Chinese New Year

除夕和新年

January 26, 2009

Year of the Ox

Introduction toChinese 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.

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.

Chinese Zodiac

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.

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.

Festival Food

Dumplings ( 饺子 Jiao zi ）

Sweet Rice Pudding

( 年糕 Nian gao)

Steamed-bread ( 馒头 man tou)

•Whole Fish ( 鱼 Yu)

Festive couplets ( 春联 Chun lian)

Decorating

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.

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.

Day 2

• Homes are decorated with a money tree as a symbol of prosperity.

Day 3

• The Dragon Dance takes place in the street.

• The Lion Dance begins.

Day 4

• People have open house.

• Lion Dance continues from the day before.

Day 5

• People travel to visit family.

• Shops open again.

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.

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.

Sources• http://iweb.tntech.edu/hexb/ChineseNewYear.ppt• http://reslife.net/assets/docs/Chinese_new_year.ppt#269,1,Slide1• http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_new_year_printables.htm• http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/taboos.html• http://www.usemb.se/Holidays/celebrate/chinese.html• http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/

lpdisplay.asp?LPID=52898• http://www.chinapage.com/flash/love.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_%28zodiac%29• http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/

decorations.html• http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?

activity_id=5279

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