In the following article you will get some facts about wishing a happy and prosperous New Year in ancient and modern day China.
Guo Nian Hao expres...
In the following article you will get some facts about wishing a happy and prosperous New Year in ancient and modern day China.
Guo Nian Hao expresses Happy New Year in Chinese language. You will receive a lot of this if you are visiting China during the beginning of the year. But if you are visiting China in February you would still get the same greeting and you may be surprised. The reason is that by traditional Chinese custom New Year falls in February beginning as different from what we consider as New Year.
The difference in date concerning New Years is all because Chinese follow lunar calendar. Their New Year depends on the moon cycle rather than the date like 1st of January. The Chinese people celebrate their New Year in a traditional manner where they follow a lot of old customs and it’s a time for joyful celebrations.
Since the beginning of the lunar year is an important occasion you will observe everybody to be greeting each other irrespective of whether they know the person or not. Go to any market place and you will have the entire staff wishing you Guo Nian Hao. In fact this is the voice of the nation during the festive season.
Traditionally and otherwise the Guo Nian Hao greeting is used to wish everyone for five days after the beginning of lunar year. After five days you are not supposed to wish a New Year greeting according to the tradition. There are other words which are also used to wish New Year along with Guo Nian Hao.
The New Year for Chinese is a time when people hope and pray for abundance in future for everyone including themselves for the rest of the year. The Chinese people show their happiness by using terms like Hokkien Keong hee huat chye, Gonxi Facai for best wishes and success in life to others.
As New Year represent everything good the Chinese people also pray for a good amount of crop harvest in the coming year and they use certain terms to wish abundant crops to everyone in future.
During Chinese New Year they use one more form of wishing the best for the coming year with red envelop but it is not verbal greeting. This envelop contains money which is given to the children in hope of keeping the wicked things away.
With the passing of time the Chinese people are using more and more of the new ways of wishing New Year in their own way without keeping up with the traditions. Sending New Year card was never a part of the ancient culture which is now generally sent to each other for best wishes.
With the introduction of Internet wishing New Year for people of China has become very simple by sending e-cards. There are huge fireworks shows held for the common people by the government during New Year.
The traditional has been used for hundreds of years . If you are searching for information about please click on the hyperlinks.
Explore the creative streak in Chinese people in form of art and craft items that are made during the arrival of the New Year.
The Chinese people for decades now have been using the lunar calendar. Out of all the important days, no other date or occasion is as famous or important as the Chinese New Year.
As per the knowledge we have of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year event is not held on the first of January. Their New Year is absolutely dependent upon the cycle of the moon and hence we see that it falls on a completely different date on the Gregorian solar calendar.
New Year is the occasion to have fun for the Chinese people. The mood is carefree throughout the season and lots of celebrations are observed on the streets of China. You will see a large number of exceptional craftsmanship which has been developed over the years among other Chinese customs and traditions.
Amongst the different celebrations with feasts and firecrackers there is also Chinese New Year crafts which are certainly a colorful addition to this festivity. They are a perfect example of the creativity and talent of the Chinese people.
The New Year has a variety of special events such as the fireworks demonstration, the giving of gifts and the lantern festival. Each of these days has its own range of Chinese crafts that represent the nature of the event. These crafts sell like hot cakes during the New Year season.
Since each Chinese New Year is designated an animal sign it is but natural to find the New Year crafts of that year to revolve around the animal of the year. This serves many different purposes in the Chinese community.
First of all it is a mode of keeping this ancient tradition alive. Secondly you have all sorts of artists and craftsmen getting a chance to unleash their creativity along with which they have a great market to make their projects commercially worthwhile during the season.
These Chinese New Year crafts serve good utility purposes when they are used as gifts to be given to people who belongto the Chinese culture. Not only are the crafts inspired by the animal of the year, but also these New Year gifts are often presented to people who were born in the year of the same animal.
The New Year crafts are not just restrictedto the use of the animal of the year. Rather there is a wide range of crafts that are specifically prepared for this time of the year. There is a very innovative and interesting collection of fireworks that is considered to be part of the New Year crafts.
Another New Year variety of crafts is the Lantern crafts of all sorts. The fortune telling crafts are also quite in demand with Chinese public. These are found to be sold all over the markets. There is also a special set of craft objects sold to the kids especially during this season of the year.
are an essential element of any New Year celebration. In order to learn more about please click on the links.
Discover the beauty and intricacy with which the Chinese people decorate their houses and streets to welcome the coming New Year.
The Chinese New Year is one of the most special days on the lunar calendar. You can see Chinese people decorating their homes with so many different of Chinese New Year handicrafts specially created for this unique occasion. From indoors to outdoors on the city streets, China seems to be glowing in color throughout the season.
Few of the New Year decorations seen are pretty flowers to platters of food and some other variety of decorations that arekept for the festival. There are specific decorative items that have become souvenirs to mark this time of the year. The collection of decorating items is wide and colorful.
Plants and flowers play a significant role in the New Year decorations in China. Besides Chinese people are famous for their attachment to the nature. During the New Years event, houses of Chinese people are seen blossoming with different flowers and plants that symbolize growth and prosperity that promise to come in the coming year.
