Chinese New Year history and traditions. Chinese New Year - Spring Festival in China
Meeting each New Year, we try to take into account the characteristics and features of a particular patron animal. This tradition came to us from China. However, few people take into account that the Chinese New Year is celebrated a little later than ours. In China, the date of everyone's favorite holiday is floating, because. it depends on the lunar calendar. Traditionally, the Chinese New Year, which in this country is called Chun Jie, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. In 2017, Chinese New Year will begin on January 28th. Unlike our country, its celebration lasts for 15 days and is subject to ancient customs.
New Year in China - the history and traditions of the celebration
Let's start with the history of the Chinese New Year. Read the story of our New Year. According to legend, more than two thousand years ago, the Chinese believed that in new year's eve from sea depths a terrible monster called Nian comes to earth. The monster devoured everything around, so for many years the people of China celebrated the New Year by locking themselves in their homes and turning off the lights. Once, before the next New Year, someone forgot to remove the red blanket from their yard. When the monster was released, it set off in search of victims, as usual, but at the sight of the red veil, Nian lost control and evaporated. Since then, the Chinese have been celebrating the New Year by wearing red clothes and hanging red lanterns around the city.
New Year in China - what are the traditions of the celebration
Chinese New Year is usually celebrated in a wide family circle. The day before the holiday, numerous relatives gather in the house of the older generation and begin to prepare for the event.
Preparation for the holiday begins with a general cleaning. Moreover, it is customary to sweep the floor here from the door to the center of the room. After cleaning, all brooms, panicles and mops are hidden in a secluded place and are taken out only after the end of the holiday. This tradition is connected with an interesting legend, according to which, during the New Year, the gods endow the people of China with magical dust that brings happiness. But if someone wants to clean up during the holiday, this dust will turn into ash, which, instead of happiness, will bring trouble to the inhabitants of the house.
With the onset of the first twilight, the whole family sits down at the table. The main New Year's dish in this country is jiaozi - boiled dough with meat, reminiscent of dumplings. This dish symbolizes the health and prosperity of the inhabitants of the house. Also in the festive must be present broth with noodles, symbolizing longevity and meat donuts, as a sign of strength and endurance.
In addition to the feast itself, gifts are exchanged at the New Year's table. The younger generation gives fruits and sweets to relatives, while the older generation pleases their descendants with red envelopes with banknotes. It is believed that money donated on New Year's Eve, regardless of the amount, will bring happiness.
After midnight, an interesting rite of passage takes place. All family members leave the house and take ten steps in the direction recommended in their horoscopes. In this way, the Chinese pay tribute to the God of Joy.
The morning after the New Year, it is customary to visit your friends and acquaintances. Interestingly, instead of gifts, Chinese people give a friend two tangerines. It turns out that in Chinese the hieroglyph "mandarin" is consonant with the hieroglyph "gold", and by making such a gift, people wish each other to increase wealth.
New Year Festival in China
Throughout the fifteen days of the holiday, mass festivals are held on the main streets of Chinese cities, marking the beginning of the New Year. During this period, China is literally lit up with fireworks, sky lanterns and bright lights. In addition to the procession itself, various entertainment events are organized during the holiday - dances, shows of national costumes, sweets fairs, etc. At the end of the action, the inhabitants march, carrying in their hands a huge red dragon, symbolizing the strength and greatness of the Chinese state.
Some festival days are celebrated as separate holidays. For example, the fifth day of the New Year's festival is considered the birthday of the God of Prosperity. On this day, it is customary to shower passers-by with gold coins. The eighth day of the festival is a family holiday. Single Chinese on this day must make some nice gift to a stranger of the opposite sex, and family residents of the Middle Kingdom are obliged to spend time with their families. Also, interesting traditions are associated with the celebration of the ninth and tenth days of the festival. These days, the people of China pray to the Heavenly Jade Emperor and ask him to help all those who suffer. In addition, during this period it is customary to ask for forgiveness and put up with your enemies. The final fifteenth day of the festival is considered the Holiday sky lanterns. On this day, a bright lantern is hung on every city building, and a lit candle is placed on the windowsill. This is done so that souls wishing to visit the human world find their way home as soon as possible.
Chinese New Year 2018 © depositphotos.com
Chinese New Year 2018 - what is this event
Chinese New Year is one of the most important Eastern holidays, which has been celebrated for quite a long time not only in Asian countries, but all over the world. After all, our people with a broad soul love holidays and are happy to perceive the New Year Eastern calendar as another reason to get together and celebrate a significant event.
