Today is the beginning of the Chinese new year. The holiday, known as the Spring Festival, begins on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the 15th day, called Lantern Festival. This is a major holiday for the Chinese and is also celebrated in places with large ethnic Chinese populations like California. It's also celebrated in other Asian nations that have been influenced by China, like Vietnam where the holiday is known as Tet (yes, as in Tet Offensive).Chinese New Year is celebrated with dragon dances and fireworks.
Red is the color associated with the holiday because of the belief that red chases away evil spirits and bad fortune.
In Chinese astrology, 2009 is the Year of the Ox and it is a Yin Earth year. Since the ox is described as calm and steady, dare we hope for a less volatile year than the last one which was a Year of the Rat? I do hope so.
My friend Teresa tells me that on Chinese New Year's eve you are supposed to eat fish so you'll float into the new year on a sea of prosperity. On New Year's Day you're supposed to wear new clothes so you can start the year with a clean slate. I like these ideas, just wish I'd had a chance to plan ahead a little more. Actually, Teresa had told me some of this before the end of 2008 so I had clam chowder on New Year's Eve to ensure prosperity in 2009. Hope it worked.
Linda
Wikipedia has lots of information on the holiday and on Chinese astrology. The photos are from my trip to Portland's Chinese Garden last March. (Note: link to Teresa's blog added at 10:40AM)
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4 comments:
Love this informative post! Plus, I have a child who born in the Year of the Golden Dragon! Ooooo.
Hi Linda,
恭喜發財!!! (Gung xi fa cai) It means luck and prosperity, which is the way to wish happy new among Chinese speakers. The first two characters literally mean congratulations for surviving the old year, the last two mean prosperity.
Another big part of Chinese New Year is that the entire family gets together. My in-laws are quite distressed that our daughters did not have today off school so they could come home and spend family time. They did, however, text me. I guess that counts. ;)
Barrie, the Year of the Golden Dragon sounds really cool. Much better than Year of the Ox, or Year of the Ax as one wag called it after so many people lost their jobs yesterday.
Gung xi fa cai, Teresa. Hope this is a good year for you and your family. These days I guess texting counts as being together.
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