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Happy Chinese New Year! |
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Do you know what animal of the year 2012 is? Why do people wear red and gold for the New Year? What are some foods considered lucky foods? We have designed this special page to provide an introduction to the traditions of Chinese new year. Here, you will find interesting facts and legends related to new year ceremonies and practices, the the Chinese zodiac of animal signs, and a few words to say in Mandarin. and much more. All text and links were checked to be appropriate for young audiences. Enjoy! Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is celebrated in late January or early February with the second new moon after the first day of winter, the day of shortest day and longest night. In 2012 (of the Julian calendar used in the most of the Western world), Chinese New Year's Day is January 23. It will be the year 4709 in the Chinese calendar and the Year of the of Dragon in accordance with the Chinese zodiac with 12 animal signs. Ceremonies
and practices On the first day of the new year, people put on new clothes to symbolize the discarding of the old year and its misfortunes. They take gifts to family and friends that usually include special rice flour cakes and fruits such as kumquats and oranges or tangerines. Many adults, particularly married ones, also follow an ancient custom of giving small red packets of money (called hung-bao or lay shee) to children, unmarried adults, and employees or servants. Among the spectacular festivities of Chinese New Year are the dragon dance and lion dances.
As many as 50 or more
people support long dragons and lions while
dancing in processions, often outdoors through
city streets. The dancers perform to the
beating of gongs and drums, while other
celebrants perform acrobatic displays. The
celebrations end with the lantern festival, an
event in which store merchants hang lighted
paper lanterns outside their shops and
children often parade in festivals, carrying
lanterns of various shapes and patterns. To
make a paper dragon or lantern, try other
children's crafts, or pick a classroom
curriculum, go our web links. On Day 15 of the New Year (the first full moon of the year), lanterns made of wood, bamboo, silk, paper, and even sesame seeds are carried through the streets in the Lantern Festival to guide wandering ghosts home. Later, people watch for a 100-foot long paper and silk dragon to come out of hibernation, to show its strength and goodness. Lanterns come in all shapes and sizes, including crab and bird shapes. Some lanterns called "pacing horses" spin when they area heated from the flame of a candles or an electric bulb. In Northern China, where winters are very cold, lanterns are even carved from blocks of river ice. Good luck foods eaten around Chinese New Year are plentiful and delicious!
Chinese
Americans
in N.C. and the U.S. Easy Chinese phrases in Mandarin (Mandarin is the official spoken dialect of the Chinese language) Happy New
Year! Xin Nian Kuai Le
(Sheen Nian Koo-eye Luh) How are You? Ni
Hao Ma. Also commonly shorten to Ni Hao! Thank You Xie Xie.
(or Shee-ay
Shee-ay, said in only two
syllables total) You're welcome. Bu
Ke Qi (or boo kuh chee) Very Good Hen
Hao. Q: Ni Hao Ma? (How
are you?) How much does
it cost? Duo Shao Qian? (Qian is pronounced chee-ain) Goodbye. Zai
Jian More details about Chinese New Year are available: Chinese
Festivals |
The Triangle Area's
largest Chinese New Year Festival will take
place on January 28, 2012 in the Exposition
Center at the NC State Fairgrounds. The
festival offers musical folk dance, martial
arts, and lion and dragon dances on the Main
Stage, surrounded by authentic Chinese snacks
and meals for purchase, arts and crafts for
you learn and make, face painting and other
activities for children, and Chinese
collectibles for you to buy. 
On New Year's eve, families
get together for a New Year's Eve banquet and
say good-bye to the past year. The last course
eaten is fish because the word for fish in
Chinese (yu) sounds like the word for
"great plenty." The adults give all the
children bright red "lucky money" envelops
with money inside. Mothers and fathers paste
short poems called "Spring scrolls" or "spring
couplets" on the doorways and gates of the
house to welcome the New Year. These
couplets are written on red paper because the
color red signifies happiness. Everyone stays
awake as long as they can, playing games,
telling stories, and making wishes to send the
old year out. 
Each year of this 12-year
calendar is ruled by one of 12 animals. Five
cycles of 12 years make up one complete cycle
of 60 years - the basis of the Chinese
calendar. A legend about the zodiac animals is
that they all raced to cross a river. The
mouse rode on the ox's back and humped off
just at the right time, winning the race. The
ox came in second, and the pig came in last,
because he never rushes. The race results
determined the order of the animals in the
zodiac: Mouse/Rat (1984, 1996, 2008), Ox
(1985, 1997, 2009), Tiger (1986, 1998, 2010), Rabbit (1987, 1999, 2011), Dragon (1988, 2000, 2012), Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey,
Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 
Whole fish - represents
togetherness and abundance