As for us, the New Year for the inhabitants of the East marks a new round of time, a beginning, a renewal. On the day when the New Year comes Chinese calendar, winter will meet spring and a new life cycle will begin.
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Chinese New Year 2018: when does it start
The Chinese New Year has a fickle date because it is entirely dependent on the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, December 21st. Every year this holiday can fall on one of the days in the interval from January 21 to February 21.
Chinese New Year 2018 begins on February 16th. More precisely, 2018 will be according to the Gregorian calendar, but according to the Chinese calendar we will meet the year 4716, which will come under the sign and last until February 4, 2019, when it will be replaced by the year of the Yellow Pig.
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Chinese New Year 2018: how it is celebrated in China
The Chinese call this holiday "the meeting after parting", because according to the tradition on the New Year, all family members, wherever they are, come home and gather at a richly laid festive table. It is also believed that on the Chinese New Year, the spirits of deceased ancestors are present at the table, who are also participants in the holiday.
During the New Year holidays, people visit each other with congratulations, gifts in the form of money in red envelopes, and necklaces made of coins and tangerines as a symbol of wealth.
Throughout the celebration of the Chinese New Year in China, fun folk festivals, fairs, costumed dances and masquerade street processions are held.
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Chinese New Year 2018: When does the celebration end?
In the countries of the East, Chinese New is one of the longest holidays, which lasted a whole month in the old days. However, in our time, due to a busy lifestyle and busy work schedule, the Chinese have reduced the number of days off by almost half, and the holiday ends on the fifteenth day.
Chinese New Year 2018 (holiday for the Chinese) lasts for 15 days. On March 2, the grandiose Chinese Lantern Festival will take place. Until this day, the meeting of the Chinese New Year 2018 will last, when the festival ends, and the people return to their usual working rhythm.
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Recall that we previously said what should be on the table in the New Year of the Dog 2018. Read more on.
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New Year in China is a celebration of the imminent arrival of spring and the start of sowing. It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. There is no fixed date in China. This holiday is the longest in the country. It symbolizes the beginning of the awakening of nature after winter and the beginning of the life cycle of both each person and the whole country.
About the specifics of the holiday
New Year in China lasts 2 weeks. Fireworks, bright concerts with performances by famous artists, congratulations and gifts - all this happens in the same way as in all other countries of the world.
The New Year in this country is interesting in symbolism: 12 animals correspond to certain years and are talismans. Some countries gladly follow Chinese traditions, using the animal symbolism corresponding to each year.
What date is Chinese New Year
This holiday comes in the period from January 12 to depending on the lunar cycle. For Russians who are accustomed to the Gregorian calendar, the calendar date of the New Year in China seems random. The Chinese associate this holiday with the first new moon of the year, which follows the winter solstice. In China, after the culture of the West penetrated into Asia, the New Year began to be called Chunjie, that is, the Spring Festival.
About the history of the holiday
New Year has been celebrated in China for thousands of years. The history goes back centuries to the rites of sacrifice and the cult of commemoration of ancestors. The holiday is associated with the era of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC). Then the tradition was born to give a red envelope filled with money to all the children who entered the house.
In mythology
New Year in China is associated with the legend of the horned monster Nian. All year he lives at the bottom of the sea. And only once Nian crawls ashore, eating domestic animals and food supplies, scaring away the villagers. The monster was only afraid of the red color. The savior from the monster in one version of the legend is a child, in another - an old sage.
According to mythology, a rich table protects from the monster, which can feed him to his full. Based on this fact, the New Year in China is celebrated, as a rule, with a variety of delicious dishes. Also, the Chinese hang up red posters with congratulatory inscriptions, which depict the golden character Fu, which means "welfare".
new year 2018
What date is Chinese New Year? In 2018, the Spring Festival begins on February 16th. As usual, the holiday will last 2 weeks. Although earlier the Chinese celebrated the New Year for almost a whole month! But, obeying the business regime, the country decided to reduce the number of days of rest. The traditions of the New Year in China require the whole family to gather at the festive table. The Chinese believe that dead ancestors celebrate this holiday together with the living. Therefore, it is also called "Meeting after parting."
The patroness of this year will be the Earth Dog. She will replace the Fire Rooster. Peace, goodness and tranquility are expected from the Dog in all spheres of life. To properly meet her, you need to know her character and habits. The element of the Dog is the Earth, which is responsible for the balance of relationships and the stability of life. The Fire Rooster will carry away violent passions. They will be replaced by the desire for peace. The dog is honest, faithful, devoted, friendly, although, on the other hand, it can be unpredictable.
