Today is New Year's eve. No, I'm not confused or in some sort of time warp. In all parts of the Chinese speaking world it's the start of Chinese New Year tonight. It's also known as the Lunar New Year for those cultures who celebrate it but don't want to be associated with China. The new year is based on the phases of the moon rather than the western Gregorian calendar. In Taiwan (and probably China, too), they have struck a balance between the two calendars and most people are able to use both in their daily lives, as far I as I can tell.
Each year has an animal associated with it. Tonight, we will be ushering in the year of the ox and bidding zaijian (good-bye) to the year of the rat. There are 12 animals that rotate through the years and there are certain meanings assigned to each animal. I was born in the year of the dragon. The dragon is considered to be on of the most auspicious and lucky of all the animals. That's why many Chinese speaking countries tend to see a dramatic rise in birth rates during dragon years. There is also a rotation of yin and yang as well as the four elements. Chinese astrology is fascinating and I'm only scratching the surface here if you want to know more check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology
There are so many traditions associated with Chinese New Year. I will do my best to share some with you as they were told to me by friends and students. The holiday is very much like Christmas in the West. It's a time for families to be together, eat and celebrate. Many of the foods they eat have a special significance. For example, the Chinese word for peace is similar to the word for apple so they eat apples for peace in the new year (according to my sixth grade class). Also according to my sixth graders, they eat fish because the word for fish is similar to the word for prosperity.
The tradition that you might already know of is the red envelope. This is like giving gifts on Christmas. Everyone gets red envelopes. They are filled with money and always an even amount at that. However, you never give an amount with a four in it. The word for four sounds very much like the word for death in Chinese. Basically, the number four in the east is like the number 13 in the west. The red envelopes themselves can be a work of art. Some are just plain red but others have elaborate decorations.
Another big new year's tradition is cleaning the house. They don't just clean because the family is coming over for dinner like we do in the States. It's all about sweeping out the bad from the last year to make room for the good. I like that thought. You're giving yourself a fresh start and not letting your past hold you back. They also make sure to hide the broom and dustpan on the first day of New Year's so the good luck isn't mistakenly swept away.
The Chinese New Year is not only one day. It's a holiday that lasts 15 days and ends with the Lantern Festival. I'll be sharing more about that with you when it happens. My school participates every year and the lanterns are amazing. There are traditions assigned to every day but they do vary by country. How they celebrate in Taiwan is not exactly how they celebrate in China. The traditions even vary within China depending on what part of the country you're in.
My description of the holiday is a very basic one. If you'd like to learn more, please check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year
No comments:
Post a Comment