visits are made to friends, neighbors, and relatives

to

exchange

good

wishes

of

kung- hsi

fa-tsai

?尺祇癩

,

which

means

and

prosperity.

atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.

One of the most spectacular sights during the Chinese New Year Festival is the dragon and lion

dance.

The

heads

of

these

fearsome

beasts

are

supposed

to

ward

off

evil,

and

the

nimble

movements of the dancers provide a grand spectacle enjoyable to everyone.

The second day of the Chinese New Year Festival is the day that married daughters return to their

parents'

home.

If

she

is

a

newlywed,

her

husband

must

accompany

her

and

bring

gifts

for

her

family. According to a charming legend, the third day of the lunar New Year is the day when mice

marry off their daughters. Thus, on that night, people are supposed to go to bed early so that the

mice can perform their wedding ceremonies.

Markets are bustling with people buying food for the Chinese New Year holidays.

On the fourth day, the fervor begins to ebb. In the afternoon, people prepare offerings of food to

welcome the return of the Kitchen God and his retinue from their trip to the Jade Emperor's court.

The

Kitchen

God's

return

signifies

the

end

of

freedom

from

spiritual

surveillance,

hence

the

popular Chinese saying:

back.

Day five almost brings the Chinese New Year festivities to a close. All offerings are removed from

the altars and life returns to normal. Finally, on the ninth day, numerous offerings are set out in the

forecourt or central courtyard of temples to celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor, who was

believed to have been born immediately after midnight on the ninth day.

Because

the

Chinese

word

for

fish

(yu)

is

also

a

homonym

for

fish

decorations

are

popular during the Chinese New Year Festival.