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| Chinese New Year
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Traditional
Celebration of the Chinese New Year
Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the new Year
was perhaps the most elaborate, colourful, and important.
This was a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other
and themselves on having passed through another year,
a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the new
year. Common expressions heard at this time are: GUONIAN
to have made it through the old year, and BAINIAN to congratulate
the new year.
Turning Over a New Leaf
The Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of
the First Moon of the lunar calendar. The corresponding
date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January
21st to as late as February 19th. Chinese New Year, as
the Western new Year, signified turning over a new leaf.
Socially, it was a time for family reunions, and for visiting
friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other
Chinese holiday, stressed the importance of family ties.
The Chinese New year's Eve dinner gathering was among
the most important family occasions of the year. |
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Turning Over a New Leaf
The Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of
the First Moon of the lunar calendar. The corresponding
date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January
21st to as late as February 19th. Chinese New Year, as
the Western new Year, signified turning over a new leaf.
Socially, it was a time for family reunions, and for visiting
friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other
Chinese holiday, stressed the importance of family ties.
The Chinese New year's Eve dinner gathering was among
the most important family occasions of the year.
Sweeping of the Grounds
Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started
well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the
Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning,
or the "sweeping of the grounds". Every corner
of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation
for the new year. Spring Couplets, written in black ink
on large vertical scrolls of red paper, were put on the
walls or on the sides of the gate-ways. These couplets,
short poems written in Classical Chinese, were expressions
of good wishes for the family in the coming year. In addition,
symbolic flowers and fruits were used to decorate the
house, and colourful new year pictures (NIAN HUA) were
placed on the walls (for more descriptions of the symbolism
of the flowers and fruits.
Kitchen God
After the house was cleaned it was time to bid farewell
to the Kitchen God, or Zaowang. In traditional China,
the Kitchen God was regarded as the guardian of the family
hearth. He was identified as the inventor of fire, which
was necessary for cooking and was also the censor of household
morals. By tradition, the Kitchen God left the house on
the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the
behaviour of the family. At this time, the family did everything
possible to obtain a favourable report from the Kitchen
God. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give
the Kitchen God a ritualistic farewell dinner with sweet
foods and honey. Some said this was a bribe, others said
it sealed his mouth from saying bad thins.
Free from the every-watchful eyes of the Kitchen God,
who was supposed to return on the first day of the New
Year, the family now prepared for the upcoming celebrations.
In old China, stores closed shop on the last two or three
days of the year and remained closed for the first week
of the New Year. Consequently, families were busy in the
last week of the old year stocking up on foods and gifts.
Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas
presents, although the Chinese tended more often to give
food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the
old year was also the time to settle accumulated. debts.
Family Celebration
On the last day of the old year, everyone was busy either
in preparing food for the next two days, or in going to
the barbers and getting tidied up for the New Year's
Day. Tradition stipulated that all food be pre-pared before
the New Year's Day, so that all sharp instruments,
such as knives and scissors, could be put away to avoid
cutting the "luck" of the New Year. The kitchen
and well were not to be disturbed on the first day of
the Year.
The New Year's Eve and New Year's
Day celebrations were strictly family affairs. All members
of the family would gather for the important family meal
on the evening of the New Year's Eve. Even
if a family member could not attend, an empty seat would
be kept to symbolize that person's presence
at the banquet. At midnight following the banquet, the
younger members of the family would bow and pay their
respects to their parents and elders.
Lai-See
On New Year's Day, the children were
given Red Lai-See Envelopes , good luck money wrapped
in little red envelopes. On New Year's
day, everyone had on new clothes, and would put
on his best behaviour. It was considered improper
to tell a lie, raise ones voice,
use indecent language, or break anything on the
first day of the year. |
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Starting from the second day, people began going out to
visit friends and relatives, taking with them gifts and
Lai-See for the children. Visitors would be greeted with
traditional New year delicacies, such as melon seeds,
flowers, fruits, tray of togetherness, and NIANGAO, New
Year cakes.
Everybody's Birthday
The entire first week was a time for socializing and amusement.
