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Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the new Year was perhaps the most elaborate, colorful, 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.
Even though the climax of the Chinese New Year, Nian, lasts only two or three days including the New Year's Eve, the
New Year season extends from the mid-twelfth month of the previous year to the middle of the first month of the new year. A
month from the New Year, it is a good time for business. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration
material, food and clothing. Transportation department, railroad in particular, is nervously waiting for the onslaught of
swarms of travellers who take their days off around the New Year to rush back home for a family renunion from all parts of
the country. Very early in the morning of the Chinese New Year, children greet their parents and receive their presents in terms of cash wrapped up in red paper
packages from them. Then, the family start out to say greetings from door to door, first their relatives and then their
neighbors. It is a great time for reconciliation. Old grudges are very easily cast away during the greetings. The air is
permeated with warmth and friendliness. During and several days following the New Year's day, people are visiting each other,
with a great deal of exchange of gifs. The New Year atmosphere is brought to an anti-climax fifteen days away where the
Festival of Lanterns sets in. It is an occasion of lantern shows and folk dances everywhere. One typical food is the Tang
Yuan, another kind of dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings. The
Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year season and afterwards life becomes daily routines once again. This description
is based upon the recollection of my own experience. Customs of observing the New Year vary from place to place, considering
that China is a big country not only geographically, but also demographically and ethnically. Yet, the spirit underlying the
diverse celebrations of the Chinese New Year is the same: a sincere wish of peace and happiness for the family members and
friends. |
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Days before the New Year, every family is busy giving its house a thorough cleaning, hoping to sweep away all
the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for the wishful in-coming good luck. People also give their
doors and window-panes a new paint, usually in red color. They decorate the doors and windows with paper-cuts and couplets
with the very popular theme of "happiness", "wealth", "logevity" and "satisfactory marriage with more children". Paintings of
the same theme are put up in the house on top of the newly mounted wall paper. In the old days, various kinds of food are
tributed at the alta of ancestors. The Eve of the New Year is very carefully observed. Supper is a feast, with all members
coming together. One of the most popular course is jiaozi, dumplings boiled in water. "Jiaozi" in Chinese literally mean
"sleep together and have sons", a long-lost good wish for a family. After dinner, it is time for the whole family to sit up
for the night while having fun playing cards or board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the ocassion. Every light is
supposed to be kept on the whole night. At midnight, the whole sky will be lit up by fireworks and firecrackers make
everywhere seem like a war zone. People's excitement reach its zenith. |
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Traditional Celebration of the Chinese 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.
Sweeping of the Grounds Spring Couplet 1 Spring Couplet 2 :
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. SpringCouplets, 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 colorful new year pictures (NIAN HUA) were placed on the walls (for more descriptions of the symbolism of the
flowers and fruits. |
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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 behavior of the family. At this time, the family did everything possible to obtain a
favorable 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 prepared 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 strickly 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. |
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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 behavior. It was considered improper to tell a lie,
raise one‘s voice, use indecent language, or break anything on the first day of the year. 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 numberous 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.) |
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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.
Traditional vs Modern :
The first point to be noticed in comparing the Chinatown celebrations of today to that described in the preceeding
section is that they have been shortened or simplified. Chinese American stores in this country do not close for a week to
celebrate, nor is is likely that a Chinese American could take two weeks off from work. Therefore, many of the festivities
have been adapted for the evenings or the weekends. This includes the social visits, the family dinners, and even the
Chinatown parade, which is always held on a Saturday. |
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In many Chinese American homes, the annual house-cleaning is still done
at the Chinese New Year‘s time. During the Chinese New Year, Spring Couplets can be seen in Chinatwon stores everywhere, but these are now bought from the Chinese
Hospital as a fundraising effort - an interesting variation on an old Chinese custom. During the Chinese New Year, in addition to the Spring Couplets, the
Chinatown lion-dances have also been promoted as a fundraising event for the Chinese Hospital. In the earlier days of
Chinatown, lion-dances were relatively rare. In the 1920‘s, a fundraising program was started whereby lion dancers would go
from store to store to dance and wish them luck. In return, storekeepers would give Lai-see packets which were donated to the
Chinese Hospital. |
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