Lunar New Year

Lunar New year is one of the most sacred of all traditional Chinese holidays, a time of family reunion and celebration. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated at this time in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia.

Why is it important?

The New Year celebration is usually celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar's New Year. China's Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chu╠änjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tß║┐t.

Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.

History and Legends

Nian

The origins of the Lunar New Year festival are thousands of years old and are steeped in legends. One legend is that of Nian, a hideous beast believed to feast on human flesh on New Year's day. Because Nian feared the color red, loud noises, and fire, red paper decorations were pasted to doors, lanterns were burned all night, and firecrackers were lit to frighten the beast away.

Origins in China

Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began.

"This holiday has ancient roots in China as an agricultural society. It was the occasion to celebrate the harvest and worship the gods and ask for good harvests in times to come," explains Yong Chen, a scholar in Asian American Studies.

Beginning in 1949, under the rule of Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, the government forbade celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year and followed the Gregorian calendar.

But by the end of the 20th century, Chinese leaders were more willing to accept the tradition. In 1996, China instituted a weeklong vacation during the holiday—now officially called Spring Festival—giving people the opportunity to travel home and to celebrate the new year.

source: History.com

Spring Festival

simplified Chinese: µÿÑÞèé; traditional Chinese: µÿÑþ»Ç; pinyin: Ch┼½njié

Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival, as the spring season in the lunisolar calendar traditionally starts with lichun, the first of the twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of the Chinese New Year. Marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season, observances traditionally take place from New Year's Eve, the evening preceding the first day of the year to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.

Traditions

Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will and good luck.

Some households hold rituals to offer food and paper icons to ancestors. Others post red paper and banners inscribed with calligraphy messages of good health and fortune in front of, and inside, homes. Elders give out envelopes containing money to children. Foods made from glutinous rice are commonly eaten, as these foods represent togetherness. Other foods symbolize prosperity, abundance and good luck.

Quick Facts

The Lunar New Year celebrations of the East Asian cultural sphere occur on the same date across the region, on the new moon, which occurs in late January or early February, and are based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Although occurring on the same new moon day, celebrations are unique to their own cultures, each with its interpretations, zodiacs and traditions. Chinese New Year is the most known worldwide.

How long is Chinese New Year?

Celebrations last up to 16 days, but only the first 7 days are considered a public holiday.

What is the Chinese Zodiac?

The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (þöƒÞéû), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes, based on the lunar calendar. In order, the zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

What is the "Lantern Festival"?

Began over 2000 years ago, the festival concludes the New Year Celebrations and has developed many meanings. It celebrates family reunions and society. It features ancient spiritual traditions. Some also call this the "true" Chinese Valentine's Day.

Zodiac Animals

Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or "signs" along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos.

In addition to the animals, five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal are also mapped onto the traditional lunar calendar. Each year is associated with an animal that corresponds to an element.

Did you know?

San Francisco, California, claims its Chinese New Year parade is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. The city has hosted a Chinese New Year celebration since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s, a period of large-scale Chinese immigration to the region.

Chinese New Year Timeline

In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month.

In China, all stores are closed during the first five days of the Spring Festival, with some not opening until the very end. People must stock up on New Year supplies (Õ╣┤Þ┤º / nian huo) beforehand and many begin on the Laba Festival.

Kitchens will also show the first signs of Spring Festival dishes with the preparation of cured meat, salted fish and other preserved food.

Source: Chinesenewyear.net

Laba Festival

In the traditional sense, the Laba Festival (ÞàèÕའ/ L├áb─ü jié) of the lunar December marks the beginning of the Spring Festival. Memorial ceremonies are held on this day to pray to ancestors and gods (such as door gods) for fortune and a successful harvest. Though paganist in nature, the festival has become integrated into religions such as Daoism and Buddhism.