On the streets, the stores were closed and an air of gaiety
prevailed. There were numerous lion dances, acrobats,
theatrical shows, and other diversions. Firecrackers,
which symbolized driving away evil spirits, were heard
throughout the first two weeks of the New year. The Seventh
Day of the New Year was called "everybody's
birthday" as everyone was considered one year older
as of that date. (In traditional China, individual birthdays
were not considered as important as the New Year's
date. Everyone added a year to his age at New Year's
time rather than at his birthday.)
Lantern Festival - 15th Day
The New Year celebrations ended on the 15th of the
First Moon with the Lantern Festival. On the evening
of that day, people carried lanterns into the streets
to take part in a great parade. Young men would
highlight the parade with a dragon dance. The dragon
was made of bamboo, silk, and paper, and might stretch
for more than hundred feet in length. The bobbing
and weaving of the dragon was an impressive sight,
and formed a fitting finish to the New Year festival.
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| Dragon Boat
Festival |
| Officially on falling on
the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon
Boat Festival is also known as Double Fifth Day.
While many stories regarding its origin abound,
the most popular and widely accepted version regards
Qu Yuan, a minister during the Warring States Period
(475 - 221 BC) |
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Legend of the Dragon
Boat Festival's Origin
At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, the area we now
know as China had fallen into a state of fragmentation
and conflict. While the Zhou dynasty had ruled for
several centuries, several other states, originally
feudal domains, tried to carve out their own kingdoms.
The state of Qin would eventually emerge the victor
and unify all of China under one rule for the first
time in history.
Qu Yuan served as minister to the Zhou Emperor.
A wise and articulate man, he was loved by the common
people. He did much to fight against the rampant
corruption that plagued the court-- thereby earning
the envy and fear of other officials. Therefore,
when he urged the emperor to avoid conflict with
the Qin Kingdom, the officials pressured the Emperor
to have him removed from service. In exile, he
travelled,
taught and wrote for several years. Hearing that
the Zhou had been defeated by the Qin, he fell into
despair and threw himself into the Milou River.
His last poem reads: |
Many a heavy sigh I have in my despair,
Grieving that I was born in such an unlucky time.
I yoked a team of jade dragons to a phoenix chariot,
And waited for the wind to come,
to sour up on my journey
As he was so loved by the people, fishermen rushed
out in long boats, beating drums to scare the fish
away, and throwing zong zi into the water to feed
braver fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's
body.
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The Modern Dragon
Boat Festival
Starting from that time to this day, people commemorate
Qu Yuan through Dragon Boat Races, eating zong zi,
and several other activities, on the anniversary
of his death: the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Dragon Boat races are the most exciting part of
the festival, drawing crowds of spectators. Dragon
Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated
canoes. Ranging anywhere from 40 to 100 feet in
length, their heads are shaped like open-mouthed
dragons, while the sterns end with a scaly tail.
Depending on the length, up to 80 rowers can power
the boat. A drummer and flag-catcher stand at the
front of the boat. Before a dragon boat enters competition,
it must be "brought to life" by painting
the eyes in a sacred ceremony. Races can have any
number of boats competing, with the winner being
the first team to grab a flag at the end of the
course. Annual races take place all over China,
Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other overseas Chinese
communities.
Zong Zi
The traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival,
Zong zi is a glutinous rice ball, with a filling,
wrapped in corn leaves. The fillings can be egg,
beans, dates, fruits, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms,
meat, or a combination of them. They are generally
steamed.
Talisman and Charms
Another aspect of the Double Fifth Day is the
timing: at the beginning of summer, when diseases
are likely to strike, people also wear talisman
to fend off evil spirits. They may hang the picture
of Zhong Kui, guardian against evil spirits, on
the door of their homes, as well. Adults may drink
Xiong Huang Wine, and children carry fragrant
silk pouches, all of which can prevent evil. It
is said that if you can balance a raw egg on its
end at exactly noon on Double Fifth Day, the rest
of the year will be lucky.
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| Ghost
festival |
Just as the West has Halloween for ghosts and ghouls,
so also does Chinese have a holiday to fete the
departed spirits of the underworld-The Ghost Festival.