For decorating intentions, the most commonly used plants and flowers are the plum blossoms at such times. This is because, they just start to blossom during this season and they are arranged beautifully together with bamboo and pine springs. This represents a special closeness between families and friends around this time.
dependability and perseverance are amongst the symbolic virtues the plum blossoms are supposed to represent. The bamboo represents compatibility due to its flexible nature and the evergreen pine is the classic symbol of longevity. Other commonly used flowers include the azalea, narcissus, water lily and the peony.
Fruits too have a role in New Year decoration and are usually found in Chinese households during the season. Oranges and tangerines are taken to be most popular and are often given by friends who come over for a visit. Tangerines symbolize maintenance of a long relationship and joy.
The best partof the Chinese New Year is perhaps the candy tray; at least this is correct as far as the kids are concerned. The candy tray is a specially designed decoration item for this time of the year. This sweet treat is also known as the tray of togetherness and consists of an interesting variety of some of the most delicious candies.
Another tradition practiced with the candy tray is that whenever an adult picks up a candy, he puts a red envelope that contains some sort of a good luck charm in it for the members of the house on the tray. Candied melons are the most popular object on the tray accompanied by coconuts, lychee nut, cumquat and peanuts etc. which have their own meanings.
Many of the New Year decorations are centered around the particular animal symbol of the year. This has been a Chinese tradition for centuries now and still goes on even now.
are a wonderful sight to behold. If you are interested in reading more about follow the links.
Learn about the Chinese thoughts and values in regard to the firework use during Chinese New Year festival.
Who could speak about noise pollution in China during the New Year festivities? The traditional use of fireworks is amongst one of the main activities during this time and it is done with a lot of zeal to usher in the New Year.
In fact the firecrackers are the final touch to the entire festive season. Without them the Chinese New Year would be incomplete. There is no denying the fact that the Chinese New Year holds immense traditional value for the people of China. It is a time when friends and families get together and celebrate in various festive ways.
It is seen that New Year is the time when many Chinese ancient customs are revived and celebrated with great enthusiasm. This way they keep the old customs alive. Bursting firecrackers is an essential part of the celebration. The whole country takes a lot of interest in doing this activity during their New Year celebrations as it is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture and people have followed it up for centuries.
Traditional fireworks
There are quite a few stories that are rooted in Chinese society in regards to the tradition of the use of fireworks. While using the fireworks what they normally believe is that the dragon summons rain in summer so that the crops can grow. So it is of utmost importance to wake up the dragon which is still sleeping with all the noise.
each time a country is dependent on agriculture they also in turn become heavily dependant upon rain and good weather. The whole idea of making noise with firecrackers is related to this concept and the Chinese have great fun making big noise during New Year without anybody’s complain.
Protection from Evil Spirits
There is another side to the story as well. Another set of people hold a belief that the firecrackers are meant to scare away the evil spirits and misfortunes right at the start of the year. This way the Chinese people hope to keep the coming year free from all evil.
The Chinese New Year has a custom of parade during this time. Those who are taking part in the parade carry firecrackers with them. It is a rite to throw the cracker at the feet of the dragon. This is done with the belief that the noise made by the cracker will keep the dragon awake.
Another beautiful custom related to the fireworks is the dragon dance. It is a fantastic sight for anyone coming from abroad to see a colorful dragon doing dance steps. The dragon dance represents the essence of Chinese ancient traditions. This amazing show has a dragon dancing at the center and firecrackers bursting all around it.
The aim of blowing up all these fire crackers is to keep the evil spirits away. In some cultures firecrackers are believed to drive the good spirits away because of the loud noise but when in China the traditional beliefs say otherwise.
are a wonderful burst of color to be enjoyed by all. If you would like further info on the please click on the links.
How do kids celebrate New Year in China? Take a look at what the Chinese kids do at the time of the New Year.
In China during the New Year all men women and kids have a fabulous time doing all sorts of traditional rituals but those who enjoy maximum are the very young children.
This is feasible because as they are too young, they are free from the chores of arranging and coordinating activities for the events which is taken care of by the elders. They do few things like helping the adults in their arrangements but more or less they are free to enjoy at the time of Chinese New Year and elders let them have fun.
Chinese New Year is the best time of the year in China for adults and kids alike as they bring back the old customs for the festivity. But amongst all this fun it also has educational value as the children find out a lot about their ancient tradition and their origin while having fun.
Such an educative process that permits them to have fun while they are being educated serves great benefits in terms of teaching them a history lesson that they will never forget or fear all their lives. Rather New Year celebrations for kids are amongst the most memorable things that the youngsters will never forget all their lives.
The richness of Chinese tradition is apparent during the New Year when it manifests through various activities. The China in its true colors is presented to the children in such a manner that the kids easily understand them. The fun begins with the permission of staying awake till late at night and taking part in all sorts of activities.
The various games that are organized for the night revolve around historic traditions of the country hence contributing as a lesson in history while providing them with entertainment. Creating patterns with dominoes is one of the major activities for kids who get to learn about the origins of the sport which are from China and date back to a thousand years ago.
