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February 7, 2024
Chinese New Year
2024 is the Year of the Dragon (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Please join me in celebrating another New Year—Chinese New Year (CNY), also known as the Spring Festival. It is a cherished time, marking the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. CNY holds immense cultural significance, with family gatherings and festive meals being central to the celebrations. CNY is the most important holiday in China and is also widely celebrated in Southeast Asian countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. This vibrant celebration typically falls at the end of January or the beginning of February, signaling the transition to a new lunar year. In 2024, CNY is set to commence on Feb. 10th and ends Feb. 24th with the Lantern Festival.
Interesting Facts about Chinese New Year
Legend of Chinese New Year
Several legends explain the origin of CNY, but the most widely accepted one tells of an ancient monster named “Nian” threatening villages on New Year’s Eve. Fearing for their lives, people would flee to the mountains until one brave and wise old man decided to confront the creature. Using firecrackers, he successfully scared “Nian” away, initiating a tradition that continues today, where firecrackers (along with fireworks later) are an integral part of CNY celebrations.
Zodiac Animals
According to Chinese astrology, there are 12 zodiac animals in the order of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, each reappearing every 12 years. 2024 is the year of the Dragon, with those born in 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, and 2024 sharing the same zodiac sign. Wearing red, especially red underwear, is believed to drive off bad luck in one’s zodiac year.
Paper cutting zodiac animals (https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2021/12/27/61ca216bca4741f7268b45e4.html)
Things to Do During Chinese New Year
Clean up: Families engage in a thorough cleaning before CNY, symbolizing the removal of the old and welcoming the new, bringing good luck and fortune. However, on New Year’s Day, cleaning is a taboo, meaning not to sweep away good luck.
Decoration: Red color is the theme of CNY decorations, symbolizing luck, fortune, and happiness. Homes, streets, buildings are adorned with red balloons, lanterns, flowers, paper cuttings, and auspicious symbols like red couplets and door gods.
CNY decoration in Grand Asian Market in Raleigh, NC
Lantern decorations with the words “Spring Festival” (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Red lanterns with the character “福” (fú) symbolize fortune in the Grand Asian Market in Raleigh, NC
Spring festival couplets, door gods and “福” (fú) (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Firecrackers and fireworks: Beyond adding to the festive atmosphere, these are believed to drive away bad luck and evil spirits, and welcome good ones.
Both firecrackers and fireworks sound throughout the new year eve night (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Family reunion: The essence of CNY lies in family reunion regardless of location. The eve’s dinner is considered the most important meal, signifying completeness and perfection. Consequently, billions of people travel back from all over the country and overseas for family gatherings. This phenomenon is so noteworthy that it is commonly referred to as CNY migration.
CNY migration (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Foods are offered to the gods and ancestors before eve’s dinner (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Worship: In certain regions, especially in rural areas, the celebration involves worshiping deities and ancestors, and praying for peace, wellness, and happiness.
Visit Friends and Relatives: The holiday is a prime time for personal connections. Younger generations visit their senior relatives, bringing gifts and offering words of blessing.
Red Envelopes: Elders give lucky money to children in red envelopes, symbolizing good luck and blessings for their growth and studies.
Children get lucky money in red envelopes (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Shopping: With bonuses in hand, people indulge in shopping for a variety of CNY goods, such as clothes, wine, food, decorations, and more—a way to relax and reward themselves.
Dress up: With the theme of removing the old and welcoming the new of CNY, almost everyone gets new clothes and dresses up, often in traditional attire, symbolizing a fresh start and renewal.
Watch Spring Festival Gala: Since 1983, China Central Television has hosted an extensive TV show featuring singing, dancing, opera, comedy, crosstalk, and more. Families gather to watch this entertaining program, continuing the tradition long into midnight.
Chinese New Year Food:
New Year’s food is very plentiful. Traditional dishes vary across ethnicities and regions, but some common and symbolic foods are often enjoyed during the celebration. Both the names and looks are symbols of wishes for prosperity, happiness, and auspiciousness.
Families cook their specialty dishes for the feast (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Chicken: The pronunciation of chicken (鸡, jī) is a homophone of another character (吉, jí), meaning good luck and good profit. People have chicken as a must no matter how it is cooked and wish to bring luck and fortune for the new year.
Fish symbolizes extra and surplus of food and money (https://www.sohu.com/a/449332695_100140727)
Fish: Fish is a must-have dish during CNY. The Chinese character for fish (鱼, yú), sounds like the character for surplus or abundance. Eating fish is believed to bring prosperity and surplus in the coming year and every year. Whole fish is often served to symbolize completeness and good fortune.
Dumplings are shaped like ancient Chinese silver and gold ingots (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Dumplings: Dumplings are a significant part of the CNY feast. Their shape resembles ancient Chinese silver and gold currency, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Also, the pronunciation of dumpling in Chinese (jiǎo zi) means the exchange between the old and the new year. Families often make dumplings together, and they are typically filled with a mixture of meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
Spring rolls are a wish for prosperity and wealth (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Spring Rolls (chūn juǎn): Spring rolls are another popular item during CNY. They are believed to bring wealth and prosperity because their shape is reminiscent of gold bars. These crispy rolls are often filled with vegetables, meat, or a combination of both.
Rice cake symbolizing rising step by step each year (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Sticky Rice Cake: Also known as “New Year Cake” or Nian Gao, is a sweet and sticky rice cake. The pronunciation of “Nian Gao” (nián gāo) is similar to the Chinese phrase “年年高升” (nián nián gāo shēng), which means “rising step by step each year”, symbolizing growth, progress, and the promise of a better future.
Rice balls are round dumplings filled with sweet red bean or sesame paste (https://chinesenewyear.net/)
Rice Balls: Rice balls (tāng yuán) are sweet rice dumplings served in a sweet soup. These glutinous rice balls symbolize family reunion and harmony. They are often eaten during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
These dishes are not only delicious but also carry profound cultural meanings, making them an integral part of the rich tapestry of CNY celebration. Keep in mind that customs and traditions may vary among different regions and families.
There are many more interesting things about CNY. If you are interested in anything about CNY or need more information, please let me know.
Happy Chinese New Year!
by Hui
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