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Know More About Chinese New Year

get closer to the important and mysterious festival

By stewardsolliwanPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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Know More About Chinese New Year
Photo by Zuza Gałczyńska on Unsplash

The Spring Festival is another name for the Chinese New Year. It is the most serious holiday of the year for the Chinese and has been celebrated in China for thousands of years, with numerous sorts of festivities taking place around the country.

The New Year's Eve celebration is centered on letting go of the bad and the old and welcoming in the new and the good. It is a time to honor ancestors, banish evil spirits, and pray for a bountiful crop.

Today, it is widely observed by Chinese communities outside of China. These rich and colorful events include lion dance, dragon dance, temple festivals, flower market shopping, and so on.

Because the New Year is a time for family reunions, individuals who live or work far away would travel home before the celebration. This is now called in China as Chun Yun Moving in the Spring): tens of millions of people travel on the country's huge public transportation systems or by private means, returning home to be with their loved ones.

Food and wine are an important component of the New Year's celebration since it is a significant family reunion event. The family gathers around a large table for New Year's Eve supper. This is referred to as Nian Ye Fan.

Families light incense to honor their ancestors. Older and older members of the family give the younger members of the family good luck pocket money known as Ya Sui Qian, which is enclosed in a red envelope.

Before the end of the year, everyone would take a long bath to purify oneself and wash away bad luck. For the holiday season, children and adults would put on new clothing, shoes, and outfits.

To herald in the New Year, deafening firecrackers would be let off at midnight on New Year's Eve. Friends would visit each other's houses on New Year's Day and the days that followed to share good luck wishes and seasonal pleasantries, when they would make a bow with their hands clasped in front.

One of the most well-known myths associated with Chinese New Year is the story of Nian, a terrifying monster who would come out of hiding once a year to terrorize villages and devour their inhabitants, particularly children. The villagers were powerless against the beast until an old man came to the village and told them that Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises. He advised the villagers to put up red decorations and set off firecrackers to scare the monster away.

From that day forward, the villagers would hang red lanterns and banners, and set off firecrackers to keep Nian at bay. This is where the tradition of decorating homes with red lanterns and banners and setting off firecrackers during the Chinese New Year comes from.

Another myth associated with Chinese New Year is the story of the Kitchen God. According to legend, the Kitchen God is responsible for watching over the household and reporting to the gods in heaven on the behavior of the family. On New Year's Eve, families will light a fire in front of their homes to help the Kitchen God ascend to heaven to give his report.

In addition to these myths, there are many other customs and traditions associated with Chinese New Year, such as the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, the giving of red envelopes filled with money, and the lion and dragon dances. These customs and traditions are all part of the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese people and are still celebrated to this day.

The Chinese New Year is also a time for reflection and renewal. It is a time to let go of the past and look forward to the future. This is reflected in the many customs and traditions associated with the Chinese New Year, such as the cleaning of the house, the lighting of firecrackers, and the decorating of homes with red lanterns and banners.

In recent years, the Chinese New Year has become an increasingly important holiday for people around the world. It is a time to learn about and celebrate Chinese culture, and an opportunity for people of different cultures to come together and share in the celebrations.

Overall, Chinese New Year is a time for family, good luck, prosperity, and happiness, and a time for people to come together and celebrate the new year with renewed hope and optimism.

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