1. Chinese New Year
January 26, 2009
Year of the Ox
除夕和新年

2. Introduction to Chinese New Year
It has been celebrated for 5,000 years.
It signals the end of winter and the coming of spring.
Daily life halts as everyone joins in the festivities.
It is the most festive and most important Chinese holiday.
The main festivities last for 5 days, but the whole holiday last about a month and a half.
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3. Chinese Calendar
The Chinese divide their calendar into 12- year cycles.
Each year is named after an animal.
The Chinese believe that an animal’s sign determines a person’s character and their destiny.
Always occurs between January 21 and February 20.
The calendar is based on the cycles of the moon.
The animal which represents the year of a person’s birth becomes that person’s animal sign.
People make important decisions about marriage, friendship, and business according to the signs of their animals.
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4. Chinese Zodiac Notice that each year is represented by an animal.
What kind of characteristics do you think goes with each animal?
Find out what animal year you were born in.
2008 is the year of the Rat.
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5. What does Year of the Rat mean?
Persons born during the year of the Rat are said to be leaders. They are charming, passionate, practical, and hardworking. They can also be cruel, stubborn, and manipulative. They are choosy about their friends.
Gemstone: Garnet
Colors: Black, red, white
Element: Water
Food: Pork, peas, cabbage
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6. Getting Prepared For the Festivities
A picture of Tsao-Chun hangs in the kitchen
Food is prepared.
The house is scrubbed clean.
The home is decorated.
The last month of the year is spent getting prepared for the New Year festivities.
Sometimes this period will be called “The Little New Year.”
Everyone works hard and is thankful.
Everything must be made ready in advance---shops and markets will be closed during the 5 days of celebrating—there will be no cooking except to reheat what is already cooked.
Food is prepared.
Chicken, fish, & pork are salted and hung to dry.
Vegetables are picked and duck eggs preserved.
Tsao-Chun is the god of the kitchen and a picture of him hangs on the wall of the kitchen where he watches over everything during the preparations.
A week before the New Year, the picture is taken down and burned with fireworks.
The people believe that when Tsao-Chun arrives in heaven that he reports on the people of the house.
The family presents him with sweet cakes, fruits and treats, in the hopes that his thoughts will be sweet.
Cleaning symbolizes sweeping out the old and welcoming the new.
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7. Festival Food Dumplings (饺子 Jiao zi） Whole Fish (鱼 Yu)
Different areas of China have different favorite festival foods.
The foods are symbolic.
A whole fish represents togetherness and abundance.
Noodles should be uncut to represent long life.
Boiled dumplings are called po-po and everyone eats them on New Year’s Day.
Whoever bites into a dumpling and finds a surprise inside will have good luck through the next year.
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Sweet Rice Pudding (年糕 Nian gao)
Steamed-bread (馒头 man tou)

8. Festive couplets (春联 Chun lian)
Decorating
Couplets are happy, hopeful, uplifting messages about the coming new year that are written on red paper.
They are considered a type of poetry.
They hung in pairs on walls and doors.
They are one of the main forms of decorations for the Chinese New Year.
Image Source: french.china.org.cn
Festive couplets (春联 Chun lian)

9. New Year’s Eve Hai 9 pm --11 pm Incense is lit and placed on a table.
Tsu
11 pm -- 1 am
A new picture of Tsao-Chun is hung up.
Families visit their friends and relatives to bid farewell to the old year.
There are two periods on New Year’s Eve.
Chinese believe that the spirits of their descendents come to the table during hai.
Offerings are made to the gods during tsu. The people invite Tsao-Chun back to his shrine. They ask the gods to bring peace, health, and prosperity.
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10. New Year’s Day Feast Drinks are put out for everyone.
Firecrackers are set off the rest of the night.
Family
Everyone puts on new clothes.
Each persons wishes other Bai-nien (Happy New Year).
Gifts
People exchange gifts of money.
The feast begins after the tsu period.
New Year’s Day is primarily just for family.
Money is wrapped in red and gold or put in red and gold envelopes.
Money packets are given to children to spend as they wish during the holidays.
Money packets are called lai see.
Image sources: gammablog.com;

11. Day 2 Homes are decorated with a money tree as a symbol of prosperity.
Day 2: family visits are returned. Pine and cypress ranches are put in a vase and decorated with old coins, paper flowers, fruit charms and other decorations.
Image source: blog.fengshui-gift.com

12. Day 3 The Dragon Dance takes place in the street.
The Lion Dance begins.
Day 3: People gather in the streets to watch the Dragon Dance and set off firecrackers. A paper dragon is carried by people who “walk” the dragon around. One person runs ahead of the dragon, holding a ball, called the pearl of fire. The Lion Dance begins and lasts through the 5th day. Men share a lion costume and dance through the streets with dancers and musicians. A young boy runs ahead of the lion teasing him. People in the crowd throw firecrackers at the lion’s feet.
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13. Day 4 People have open house.
Lion Dance continues from the day before.
Day 4: During open house, acquaintances and strangers may drop by for a visit.
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14. Day 5 People travel to visit family. Shops open again.
Day 5: Celebrations end. People travel to visit family who live far away. Life at home returns to normal. Food may be cooked again.
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15. New Year’s Customs Rooms are decorated live, blooming plants.
A candy tray is served.
People take a bag of oranges or tangerines to give to relatives when they visit.
Happy wishes are written on red paper.
The stove is left on throughout the holidays so that food can be easily heated for visitors and family.
Favorite blossoms used are: cherry, pussy willow, azalea, peony, water lily, and narcissus. Bamboo and pine are also favorites to decorate with.
Oranges and tangerines are symbols of abundant happiness.
The candy tray is called “The Tray of Togetherness” and is arranged in a circle or octagon.
The candy tray has dried fruit on it (traditional ones have 8 types of dried fruit which are all symbolic.)
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16. Superstitions
All scissors and knives are put away so they won’t “cut” the newly arrived luck.
A plate of oranges in the center of the table is considered good luck.
Getting a haircut during this time will bring good luck the next 12 months.
Let children stay up late.
Having live, blooming plants is considered lucky—especially if it blooms on New Year’s Day.
It is believed that the longer the children stay up, the longer the parents will live.
On New Year’s Eve, windows are sealed to seal in good luck. The seals are broken on New Year’s Day.
Fireworks are set off to scare away evil spirits.
People are very careful about what they do and say. They use their very best manners because they believe that how they act on New Year’s Day will determine what kind of luck they will have the rest of the year.
No one takes a bath on New Year’s Day. This keeps good luck from being washed away.
Make sure all debts are paid.
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17. Lantern Festival
It begins 10 days after the end of the New Year celebrations.
Festival lasts for 3 days.
Lanterns are hung from stores and homes.
Doorways are decorated.
Women wear white clothing and pearl jewelry.
Moon cakes are eaten.

18. Sources
The Chinese New Year by Cheng Hou-tien © 1976 New York, Holt, Rinehart & Winston