The Laba menu includes the Laba porridge (ÞàèÕà½þ▓Ñ / L├áb─ü zh┼ìu) which is associated with being grateful and not taking what you have for granted, the Laba tofu (ÞàèÕà½Þ▒åÞàÉ / ├áb─ü d├▓ufu), noodles (ÞàèÕà½ÚØó / L├áb─ü mi├án) and wheat kernel rice (Ú║ªõ╗üÚÑ¡ / M├ái rén f├án). It is also said that eating ice on this day will prevent any stomachaches for the year.

Little Year

This period takes place on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth month in the Chinese calendar, which corresponds to roughly a week before the Chinese New Year.

This is another day of memorial and prayer ceremonies. Main activities include house cleaning to sweep away bad luck (µë½Õ╣┤ / sÃÄo nián) and pray to the stove god (þÑ¡þü / j├¼ z├áo).

Sugar melons (þ│ûþô£ / táng gu─ü), also known as stove candy (þüþ│û / Z├áo táng), are made of malt and can only be found on this day. Other food include baked wheat cakes (þü½þ⺠/ huÃÆ sh─üo) and tofu soup (Þ▒åÞàɵ▒ñ / d├▓ufu tang).

New Year's Eve

The day before the Chinese New Year (Chinese: ÚÖñÕñò) usually accompanied with a dinner feast, consisting of special meats are served at the tables, as a main course for the dinner and as an offering for the New Year.

In northern China, it is customary to make jiaozi, or dumplings, which symbolize wealth, while in the South it is customary to make a glutinous new year cake (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days.

After dinner, some families may visit local temples hours before midnight to pray for success by lighting the first incense of the year; however in modern practice, many households held parties to celebrate. Traditionally, firecrackers were lit to ward evil spirits when the household doors sealed, and are not to be reopened until dawn in a ritual called "opening the door of fortune" (Õ╝ÇÞ┤óÚù¿; ÚûïÞ▓íÚûÇ; k─üicáimén).

Spring Festival

Firecrackers start off a day of greetings and blessings between neighbors. There are no specific activities other than celebrating the New Year. The ancient Chinese record and analyze the weather, stars and moon to predict the fortunes of the year. The practice is known as zh├án su├¼ (ÕìáÕ▓ü).

Food

In addition to food from last night, people can also celebrate with Tu Su wine (Õ▒áÞïÅÚàÆ / t├║ s┼½ jiÃö).

Customs

It is forbidden to sweep or clean on this day, else good fortune will be swept away.

Second Day - To the In-laws

On this day, a married daughter must bring her husband and children to her parent's home. She must bring a gift bag of crackers and candies, which her mother will divide between neighbors. This simple gift shows that "it's the thought that counts" and expresses the daughter's longing for her hometown.

Lunch is eaten together and the daughter should return to her husband's home before dinner.

Third Day - Day of the Rat

According to folktales, this is the day that rats marry.

People will leave some grains and crackers in corners to share their harvest with the rats. They will then go to sleep early in order to not disturb the "wedding." This way, the rats will not disturb them during the year either.

Fourth Day - Day of the Sheep

The god of wealth is prayed to on this day. Offerings include three types of meat, fruits and wine. At midnight, people will welcome the god in by opening the windows and eating and drinking until daybreak.

The welcoming of five gods (µÄÑõ║öÞÀ» / ji─ô wÃö l├╣) requires three tables of food. The first has kumquats and sugarcanes for a sweet life and successful road; cakes are on the second table. The third table has the main course of whole pig, whole chicken, whole fish and soup.

Fifth Day - Break Five

After praying to the god of wealth, markets and stores are able to open again. Women can also go out and give New Year blessings.

Dumplings (ÚÑ║Õ¡É / jiao zi) are eaten to bring in wealth. Traditionally, it should be eaten for five days straight. The rule isn't followed too strictly anymore, but every household will have dumplings at least once.

Sixth Day - Day of the Horse

After the "break five" of the day before, people can truly begin working again. People will also send the spirit of poverty away (ÚÇüþ®ÀÚ¼╝ / s├▓ng qióng guÃÉ), supposedly a frail-looking man who liked to drink thin porridge and purposely turned his clothing into rags, by burning scraps and offering banana boat candles.

