(农历新年) Chinese New Year!

Seventh · Jan 22, 2012

This year Chinese New Year happens to fall on Monday, January 23rd, which is tomorrow for me here. I can't wait

Bit of background history real quick:

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春節 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié), since the spring season in Chinese calendar starts with lichun, the first solar term in a Chinese calendar year. It marks the end of the winter season, analogous to the Western carnival. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēng Yuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year." Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong,[2] Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,[3] Taiwan, Thailand, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the lunar new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors. These include Korean (Seollal), Bhutanese (Losar), and Vietnamese cultures.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.
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(Thanks Wikiepdia)

Unfortunetly, Chinese New Year also comes with "superstitions", which make my inner skeptic cringe.

1. Dirty Doings
Put your feet up and relax. Certainly the most enjoyable of the Chinese New Year superstitions, sweeping and cleaning is strictly forbidden. The Chinese believe cleaning means you'll sweep all of your good luck out the front door.
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2. Time to Come Clean
Before you can enjoy number two, you need to give the house a full spring clean, before putting cleaning tools in the cupboard on New Year's Eve.

3. Read Between the Lines
Be sure to stock up on reading materials before Chinese New Year, as Hong Kong's bookshops will be padlocked tight. In Cantonese, book is a homonym for 'lose'.

4. Choppy Waters
Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for 'rough'.

5. Balance the Books
If you're in debt, it's time to dip into your pockets and pay people off. The Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the red, you'll finish it the same way.

6. Ghostly Conversations
Caught round a campfire over the holiday period? No ghost stories. Tales of death, dying and ghosts is considered supremely inauspicious, especially during Chinese New Year.

7. Lady in Red
Chinese New Year is packed with colors, and while all the colors of the rainbow bring good luck, it's the color red that is considered the ultimate luck bringer.

8. Sweet Year
Hong Kongers have a sweet touch at the best of times, but Chinese New Year offers the perfect chance to raid the sweet shop, as eating candies is said to deliver a sweeter year.

9. Feel the Breeze
Welcome in the New Year with a blast of fresh air, opening your windows is said to let in good luck.

10. Get to the Point
Sharp objects are said to be harbingers of bad luck, as their sharp points cut out your good luck, pack them away.You should also avoid the hairdressers or you'll have your good luck chopped off.
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http://gohongkong.about.com/od/hongkongfestivals/tp/CNYsuperstition.htm

So yeah, I can't wait!
Gotta make sure I don't screw up during Chinese New Year though, don't want bad luck to happen to me

新年快乐 (Happy New Year)!!

~Seventh

Blade96 · Jan 23, 2012

celebrated CNY last night with fireworks and my lovelies. x

Beautiful.

Mushroom · Jan 23, 2012

Celebrated CNY with my family. Also just did my first 2 Lion Dances of the week...few more to go.
Anyone wanna see my team, Bayswater this Sunday (29th) . Just follow the noise.

Who else is doing the Lion and Dragons this week?

Note - Only superstition I really follow is not washing my hair during New Years Day. Which is simple for us short haired folk. Also wearing red and the usual offering of incense to General Kwan

Hannibal · Jan 23, 2012

Year of the Dragon!

FUS RO DAH!!!

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(农历新年) Chinese New Year!

Seventh Super Sexy Sushi Time

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Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

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(农历新年) Chinese New Year!

Seventh Super Sexy Sushi Time

Blade96 shotokan karateka

Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

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