Transcript When we change our clocks

The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest
chronological record in history, dating from
2600BC. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a
yearly one, with the start of the lunar year
being based on the cycles of the moon.
Because of this cyclical dating, the beginning
of the year can fall anywhere between late
January and the middle of February.
Chinese New Year starts with the New
Moon on the first day of the new year and
ends on the full moon 15 days later. The
15th day of the new year is called the
Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at
night with lantern displays and children
carrying lanterns in a parade.
Chinese New Year Dates
2004 - Jan 22
2005 - Feb 9
2006 - Jan 29
2007 - Feb 18
Preparation
Usually the
preparation starts a
month before the
new year. The
preparation includes
thoroughly cleaning
and decorating the
house, buying new
clothes, and
preparing enough
food for at least two
weeks.
Instead of presents as
in the West, the
Chinese give gifts of
money at Chinese
New Year, at weddings
and birthdays. The
money is usually
placed in a red
packet/envelope
decorated with an
appropriate symbol,
greeting or lucky sign.
If flowers open on New Year's Day it is believed
to be a symbol of good luck. The New Year is
also a time to settle debts--if not both the debtor
and his family will face shame.
Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese
families decorate their living rooms
with vases of pretty blossoms,
platters of oranges and tangerines and
a candy tray with eight varieties of
dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors
are poetic couplets, happy wishes
written on red paper.
Forbidden during New Year
• All sharp tools (knives, etc. are hidden away
since they may sever good fortune from the
family.
• No foul language or unlucky words because
it will bring bad luck to the family.
•Handle fragile item with
care. If anything breaks, the
family will break up or have
seven years of bad luck.
New Year’s Eve
The New Year's Eve is the
time for families. The
New Year Eve's dinner is
the biggest dinner of the
year, much like
Thanksgiving dinner in
the United States. The
dinner is full of symbolic
meaning, such as
Chinese dumplings
implying wealth since
they have the shape of
ancient Chinese gold or
silver ingots.
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are set off as soon as the
new year arrives. You can hear or see
firecrackers everywhere and this
usually lasts for a few hours.
Traditionally fireworks are the sign of
getting rid of the old and welcoming
the new.
New Year Greetings
Chinese New Year is also the time
for socializing. People usually wear
new clothes and go out to visit and
greet their relatives and friends, so
the streets are filled with a lot of
cheerful people. The greeting and
visiting can go on for a few days.
The dragon dance is an
important festive tradition in
China. It was originally
performed to please the dragon,
who is the deity of water, to ask
for rain during drought years.
Gradually it became an
entertainment and dance form in
festive occasions, usually
during the Spring Festival and
Lantern Festival.
The dragons, usually ranging from several meters to
more than 100 meters long, are mainly made of
bamboo, wood, rattan, cloth and paper, etc.
There are poles attached to the belly of the dragon.
During the performance, performers hold the poles
and raise the dragon, starting the grand dance with
the beat of roaring drums. Sometimes a man raises a
pearl and entices the dragon to follow his rhythm.
Lantern Festival
The 15th of the first month of Chinese New
Year, marks the end of the New Year
celebrations. It is the time for family
reunion again, where families eat a kind of
cake, which looks like a table tennis ball (a
little smaller) made of sticky rice with sweet
stuffing inside. Everyone eats a few on
Lantern Festival, which symbolizes that the
family will stick together.
Candy
Tray
The candy tray arranged in either a circle or
octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness"
and has a dazzling array of candy to start the
New Year sweetly. Each item represents
some kind of good fortune.
• Candied melon - growth and good health
• Red melon seed - dyed red to symbolize joy,
happiness, truth and sincerity
• Lychee nut - strong family relationships
• Cumquat - prosperity (gold)
• Coconut - togetherness
• Peanuts - long life
• Longnan - many good sons
• Lotus seed - many children
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on
New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at
the family banquet table. The spirits of the
ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the
onset of the New Year as one great community.
The communal feast is called "surrounding the
stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and
honors the past and present generations.
On New Year's Day, the Chinese family will
eat a vegetarian dish called jai. Although the
various ingredients in jai are root vegetables
or fibrous vegetables, many people attribute
various superstitious aspects to them.
* Lotus seed - signify having many male offspring
* Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots
* Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding
in wealth
* Dried bean curd is another homonym for
fulfillment of wealth and happiness
* Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like
"wishing that everything would be well"
* Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it is
white and unlucky for New Year as the color
signifies death and misfortune