Folk Customs

Traditional Chinese Festivals

Chinese Names

Chinese Zodiac

Confucius Institute at Purdue University

http://www.purdue.edu/confucius

Chinese Food and Festivals

Xinnian/Chunjie 新年 / 春节 : Chinese New Year (1-1, Lunar Calendar)

Yuanxiao 元宵 : The Lantern Festival (1-15, LC) Qingming 清明 : The Pure Brightness day (April

5, or 6, Solar Calendar) Duanwu 端午 : The Dragon Boat Festival (5- 5,

LC) Zhongqiu 中秋 : The Mid-Autumn Festival (8-

15, LC) Layue 腊月 : December Festivals (12- 8, 23,

30, LC)

Chinese New Year 1-1, Lunar Calendar Dumplings (jiaozi) in the north Sweets, melon seeds, snacks Rice cake New Year’s Greetings The Red Envelope Dragon/lion dance Firecrackers

The origin of the Chinese New Year is too old to be

traced. One explanation has it that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese solely means "year", was originally the name of a monster that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year.

The story of Nian:

The beast Nian had a very big mouth

that would swallow many people,

which of course scared them…...

Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color the beast feared the most.

The term "Guo Nian " becomes today "Celebrate the (New) Year" as the word "guo" in Chinese having both the meaning of "pass-over" and "observe".

Some foods are favored for their auspicious sounds.

Lots of people go to restaurants to have their celebration dinners.

In the north, small meat dumplings (jiaozi 饺子 ) and steamed-wheat bread (man tou 馒头 ) are preferred food. The tremendous amount of food symbolizes abundance and wealth for the household.

Other foods include a whole fish, to represent togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity.

The chicken must be presented with a head, tail and feet to symbolize completeness. Noodles should be uncut, as they represent long life.

In south China, the favorite and most typical dishes were nian gao, sweet steamed glutinous rice （糯米） pudding and zong zi (glutinous rice wrapped up in reed （芦苇） leaves), another popular delicacy.

A traditional song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7laBfy89qK8 CCTV Spring Festival Celebration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOzGrPd7QvE

Traditionally, the Chinese also go to temple fairs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy9JvE0_E4Y

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=d-quz9fGccU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuFpK7JRPO4&feature=related

fireworks (07 files)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9aWfqsRm8E&feature=related

Harmony brings wealth Wishing you every success

过年好！ ɡuò nián hǎo Happy New Year! 新年好！ xīn nián hǎo Happy New Year! 新年快乐！ xīn nián kuài lè Happy New Year!

恭喜，恭喜。 Gongxi, Gongxi Congratulations!

恭喜发财！ ɡōnɡ xǐ fā cái I wish You Great Prosperity!

鼠年吉祥！ shǔ nián jí xiáng Good Luck in the Year of the Rat!

The Lantern Festival 元宵节 1-15, LC, the first full moon of the year

The first lunar month is called Yuanyue and xiao means night. The night of the 15th day of the first lunar month marks the appearance of the first full moon

Lanterns of all kinds and designs 花灯 Riddles posted on/with the lanterns 灯谜 Round rice balls with fillings of sweet

sesame or red bean paste, (or meat) boiled in sweetened soup 元宵

Why eat Yuanxiao The Chinese People hope that everything is

satisfactory (yuanman in Chinese), and to eat rice dumplings on the first night with a full moon in a year is to wish that family members will remain united, harmonious, happy and satisfied.

The Pure Brightness Day 清明节 April 5 or 6, Solar Calendar (one of the 24

Seasonal Division Points). When the spring scene is radiant and enchanting and the air is clean-hence, its name.

The Story of Jiezhitui 介之推（寒食节， Cold Food Festival ）

Visit and clean up the family tombs 扫墓 Visiting a grave or sweeping a grave

A good time for an outing 踏青 people wear willow twigs to pray for safety and happiness.

Spring pan-cake 春饼 , Spring (egg) rolls 春卷

A poem talking about 清明节 清明时节雨纷纷 / qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn 路上行人欲断魂 / lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún 借问酒家何处有 / jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu 牧童遥指杏花村 / mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn

English translation A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner's heart is breaking on his way. Where can a hostel be found to drown his sadness? A herding boy points to Xing Hua village in the

distance. ----Tang Dynasty Du Mu’s Pure Brightness

The Qingming scroll, an 18th century remake of a 12th century original by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145) from the Song Dynasty.

The Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 5- 5, Lunar Calendar In memory of the first great Chinese poet Qu Yuan 屈原

(ca. 340 BC ～ 277BC) Dragon Boat Race 龙舟竞赛 Zongzi 粽子 Pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice

wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves

Realgar Liquor 雄黃酒 (sulfide, viper and insect, snakes, Scorpions and centipedes)

Story of the White Snake 白蛇传

Qu Yuan 屈原The first great Chinese poet in history.

The style of Sao.

One of the most prominent figures of Romanticism in Chinese literature.

Patriotic poet.

Realgar Liquor The custom of drinking realgar liquor is very popular

among people in the drainage of Yangtze River.

Realgar liquor is a liquor with realgar in it, and realgar is a kind of mineral containing sulfide which can keep the vipers and insects off.

"The Story of the White Snake" which is still well-known today has a scene that the human-shaped White Snake return to her original form after drinking the realgar liquor.

Thus people believed that the poisonous insects, snakes, Scorpions and centipedes can be scared off by the realgar liquor, and drinking realgar liquor can protect them from insects and keep them healthy.

The Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋 8 -15, Lunar Calendar Chang’e: Goddess of the moon 嫦娥

The Moon Hare/Rabbit 月兔 According to tradition, the Jade Rabbit

pounds medicine, together with the lady, Chang'e, for the gods.

The Moon Cake 月餅 The Festival of the Reunion

Stories of the Mid-Autumn Festival Since ancient times, China has had many fairy tales

and legends about the moon, among which the most famous is “Chang’e Flying to the moon”.

Chang’e was the wife of Houyi in ancient Chinese myths. Legend has it that she swallowed an elixir stolen from the Grand Old Lady of the West, became an immortal and flew to the moon palace.

The Twelfth month 腊月 The Sweet porridge of 12- 8 腊八粥 The Day of the Kitchen god and

goddess 腊月二十三 Soft, sticky candy

Shopping for items needed for New Year

Write/Buy New Year’s couplet written on red paper

New Years Eve 除夕 Fish, Hot-Pot, dinner of the New Years

Eve Fire Crackers Wrap dumplings, (jiaozi) Midnight worship of ancestors

(welcome them home for the New Year) Stay up all night, gamble, etc.

Names of the Chinese People

The composition of Chinese names

The surname has roughly several origins : the creatures worshipped in remote antiquity 马，牛，

羊，龙 ancient states’ names 赵，宋，秦，吴 ancient official titles 司马 the profession 陶 pottery

how many surnames are there in China? 5000 ， 3500, 200,100

The order of the name

ancient names and modern names ancient name: name, style name and alternative name

Names of the Chinese People

What’s the meaning of the given name the location, time or natural phenomenon when the person

was born 京，晨，冬，雪 possessing some virtues, 忠，义，礼，信 have the meaning of health, longevity and happiness 健，

寿，松，福 Male names are different from female ones Men’s names: having the meaning of power and vigor 伟，

强 Women’s names: having the meaning of gentleness and beauty 花，玉，静

Chinese people’s wish to give their children a name which sounds good and meaningful.

Chinese Zodiac What’s “shuxiang” (shengxiao)

The ancient Chinese people invented the method to designate the years by Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Combining each of the 10 Heavenly Stems with one of the 12 Earthly Branches in sequence creates 60 chronological symbols.

Later, people used 12 animals to correspond to the 12 Earthly Branches, forming the 12 symbolic Animals.

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig

Chinese Zodiac As long as people know a person’s

probable age and his symbolic animal, people can infer his exact age and year of birth.

What do you belong to?

Asking for Directions Make a dialogue

Xiansheng, qingwen, qu dongfangmingzhu zenme zou?

先生，请问，去东方明珠怎么走？ Wangqian zou, malu zuobian jiu shi. 往前走，马路左边就是。 Yuan ma ? 远吗？ Bu yuan, zou ji fenzhong jiu dao le. 不远，走几分钟就到了。 Xiexie nin. 谢谢您。 Bukeqi. 不客气。

Excuse me, could you show me the way to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower

If you go straight, it’s on the left side of the street.

Is it far? No, It’s just a couple of minutes walk. Thank you. You’re welcome.

Useful Phrases Wang qian zou 往前走 Go straight Wang zuo/you guai 往左 / 右拐 Turn left/right Dong/nan/xi/bei 东南西北 East/south/west/north

Apologizing In our daily life there are faults and failures that one regrets

or feels sorry about. An apology, if necessary, is always better than none. Therefore it is advisable for one to learn a few useful apologetic expressions.

Duibuqi! Wo chidao le . 对不起，我迟到了。 Meiguanxi./meishi r./buyaojin. 没关系。 / 没事儿。 / 不要紧。

Sorry, I’m late. It doesn’t matter 。 /Never mind./ Not serious.