Holidays Around the World

Chinese New Year
Spring Festival

Where in the World is China?
China is located on the continent of Asia. It is by the Pacific Ocean. Vietnam, Burma, Russia and India are some of the countries that border China. China has the largest poplation in the world.

When does Chinese New Year begin and end?
The people in China and the Chinese people all over the world like to participate in this holiday celebration. It is their biggest holiday. Many people call it a Spring Festival.

Every year the date that it starts and stops on changes. It changes because they use a Lunar calendar (based on the cycles of the moon), as well as a Gregorian calendar. Here in America we use the Gregorian calendar, so our New Year's celebration is the night of December 31st and the day of January 1st. Chinese New Year’s Day is bewteen January 20th and February 19th depending on their Lunar calendar.

How long does the Chinese New Year celebration last?
The Chinese celebrate their New Year for about one month. But the holiday festivities last about five days. It is during these five days that stores are closed and there is no cooking done in their homes.

What special food do they eat?
The Chinese people cook all their food before the New Year celebrations begin. During the five days of celebrating, they reheat their food. Some of the foods cooked ahead of time are chicken, pork, and fish. Eggs and vegetables are pickled. All the cleaning must be done in the house, too. They do not clean their homes during those five days because they think if a broom or duster is used to sweep the house clean, it will sweep out the good luck they want for the new year.

What is the Chinese Legend of how the New Year's Day celebration started?
Some say the legend is about a beast called Niam who came to eat the villagers around their New Year’s Day celebration. Some say he had such a huge mouth that he could swallow lots of villagers at one time! Legend says that the villagers found out from an old man that the beast did not like bright colors or the color red. That is how come bright burning bonfires and firecrackers are used to scare Niam away. The bright color red on their doors or in their clothing is meant to keep him away also. You will hear many Chinese people say "Guo Nian,” which means “Survive the Nian” or “Celebrate the Year.”

New Year’s Eve
One of the many ceremonies that they use on New Year’s Eve is one that honors their Kitchen God who is supposed to watch over the family for the next year. He is supposed to leave Earth and give his report about each family to the Jade Emperor up in Heaven. Families want to send him off with a good meal, so some of the food they prepare on New Year’s Eve for him are sweet cakes and fruits. They also dip his photograph in wine and smear his lips with honey. This is to help him be in a good mood when he arrives in Heaven.

The Chinese people want to welcome the new year with a fresh start. They make sure that all of their debts are paid off, and quarrels are all settled. They paint their doors and window panes, purchase new clothes, get haircuts, and clean their houses. Homes are decorated with flowers and each flower has a special meaning. If you decorate with peach blossoms and plum tree branches that means you wish to have a long life. If you use white narcissus’ they are supposed to bring you good luck and if you use the camellia it means that springtime is near.

On New Year ‘s Eve some families visit their friends and relatives to say farewell to the old year. They decorate their homes with flowers and red banners near their doors with good luck sayings and symbols on them to welcome the New Year. They cover their front doors with red paper to keep out bad spirits. Between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. incense is lit in their homes to welcome the spirits of their ancestors. After 11:00 p.m offerings are made to their gods. They ask their gods for peace and success in the new year. This tradition is over 1,000 years old! They then have a big feast and throughout the night, beginning at midnight, you can hear shouts of happiness, noise and firecrackers shooting off.

New Year’s Day
The red paper on their doors are broken because it is considered bad luck if scissors or knives are used to cut the red paper off of their doors. People dress in their new clothes and spend the day with their families. Gifts are exchanged with family members early in the morning. The gifts are wrapped in red and gold paper and usually they are gifts of money. The red color is a symbol of power and happiness and gold represents good fortune and wealth. The children use their money to spend throughout the holiday buying gifts and treats. Usually dumpling soup is eaten on New Year’s day and if you take a bite and find a surprise in your bite of soup you will have good luck throughout the new year.

The second day of the New Year is spent visiting family. Money trees are put out in relatives homes and are a sign of good luck and wealth.

The third day is when you would see the Dragon Dance and hear lots of fire crackers. In many places the Dragon Dance will last until the fifth day of the celebration. The dragon is made out of paper and silk and people walk under him carrying him up on long bamboo poles through the streets. They have him chase and dance after a yellow globe which is supposed to be the sun. There is a legend that if he catches the sun, the sun will go out and there will be no more light. The dragon never catches it and at the end of the dance lots of firecrackers are set off. The sky is filled with lots of light!

The fourth day is for people and stangers to stop in and visit your family whenever they like.

The fifth day is for visiting family who are far away from you. Sometimes it just might be a family reunion gathering nearby or you may have to travel far away. This is the day that the shops will reopen again, even though the New Year celebration continue for a couple more weeks.

What are some other special traditions?
On the 15th day of their New Year’s celebration there is a big lantern festival. The lanterns are made out of all kinds of shapes. You will find them in the shape of birds, fish, stars and flowers. Some of these lanterns are made from paper, glass and silk. They are beautiful and fill the cities, streets and homes with bright colored lights.