Chinese New Year to Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese need more than two weeks to prepare for the New Year's Eve diner and Chinese New Year Day celebration. The events before Chinese New Year Day is at the article of Chinese New Year's Eve and Before page. Chinese New Year Day is the first lunar day of the lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The first lunar day is the new moon day. So the different time zones might have different Chinese New Year Days.
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January 25, 2020 February 12, 2021 February 1, 2022 January 22, 2023 February 10, 2024 |
January 24, 2020 February 11, 2021 January 31, 2022 January 21, 2023 February 9, 2024 |
January 24, 2020 February 11, 2021 February 1, 2022 January 21, 2023 February 9, 2024 |
Chinese New Year Day - The First Lunar Day of The First Lunar Month
Chinese New Year fireworks will open the event for the Chinese New Year festival. The sound of firecrackers tells people the new year has arrived. People offer the New Year's greetings while they are watching TV shows, enjoying the fireworks, asking luck at temple or gambling. The most popular greeting is Gong Xi Fa Chai (Cantonese pronounces Gong Hay Fat Choy), which means "congratulations and make a fortune." The firecracker and congratulations greeting are from the story of animal Nian. "Make a fortune" is to wish people rich, because Chinese love to talk about money.
Some Chinese family change the new clothes right after midnight or the Rat hour in the Chinese New Year Eve. Then they choose the lucky hour from Chinese Farmer's Calendar to worship spirits and commemorate ancestors with candles, fruit, rice cake, tea, long noodle and candies. The purpose of this worship to tell spirits and ancestors the new year arrives. In the end of the ceremony, they will open the door, select a lucky money direction to explode the firecrackers, which means to get rid of old bad stuff and welcome the new coming. Some Chinese family give the Red Envelope to children at this time, then the children go to bed.
After dawn, it's time to say Chinese New Year greetings to neighbors, friends, coworkers, and relatives. Before time of telephone, school teachers will go back to school to greet each other. Government employees will go back the office to say happy new year. Now many people say Gong Xi Fa Chai by phone or send the greeting by e-mail.
On the Chinese New Year day, Chinese eat the breakfast without meat from the New Year Eve leftover. At noon, they have to worship the Spirit of The House with simple animal sacrifices, vegetables and rice. At the evening, they commemorate and worship family ancestors again with full dinner food.
In the morning, all the children are supposed to wear new clothes, pants, shoes, hat or jacket. Every family should prepare many different kind of sweet candies in a tray for people visiting their houses. If a child goes with adult to visit someone and says Gong Xi Fa Chai, he can receive a Red Envelope. In Taiwan, the president, city mayors and temples will prepare many Red Envelopes for their supporters. Since the number of Red Envelopes is limited, people have to go earlier and wait in a long line in order to have a handshake and Red Envelope.
Chinese New Year day is closed to the early spring. That means it's a beginning of blossom season. The popular flowers for Chinese New Year are orchid, narcissuses, peach flower, chrysanthemum, kumquat, cherry blossoms, camellia and so on. So some people like to visit the flower garden or attend flower expo to enjoy the sight of flowers or bring some flower pots home.
Some Chinese would like to take whole family to countryside to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Some like to go to temple to see the crowd and pray for coming luck. Today, more young people go to department stores to spend their Red Envelope money and shop for the New Year special bargains or go to movie theater with friends. Certainly, some are still like to sit by the Mah-Jong table to earn money.
It's getting less chance to see the lion dancing or dragon dancing on the modern city street. People have to go to national culture streets to see the Chinese New Year traditional activities. Over there, people can see lion dance, the god of money, parade, open theater opera, puppet show, etc. They also can buy different traditional candies, their zodiac animal symbols, food, gifts from the culture stores.
Chinese keep the lion dancing custom is because that they think lion image can expel the evil spirit away. Chinese believe that dragon is charge of rain. The dragon dancing is praying for appropriate rain to grow the more crops during the farmer society. Also, dragon is an auspicious and notable symbol which can bring people luck.
The unique style of music for Chinese New Year can be hear at Chinese New Year Music (MP3). You can hear those music from department stores, radio stations, TV stations, and during the lion dancing or dragon dancing on the street.
There are some taboo on the Chinese New Year Day.
- Since everybody is in a festival mood under a joyful and hilarious atmosphere, people shouldn't argue each other. Also parents shouldn't scold or punish the children. Otherwise, you will have more argument in the new year.
- Women shouldn't use knife or shear in the kitchen, which indicates evil, anger, danger and cutting out the luck. As a result, women don't cook new dishes on this day, people eat meals from the leftover.
- Breaking dish plate, bowel or cup means bad money luck coming. In case that happens, then Chinese put all broken pieces in a round container until the coming trash day.
- A married women shouldn't go back to her mother home, otherwise her mother family will get poorer.