How to prepare for the holiday
The Chinese, following the traditions, throw away their old clothes, do a general cleaning, thus letting positive energy into their homes. When the holiday comes, brooms, mops and rags should be hidden. In China, it is believed that the settling dust on the holiday symbolizes good luck. Anyone who cleans up on New Year's Eve runs the risk of losing happiness.
On the eve of the holiday, people not only carry out a thorough cleaning in their homes, but also hang a red cloth with a gold image of the Fu character in a straight or upside down form on the door. And in the kitchen they hang the image of the “sweet god”. Before the holiday, women plentifully smear his lips sugar syrup or honey, so that he, having gone to heaven to report on human behavior, could speak only kind words.
Festive table
Different areas of China have different serving traditions. New Year's table. However, they are united by the fact that dumplings are one of the main dishes. They symbolize prosperity, abundance and prosperity. Dumplings are made by all family members. In China, New Year's dumplings are often shaped like ancient precious ingots. In one dumpling, the Chinese put a coin. The lucky one who gets it will be lucky all next year.
There should be more than 20 dishes on the table, among which chicken, fish, beef, pork and duck must be present. In families with a good income, all these dishes are present. Poor families put only 1 meat dish on the table, even though no one eats it, so that the neighbors can see that they are able to afford it.
On the eve of the holiday, they prepare pork sausage, which is dried on the street.
Also very popular are tangerines, which symbolize the rebirth of life. There should be 8 of them on the table - the number of infinity.
About traditions
Spring Festival in China is celebrated in the family circle. New Year celebrations are long enough, so the Chinese have time to see all their relatives.
Interesting fact: the Chinese do not have holidays. It turns out that the New Year's weekend is the only chance to travel. One can only guess how crowded there are for 2 weeks after the holiday in the popular tourist areas of China.
People really like to participate in traditional entertainments and processions. On New Year's holidays, a festival of lanterns is held, as well as the launch of crackers. Undoubtedly, the main decoration of the holiday are the dances of dragons - giant bright dolls of fabulous monsters. This action attracts to China a large number of tourists. How is New Year celebrated in China? Of course, as in all other corners of the planet: bright and fun.
In China, there is a rather strange tradition: in order to scare away trouble and attract success, people wear red underwear for the holiday, which in large quantities appears on store shelves on the eve of the New Year celebration.
Superstition breeds tradition. Even the launching of firecrackers and fireworks is a tradition that has its origins in ancient China. So it was customary to scare away evil spirits, which on the eve new year holiday trying to break into people's houses. The Chinese have a special love for fireworks. Therefore, they decorate any celebration with their magical radiance.
Present
Chinese people give their loved ones such gifts that symbolize family unity and harmony: mugs, paired vases, hongbao (red envelopes with money), niangao (rice cookies). The Chinese also give gifts such as fruits, clothes, cosmetics, perfumes to their friends and relatives. In China, it is generally accepted that gifts should be useful. And do not hesitate to present the essentials. But donated ties, necklaces and belts are regarded as a hint of an offer of intimate relationships.
The gift box is mostly red or gold, because these colors will bring good luck and wealth.
When the first day of the year arrives, the Chinese pay visits to friends and relatives. They bring gifts with them, based on practicality: cigarettes, alcohol, bottles of vegetable oil or milk packaging.
Hongbao is usually given as a gift to either children or the elderly. The amount put in the envelope depends on the financial situation of the giver, as well as the status of the recipient. The older a person is, the more money they give. Only new banknotes are placed, as old banknotes are considered a sign of disrespect. But it must include the number 8, which, in the opinion of any Chinese, - lucky number.
Residents of China are sure: you can’t wish Happy New Year to those families who buried less than a month ago loved one. According to belief, this will bring a repeated repetition of such misfortune in the near future.
When receiving and giving a gift, the Chinese use both hands, as this expresses mutual respect.
New Year in China differs in many ways from the usual European holiday. It is not tied to any particular calendar date, and falls on a different date each time. As a rule, this event takes place in February or at the end of January. For example, in 2012 it fell on January 23rd, in 2013 - on February 10th, and in 2014 the Chinese celebrated it on January 31st. When is Chinese New Year 2015? According to the eastern calendar, it will come on the night of February 19th.
Traditionally, this festival is celebrated on the first new moon in spring, which is why it is often called the Spring Festival. For many hundreds of years, for the Chinese, it has been the most important event of the year, which always takes place on a grand scale. You will certainly be interested to know the history and traditions of this holiday.