It is believed that the god of bathrooms (ÕÄòµëÇþÑ× / cè suÃÆ shén) will visit to check the sanitary conditions, so every household will use this day to clean.

Seventh Day - Day of the Humans

On the Seventh Day, humans were created. Ancient China had the tradition of wearing a hair accessory called rén sheng (õ║║Þâ£). Colorful cutouts and gold engravings of flowers and people were pasted onto screens.

Seven Gem Porridge (õ©âÕ«Øþ¥╣ / q─½ bÃÄo g─ông) is the dish for this day. It includes seven types of vegetables: kale, leek, mustard leaves, celery, garlic, spring vegetable (µÿÑÞÅ£ / ch┼½n c├ái) and thick leaf vegetables (ÕÄÜþôúÞÅ£ / h├▓u b├án c├ái). Fair weather is a sign of a safe and sound year.

Eighth Day - Day of the Millet

According to legends, this is the millet grain's birthday. Agriculture was the basis of ancient Chinese society and people highly valued the grain.

Pets such as fish and birds are released back into the wild to show respect to nature. In modern times, some families visit rural areas to learn about agriculture. This helps children appreciate farmers' hard work and become more environmentally-aware.

Ninth Day - Providence Health

This is the birthday of the highest god, the Jade Emperor (þÄëþÜçÕñºÕ©Ø / y├╣ huáng d├á d├¼). In Daoism, he is the sovereign of the universe and is the ultimate representation of "sky".

The main activities are ceremonies for the Jade Emperor. In some regions, women will bring fragrant flower candles to natural wells, harbors or open space and pray to the gods.

Tenth Day - Stone Festival

Ten (Õìü / shí) has the same pronunciation as rock (þƒ│). Therefore, this is the birthday of the Rock.

In some regions, the people will freeze a clay jar onto a smooth stone the night before. Ten youths will carry the jar around on this day and if the stone doesn't fall, it's a sign of a good harvest. On this day it is forbidden to use stone tools, such as rollers and millstones

Eleventh Day - Son-in-law Day

Fathers will invite their daughters and son-in-law's to dinner on this day.

Even after meals the day before, there are usually plenty of leftovers. The family uses this to treat the in-law.

Lantern Festival

The Chinese New Year holiday comes to its climax with the Yuan Xiao (ÕàâÕ«ÁÞèé / yuán xi─üo jié), or Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th Day of the New Year.

The many activities include moon gazing, lighting lanterns, riddles, lion dances and eating rice balls.

Lantern Festival Traditions

Everyone—regardless of age or gender—go out onto the streets to celebrate. Though the Lantern Festival symbolizes reunions, it's also a time of socializing and freedom.

In Ancient China, women usually weren't allowed out the house. But on this night, they can stroll freely, lighting lanterns, playing games and interacting with men. T

The Lantern Festival also has religious aspects. It was important in ancient Chinese paganism, and also modern day Buddhism and ethnic minority cultures.

Nowadays, the festival isn't a national holiday, so there aren't any days off. During Ming dynasty, however, the festival lasted one whole month!

Lanterns are the most notable part of the festival: throughout history, countless variations of lanterns have been created. They can be small globes that fit in your palm, or as large as a parade float. People make lanterns in symbolic designs as well.

A famous variation is the Kongming lantern (Õ¡öµÿÄþü» / kÃÆng míng d─ông). They represent hope, success and happiness.

Other traditions

There's more to this festival than lanterns!

Riddles

During this festival, people would write riddles on the lanterns. These small games are popular with everyone. They require you to be clever and think outside the box.

Dragon Dance

The performers create impressive formations to the beat of Chinese drums and cymbals.

Lion Dance

The lion is intricately designed, with movable eyes and mouths. Sometimes, the lion will open its mouth and demand food and red pockets. Other times, they roll around and play like oversized kittens.