An Overview Of The Chinese New Year

An Overview Of The Chinese New Year

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The Chinese New Year is the most important Chinese celebrations and begins on the first day of the first lunar month and proceeds for fifteen days. The Chinese New Year is not only restricted to China but is celebrated throughout Asia. The Twelve-year animal zodiac and ten year heavenly stems Cycles also coincide with the Chinese New Year.

The myth of how the Chinese New Year began is thought to originate from villagers protecting themselves from the monster Nian, or Year. On the first day of the New Year, Nian would come to eat what ever and whom ever it could. Villagers would leave food out hoping to satiate its hunger. Nian was also scared by the color red so red lanterns were hung to frighten it away. The current New Year stems from the celebration of the banishment of this beast.

There is a huge amount of travel that occurs during this time as the Chinese New Year is a time to visit all of your relatives. Homes are extensively cleaned to sweep away last years bad luck and welcome in the New Years good luck. Many other actions such as getting a new haircut are a celebration of the new start.

The first day of the New Year is when families visit the most senior members of their family as well as pray to the deities of heaven and earth. No cooing is done as the use of knives and fire can bring in bad luck. On the second day and married daughters will visit her birth parents. Traditionally she was not able to visit them much so this ensured some time with her parents.

The third and fourth day are prone to arguments so no traveling is done. Traveling stops also to respect those loved ones that may have died over the past few years. The fifth day celebrated the Chinese god of wealth by eating dumplings, a symbol of wealth.

Everyone turns a year older on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year as it is the common man's birthday. The Jade Emperor of Heaven's birthday is on the ninth day and offerings of sugarcane are made. The last day entails the lanterns and candles will be lit to guide spirits back home.


About the Author:
Henry Fong
Feng Shui Consultant
More on Chinese Lunar Calendar



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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