The history of the holiday
According to legend, in Ancient China there lived a huge terrible monster - Nian, who hid in the abyss of water all year round. Only on the eve of the new year, it climbed to the surface, devoured people in the surrounding villages and ruined their homes. The peasants were very afraid of this monster, so before his arrival they left their homes and hid high in the mountains. One day, when people in the small village of Tao Hua (Peach Blossoms) were preparing for Nian's arrival, a poor old man with a silver mustache appeared there. He held a sack in one hand and a walking stick in the other. No one paid attention to the old man, everyone was busy with their own business: someone was closing the shutters and doors, someone was going on the road. Fear and panic reigned in the village. Only one old woman gave the traveler some food and sheltered him in her house. She persuaded the old man to leave the village as soon as possible so as not to meet the monster. However, the beggar told her that he would stay and could easily drive Nian away. So he did, the old woman had to go alone. When the monster broke into the village, it saw only one house in which the light was on, and its doors were painted red. Nian crept closer, and then there was a loud crackle crackers. Seeing this, the monster ran away in horror. As it turned out, it was afraid of red, loud noise and bright flames. The residents who returned the next morning were surprised to find their houses intact, rejoiced at this and began to congratulate each other. This is how the tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year was born.
Bright explosions of fireworks
Despite the fact that no mythical monsters threaten the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, they still celebrate the New Year with bright fireworks and explosions of firecrackers. Now modern pyrotechnic products are used for this, and before the invention of firecrackers and crackers, all objects capable of producing noise were used. Most often, bamboo sticks (baozhu) acted as pyrotechnics, which, when they entered the oven, made a loud crack and caused sparks. The noise is designed to drive away evil spirits from the house, on New Year's Eve, looking for a new home. If the house is quiet, the spirits will gladly settle in it and the whole next year they will arrange minor troubles for the owners.
House cleaning
Chinese New Year should be celebrated in cleanliness, so the Chinese always do a general cleaning the day before. Before evening, all brooms, buckets, rags, mops, brushes and other cleaning equipment must be removed from prying eyes. The reason for this is ancient legend, according to which in the New Year each family receives good luck from the gods for the whole next year. Luck settles in the house in the form of dust, so that whoever decides to clean up during the holiday runs the risk of brushing off the luck intended for him and even bringing trouble on himself. Cleaning, as a rule, starts from the threshold, and ends in the middle of the room.
In the New Year - only in red
All the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire dress in bright red clothes for the holiday. Red is a special color for the Chinese, it is the color of ceremonial, festive attire. For example, traditional Wedding Dress Chinese women are bright red.
The appearance of this tradition was facilitated by the same legend about a monster that, like fire, is afraid of everything red. Therefore, at least some element of this color is always present in the festive attire of the people of China.
New Year's table
In the Celestial Empire, the New Year is usually celebrated at the festive table with the family. Dinner will not start until all family members have gathered together. And if someone still cannot attend the holiday, they still leave a special place for him and put cutlery.
The festive table is always distinguished by the richness and variety of dishes. Traditionally, dishes of fish, chicken and soybean curd tofu are put on the table.
In Chinese, the names of these dishes are consonant with the words "wealth" and "happiness". The taste preferences of the inhabitants of the north and south differ. For example, northerners prefer dumplings (jiaozi), while residents of the southern provinces prefer niangao (small balls made from glutinous rice). And this also has its own symbolic meaning: the word "jiaozi" is consonant with the phrase "seeing off the old and meeting the new", and "niangao" means the annual improvement of life.
happiness money
Another Chinese New Year tradition is interesting: the dinner ends with the distribution of money of happiness. On the eve of the holiday, adults prepare red envelopes and put some money into it. It is believed that they will bring prosperity and good luck to the owner over the next year. It used to be customary to put one hundred copper coins tied together with a red ribbon in an envelope. This symbolized financial well-being and the hope of living a hundred years.
Two tangerines and other gifts
Not only in our country, the tangerine has become the main symbol of the New Year, in China it is also an indispensable attribute of this holiday. This citrus is associated with a very interesting custom. Everyone who comes to visit on New Year's Eve should give the hosts two tangerines. And when they were about to return home, they also received a couple of other tangerines from the owners. This custom arose due to the similarity of the sound of the phrase "two tangerines" and the word "gold". It was believed that such a gesture would bring wealth and prosperity for the whole next year.