Ghosts roam the world every year for a lunar month,
it is said. In some areas of China, visitors can
see small roadside fires, where believers burn paper
money and other offerings to appease the restless
spirits, who have temporarily been released from
Hades.
The Ghost festival is also called Half July (Lunar).
It is a popular occasion celebrated throughout China
on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. It will
be 25th August this year.
Historically, families offer sacrifices of the newly
harvested grain to departed ancestors on this day,
which also coincides with the Buddhist Ullambana
(Deliverance) Festival and the Taoist Ghost Festival.
Since each of these traditions in some way honors
the spirits of the departed, the seventh lunar month
has come to be known as Ghost Month, celebrated
as a time when the "Good Brethren" (ghosts
from the underworld) come back to earth to feast
on the victuals offered by the living. Over time
the Ullambana Festival and Ghost Festival have melded
together to become the present day Chung Yuan Putu
or "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation."
The Chinese believe that the dead become ghosts
roaming between Heaven and earth. Spirits without
descendants to care for them are prayed to during
Ghost Festival so that they may also enjoy the warmth
of life among the living. This custom, an extension
of the traditional Chinese ethic of "universal
love," has been woven together with the didactic
legend "Moginlin Saving His Mother From Hades,"
giving Ghost Festival positive significance as a
time for remembering the importance of filial piety.
People now have taken releasing river light as a
important activity at the time. It is said that
the river light can conform and warm the homeless
ghosts.
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| Middle-Autumn
Festival |
Many years ago, there
was a king in China. He was a brave man who did
lots of belifits to the people. He admired a beautiful
girl and made her stay in the palace so that he
could see her whenever he wanted. But, the girl
did not like the frightful figure of the king. She
seldom spoke a word in the palace. Each time the
king went to her place, he used to show her some
treasures and brought some gifts to the girl in
order to make her smile and speak.
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On every full moon, the
girl would burned incenses and wax candles to worship
the moon. People believed that there was a god lived
in the moon that made the moon shine. Girls who
wanted to be a beauty and have a handsome husband
should worship the moon.
One day, the full moon of the eighth month, the
king brought three herbs pills to show her. |
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"This is from the
priest of the palace. If I eat them up, I can live
forever." He exclaimed.
This was the first time the girl stuffs he brought.
He continued," If you and I both take one, we
will both live forever. No one can take you away
from me!"
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| Because the king afraid
of the pills would have side effects. He forced
the girl to take the pill first. If nothing wrong
with her after taking the pill, he would take it
immediately. However, the girl recognized that if
she took all three of them, the king would left
her eventually. Therefore, the first time, she spoke
to the king," Let me have a look of the pills
first. Otherwise, I will not try at all."
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| The king surprisingly the
girl talked to him. So, he handed the pills to the
girl. She did not say anything but eat all of them.
The king was extremely angry. He wanted to kill
her. At this moment, the girl started to fly. She
could fly because of the intake of the pills. The
king could not catch her, but watched her flew toward
the moon and disappeared. |
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| After that, people believed
that there was a beautiful girl stay in the moon
with a little old man and a bunny. The old man was
believed to be the god inside the moon and the bunny
was his pet. Day after day, Chinese believed that
there were people lived in the moon. Their movement
made the dark spot when we looked up to the moon.
People used to worship the girl to glorify her chastity.
So, on every full moon of the mid-Autumn became
a festival in order to memorize her.
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A Historical
Anecdote
The Mongol Hordes of Ghengis Khan subjugated the
Chinese, and established the Yuan Dynasty in the
13th Century. However, many Chinese resented the
fact that they were ruled by a foreign regime. In
the 14th Century, Liu Bouwen helped plot the overthrow
of the Yuan Dynasty by organizing resistance. Secret
messages were passed along in mooncakes. |
Moon Cakes |
| Mooncakes The ubiquitous
fare at any Chinese celebration of the Full Moon
festival, mooncakes are a flaked pastry stuffed
with a wide variety of fillings. Egg Yolk, lotus
seed paste, red bean paste, and coconut are common,
but walnuts, dates, and other fillings can be found
as well. Most have characters for longevity or harmony
inscribed on the top. Special cakes can reach almost
one foot in diameter. |
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