Chinese New Year’s Day is the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. According to the calendar we use (the Gregorian calendar) the date for Chinese New Year is different each year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th. This year it’s February 8th.
The Chinese usually have 7 consecutive days off work from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the sixth day after Chinese New Year’s Day.
Chinese New Year 2016 is the year of the Monkey. Chinese astrology indicates that for those people born in a year of the monkey, 2016 is considered to be a bad year. Our son, Dave, was born in a monkey year, so we’ll have to alert him to be on his guard….
Before the holiday begins, it’s Chinese tradition to thoroughly clean one’s home, both inside and out, as well as oneself. That means getting a haircut, buying new clothes and, in general beginning a period of new beginnings, renewal and rejuvenation.
Chinese New Year is a much needed winter holiday for the Chinese. The time around Chinese New Year is sometimes referred to as the Spring Festival and with it comes many traditions. You’ve probably noticed that the festivities associated with Chinese New Year invariably involve fireworks and there seems to be a lot of red displayed. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a monster call “Nian” [year] that would come out and eat people, especially children, and animals on the eve of every New Year. To avoid the monster’s attack, people would flee into the mountains. On one New Year’s Eve, an old beggar came to Peach Blossom Village. An old lady gave him some food and told him to hide himself in the mountain to avoid the monster Nian. The old man said he could drive the monster away as long as he was put up for the night at the old lady’s house. The old lady wasn’t able to persuade the old man to hide in the mountain, so she went alone. In the middle of the night, Nian dashed into the village. He trembled and cried when he saw the red paper on the door of the old lady’s house. Just as the monster reached the entrance, there came loud sounds that prevented him from moving any further. The old man opened the door wearing a red robe and the monster was scared away. It turns out that the color red, firelight and loud sounds were the things the monster feared the most. After that, on every New Year’s Eve, every household would decorate their houses with lots of red, set off firecrackers and light candles as well as stay up the whole night to avoid being attacked by the monster. Today you see red everywhere around the Chinese New Year and there’s always lots of noise…
Happy Chinese New Year!
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