- To sweep the floor or dump the trash will take away the wealth and luck from the house.
- Don't have a lunch nap at noon, otherwise people will be lazy year long.
- To wash the hair will wash your good luck away.
- Don't wear in black or white to visit friends, because black and white are funeral color in China
- People shouldn't visit friend's house, if they have a family member newly past away.
- Don't eat rice porridge in the morning breakfast, otherwise you won't get rich because only poor people eat rice porridge in the past.
- Don't eat meat in the morning breakfast, because many gods who are vegetarians arrive New Year Day festival in the morning.
- Don't wake up people by calling their names, otherwise that sleeping person needs people's push all year long.
- Don't eat unnecessary medicine, otherwise you will become unhealthy this year.
- Don't wash clothes, because New Year Day is the birthday of the god of Water.
- If someone owes you money, do not ask for the money back on this day. Otherwise, you will do it often in the rest of the year.
- Don't let people take anything away from your pocket or purse, because that's a sign of money loss in the year.
The Second Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Day of Son-In-Law
The big event for this day is that a married woman can return her mother home. Usually, the newlywed woman's brother will come to take her sister home in the morning. The husband must escort his newlywed wife to see parents-in-law. Certainly, the married woman needs to prepare Red Envelopes for her parents, nephews and nieces. The lunch time is their reunion dinner. The married couples will leave after 3:00 PM. Long time ago, married woman will bring back a pair of sugar cane and a pair of chicken. Sugar cane stands for the sweet marriage life. The chicken stands for more children.
Some married women's parents past away, then they either stay husband house or return to her eldest brother's home.
If every married woman returns her mother home on the 2nd lunar day, then the husband house might be without women's hands to entertain his married sisters. Therefore, some married women return home on the third lunar day.
The Third Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Red-Dog Day and Mice Wedding Day
They also said that people should turn off the light and go to bed early, because the night is the Mice's Wedding Day and we shouldn't disturb them. The other saying is we want to make it dark, so mice have difficulty to making the wedding, which can slow down mice's breeding. In the old farmer society, people will leave a few of rice or cake in the corner of a room for the mice at night.
Anyway, to get up late and turn in early is for those people who were busy to prepare for Chinese New Year festival since last December have a chance to take a break.
Some people bring trash, which accumulates since Chinese New Year Eve, outside the house on this day. They said that's to sweep out the Poor Spirit from the house.
The 4th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - Welcome the God of Stove Back
Since the Heaven is far away from the Earth, it will take almost a day for The God of Stove to travel down to Chinese family's kitchen. The God of Stove must leave the Heaven in the morning. He should arrive people house in the afternoon. Therefore, the Welcome Ceremony will be in the afternoon. This same to the Farewell day, Chinese prepare animal sacrifices, fruit, food, cake and wine to worship The God of Stove. After the Welcome Ceremony, Chinese family will explore firecracker to welcome The God of Stove back into the house.
The 5th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - Open Business Day - Welcome the God of Wealth
The lion dance team will parade on the street with the sound of drums, cymbals and firecracker. They are waiting the stores to invite them to have a lion dance for the opening business. Then lion dance team wish the store have a prosperous business to bring in wealth and treasure all year long. So they will be rewarded a Red Envelope from the store owner after the performance.
Sometimes, we can see someone wearing the God of Wealth's mascot to ask Red Envelope from the opening stores. Many store owners are reluctant to give away the Red Envelope. But no store wants to expel the God of Wealth away.
The exploding sound of the firecracker tells people the company is ready for business and ask people to come into the door. Usually the first customer might get a Red Envelope from the store owner. It's very important that a company cannot fail the first transaction of the year.
The New Year Greeting Party of schools, big corporations or government departments should be held on New Year Day. But many people don't want to spend valuable time on the New Year day; so many organizations move the New Year Greeting hours on this day.
Also, the 5th lunar day is a trash day. All trashes collected from the New Year Day Eve, finally, can get rid of it from the house. Everything should return to normal.
Who is the God of Wealth? There are more than one the Gods of Wealth... Detail
The 6th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - Clear-Water Master Day (The God of Pig Day)
This day is the death anniversary of the Clear-Water Grand Master. The Master was a monk in Sung dynasty. He prayed for rain many times to save people during the drought. He persuaded people to build many bridges and to plant trees. Many miracle events happened after his death. Once he lived at Clear-Water Rock Mountain. So people call him Clear-Water Grand Master. His temple will have a big ceremony on this day. Many people are still on holiday vacation and will go to attend the ceremony.
In the agriculture society, before the toilet age, Chinese farmers called someone to clean the manure pit every 3 to 5 days. This is the day to clean the manure pit.