It is customary to give to married couples, they denote harmony and community of interests of husband and wife. Money is also considered a good gift. But some things are not worth giving. For example, older people should not be given watches, and couples expecting a baby should not be given toys and baby clothes. They give gifts just before leaving, and sometimes they are simply put in a secluded place so that the owners do not immediately notice them.
Dance of Lions and Dragons
Street dancing is an obligatory attribute of the Eastern New Year. The most popular dances in China are the Lion and Dragon dances. It is believed that they drive out evil spirits, bring good luck, prosperity and prosperity to the country. These dances are very energetic and colorful, often accompanied by rhythmic drumming and gong sounds. The beginning of the performance is eagerly awaited by both children and adults. 
The emergence of the Lion dance is associated with the traditions of the ancient Han people, for whom the lion served as a symbol of happiness and prosperity. To perform the Lion dance, only two dancers are needed, one is responsible for the head of the beast, the other moves the body. The first dancer has a great responsibility, the facial expressions of the lion depend on his movements, he also sets the rhythm and direction of the entire dance.
In the culture of the Celestial Empire, dragons have always occupied an honorable place. It is not surprising that he is assigned the most the main role at the festival. The dragon personifies courage and strength, dignity and virtue, he is considered a sacred creature.
Many experienced dancers are needed to perform the dragon dance - at least ten people. With their movements, the dancers express admiration for the Dragon, asking him to tame the winds and irrigate the earth with rain so that a good harvest will turn out. Inexperienced tourists may confuse these two dances, since the costumes of the Lion and the Dragon are somewhat similar, but the movements of the dancers are always different.
Other signs and superstitions
There are many other folk customs and prejudices, one way or another connected with the celebration of the New Year.
- It is not customary to celebrate this holiday in your bedroom, it is considered a bad sign, which will entail seven years of troubles and misfortunes. Even old and sick people try to celebrate this event at the table with their families.
- The first person you meet and the first word you utter tell you what the next year will be like. A bird flying into the house, especially a swallow, is a very good sign, it portends wealth and prosperity.
- On the first day of the coming year, it is not customary to use cutting objects, including scissors and knives. Otherwise, you risk cutting off your luck.
For the Chinese, the New Year is the most solemn and joyful event. This is a time of reconciliation and reunion, when the whole family gathers for a festive dinner. They communicate, give each other gifts, make family photo. Chinese New Year has rich traditions and customs that came from the depths of centuries and are sacredly revered even in our progressive age. By the way, the symbol of the Chinese New Year 2015 will be a wooden Sheep, or Goat.
It would seem where we are and where the Chinese are. Russia has been and remains a country of European culture, and what is happening around us in the mysterious Celestial Empire remains generally incomprehensible to us when it comes to traditions and ideas about life. Nevertheless, there is interest in the Chinese New Year in our country, and not everyone knows that there is a similar holiday in Russia and is celebrated in some republics located in the east of the country. When is the Chinese New Year celebrated in 2018, how long will the next year last, what analogues of this holiday do we have.
Chinese New Year in 2018 - when is it celebrated
The Chinese New Year was celebrated on February 16, 2018. Since its date is calculated in a special way, it is always unstable, and the year itself can be either longer or shorter than 365 days. This time it is 12 days shorter - the next New Year in China will come on February 4, 2019.
On February 16, the year of the Yellow Earth Dog, whose arrival the Russians celebrated on December 31, actually came.
Indeed, our interest in the Chinese New Year is mainly due to the fact that chinese horoscope contains 60 different combinations, and each subsequent year is the year of one of the 12 animals and one of the five elements. The horoscope of the Chinese, even if it has nothing to do with reality, is composed very beautifully and poetically in its own way, and many find hints in it about what the next year will be like, what character the children born this year will be, etc. .
The date of the Chinese New Year is fickle for much the same reasons that the date of Easter is fickle for Christians. The Chinese are guided by the lunisolar calendar, and they have a new year on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice. The winter solstice always falls on December 21-22, but the dates of the new moon are not constant due to the fact that the lunar month is slightly shorter than the solar month.
What analogues of the Chinese New Year exist in Russia
Such analogues do exist. Moreover, these holidays are celebrated quite officially and are contained in the calendar of holidays in our country. True, at the level of regional legislation.
Absolutely the same holiday, the new year according to the lunisolar calendar, is officially celebrated in the Russian republics of Altai, Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.
With the exception of Kalmykia, all these regions are located in the east of our country, and all of them, including European Kalmykia, are united by the fact that traditional religion local peoples is Buddhism. This religion is closer to Chinese traditions than to European Christianity, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that the peoples of these republics also celebrate the New Year according to Eastern rules and traditions.
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