There are few games which especially interest kids. There is one game which started in 8th century, a card game where parents create playing cards by drawing on them and the kids are given the cards to write a story based on the drawing. Another ancient game that is quite widespread is jianzi which truly represents Chinese culture. This game is similar to hacky sack, a modern game played by the kids.
The normal practice of Hong Bao which is the red envelope accepted by children from their elders. The red envelope contains cash which is meant to bring them good luck. Of course the kids love this ancient Chinese tradition which finances their holiday treats.
The New Year festival is spread over a couple of days when dragon dance ,lantern festivals and other parades are also held which aregood learning experience for the children. All in all they have a gala time.
is wholesome, lively and tasty . If you want some ideas about follow the links.
The rat holds a special place in Chinese tradition. Find out about the Chinese New Year of the rat and why it is considered to be so special.
Not many people would like to associate themselves with the image of the rat outside of the Chinese culture. For the majority of westerners the rat is a tiny, dirty, shady character that dwells in the dirtiest of places. On the contrary the Chinese thinkers known for their observation skills draw a completely different character sketch of the rat.
Intelligence is an important the attributes of the rat. The Chinese philosophers have observed that the rat is not only hardworking but also extremely innovative creatures who love totally like to control things. It has been realized that rat people go for perfection. These are but a few of their characteristic traits that have been observed.
As has been the Chinese tradition for centuries that each year has a special animal assigned to it. There is a whole system and a legend behind the assigning of the animals to the years. Basically there are 12 animals that function on a twelve year rotation according to the lunar calendar that the Chinese use.
In the Chinese cultural heritage, the rat holds a position of honor and reverence. According to the Chinese history, the twelve animals that rotate based on the lunar calendar were made to contest in a race. From the initiation of the race, the ox was leading but he was unaware of the fact that the rat was riding on his back all the while. When the ox was about to finish the race first, the rat jumped off his back and took the victory.
The year of the rat marks the beginning of the whole animal myth. Hence, when the year of the rat reappears, it is rare occasion because it means that an entire cycle is completed and a new one has started.
The rat thus has proved its mettle in being one of the most innovative and sharp personalities. It is admired for its ability to get into the depth of all sorts of trouble and find a way to achieve success. Intelligence being its key featureit finds it easy to get success.
Chinese philosophers have come up with a personality sketch of the rat symbol and thus people now are more in favor of accepting any comparison to the Chinese perception of the rat’s persona. However, it is definitely simple to picture why the idea is difficult for the westerners because, the west have their own perception of the tiny creature.
Compatibility issue is a different aspect which is quite mysterious with respect to the twelve animals of the 12-year cycle. The methodology that led to these connections made by the Chinese philosophers are quite unknown but they have devised certain conclusions as to which animal sign is compatible with which other animal and which is not.
It’s amazing to know that the rat has great compatibility with the monkey. But where do the philosophers get this conviction is still unknown. However, these beliefs prevail in China. From the ancient era, the year of the rat is believed to be the sign of protection and wealth.
The has deep symbolic significance. To read further on follow the hyperlinks.
Chinese culture has a strong linkage with the process of symbolism. Out of the several aspects of Chinese culture that is involved in utility of symbols, one of the event is the Chinese New Year.
There are many symbols and customs associated with the Chinese New Year, which by the way is not the 1st of January like it is for the rest of the world that follows the solar calendar. The wide ranges of symbols that are associated with the event of Chinese New Year have great cultural and historical significance in the eyes of the Japanese people.
The collection of the Chinese New Year symbols is surprisingly brilliant in representing profound meanings in an interesting visual fashion. This collection is a fine example of a balance between form and function which is an art on its own.
The unquestionable physical beauty of the Chinese New Year symbols is a proof to the region’s artistic talents. The meaning behind the symbols gives us the mystical insight into the beliefs and traditions of the people of China.
It’s the right time now to talk about how different Chinese New Year is in comparison with the Western New Year. The most vital difference is that the Western world follows the solar calendar where as the Chinese follow the lunar calendar traditionally.
The cycles of the moon is what decides the basis of the lunar calendar. This is one of the explanations why calendars printed in China contain both the Gregorian as well as the Chinese lunar calendar dates. Such easy calendars help to compare the dates and keep us updated with the current trends.
The spirit is happy and hope is for prosperity when the Chinese New Year arrives. This is why you will find the collection of Chinese New Year symbols to be very positive with regards to their meanings.
Flowers play a vital role in the symbols designed for the Chinese New Year. Traditionally the Chinese had an affinity to utilize natural god-gifted products and so flowers were a perfect choice. The plum blossom and water narcissus are two of the most popular Chinese new year flower symbols.
Beside flowers, another important New Year symbol is the hong-bao which is actually what is referred to as a lai-see envelope. Kids of the family are handed over these envelopes consisting of money by the elders on the eve of New Year. This is regarded to be one of the Chinese New Year symbols.
are featured prominently in New Year parades around the world. If you would like to learn more about click on the preceding links.