In Taiwan, there is a contest for the title of the God of Pig at the temple of Clear-Water Grand Master. The heaviest pig can win the title. The 2007 winner pig was close to 2000 lbs. All the contest pigs will be killed, haircut, colored and shown their back on the truck. Because the God of Pig is so heavy, the owner can sell pork for more than a million Taiwanese dollar.
The traditional Chinese opera will be invited and perform on the street for days to celebrate this special festival.
The 7th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Human Day
The goddess made many human using mud mixed by yellow soil and water. Also she taught human about the marriage; so human can reproduce themselves. Therefore, the 7th lunar day of the year becomes the human's birthday.
Almost no Chinese celebrate on this day. Some people just eat pettitoes with angel hair noodle. The long noodle stands for longevity. Once, Chinese ate seven vegetables (celery, shepherd's purse spinach, green onion, garlic, mugwort and colewort) on the human day, which can repel the evil spirits and sickness away.
The 8th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Completion Day
The Completion Day means people should return from the holiday vacation and go back to work. All the meat and cake prepared for Chinese New Year should finish on this day. Everything should back to normal.
The 8th lunar day of the first month is also the birthday of Yen-Lo King, who is 5th king of Legendary Hell in 5th palace.
The 9th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Birthday of King of Heaven - Jade Emperor
To show the sincerity, many people take bath on the 8th lunar night, then wait for the first minute of 8th lunar day to begin the ceremony with their clean body. After the ceremony, Chinese explode the firecrackers. That's why we can hear the scattered sound of fire crackers from midnight to sunrise. The temple of Jade Emperor will be crowded as the Chinese New Year day since the night of 8th lunar day for those people unable to hold the worship event at home. For the same purpose, Chinese always pray for better luck, safety, health, love or money, when they visit the temple.
The 10th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Eating Day
On the next day of the Jade Emperor's birthday, there are many food left from the birthday's ceremony.
People have to take care all the vegetable, animal sacrifices, cakes and fruit on the 10th lunar day of the year.
The 11th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Break Day
There is no special event on the 11th lunar day.
Some families will invite daughter and son-in-law back to the house to enjoy the final meal left from Jade Emperor's birthday feast.
The 12th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Diarrhea Day
Many people keep eating with greasy food from Chinese New Year Eve for 11 days.
They might have a trouble for diarrhea on this day. For some people have to begin to prepare the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th lunar day.
The 13th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Death Anniversary of General Kuan Yu
Kuan Yu was a general in Three Kingdom period, (2211-263 AD), after late Han Dynasty. He killed a bad guy and disguised himself with a red face when young. He helped his friend and tried to recover Han Dynasty. People remembered his brave and skillful in fighting, righteousness, loyalty to friends, faith and act of justice. But he ended with a beheaded general. After his death, his spirit wouldn't die and his divine image appeared on the sky several times. People worship General Kuan Yu to repel evil spirit away. Also, some Chinese treat General Kuan as a God of Wealth. This is because General Kuan won hundreds of battles and business people want to won the battle on the business deals.
The 14th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Lantern Decoration Day
Before adult made lanterns for children on the 14th lunar day. Now children can go to the store to find and buy their own lantern. The most popular lantern is always related to the Chinese horoscope animal of the new year.
The 15th Day of Chinese New Year Festival - The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival is also called San-Yuan, upper period of the year, Festival in Taoism. This day is the birthday of the Heaven Officer who blesses human luck. So many people have a worship ceremony at home and some go to Taoism temple pray for luck.
Yuan-Xiao Festival is a traditional Chinese festival going back to the Han Dynasty of over 2000 years ago. There is a story about the Lantern Festival. A beautiful heavenly bird flew down a village and was killed. The God of Heaven was very anger and wanted to burn down the entire village on the 15th lunar day. One wise guy advised every family hang candle lanterns around the house, carried lantern on the street, burn fire outside to explode the firecracker at the 15th lunar night. The soldiers of the God of Heaven saw the village was on fire from the heaven, and returned back to the heaven. The village survived and people keep the lantern activity on this day every year.
Today, not too many children carry the candle lanterns on the night of 15th lunar day. But lantern displays are shown in the town center square or next to the temple. The most popular lantern is the animal symbol of the Chinese calendar year. The gods, saints and fairy of Taoism or historical figures are popular and common subjects.
Besides the lantern display, a traditional riddle games will be held in the temple. The questions are related with to the lantern displays, news or popular persons in town. When the game begins, the person who figures out the answers first, can win a price.
Lantern laser show, flying sky lantern, mass firecrackers, fireworks and music concerts are essential activities. The events continues all night long. After Lantern Festival night, people need to back to the normal life. Students will end of the winter vacation around this day.
Chinese New Year Festivals Part 1 - New Year's Eve and Before
Chinese New Year Festivals Part 3 - Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year Articles
By Master Allen Tsai on Jaunary 18, 2022