Spring Festival (Chunjie) - Traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, main holiday years in China.
New Year is celebrated twice in the country: on January 1 according to the solar calendar, as in most countries, and during the new moon. However, the Chinese people traditionally celebrate the Spring Festival more solemnly and with greater joy than the New Year according to the solar calendar. This is due to the fact that most of the country's population are peasants who, by tradition, continue to live according to the lunar calendar, and all field work and holidays are closely intertwined with the lunar calendar.
Chinese New Year is also celebrated as Public Holiday in a number of countries and territories where significant numbers of Chinese live, primarily in East Asian countries.
The Chinese New Year does not have a fixed date; it is calculated according to the Far Eastern lunisolar calendar. Start chinese year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice and therefore moves between January 21 and February 21.
The onset of 2018 (4716 Chinese calendar) falls on February 16, 2018.
Chunjie - family celebration. Millions of Chinese return to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year with their families. The New Year's travel season in China is specially called "Chunyun" and is considered the world's largest migration phenomenon.
Lunar New Year celebrations in Yangon, Myanmar
According to scientists, the history of the holiday goes back more than a thousand years.
It has always been rich in a variety of customs, some of which still exist today.
On the eighth day of the last month according to the lunar calendar, many homes prepare aromatic porridge - "labazhou", which includes 8 types of products: glutinous rice, chumiza, grains of willow's tears (bead), dates, lotus seeds, red beans, longyan fruits ", ginkgo seed.
The twenty-third day of the last month according to the lunar calendar is popularly called “xiaonian” (i.e. “small New Year”). People who strictly follow traditions make sacrifices to the deity of the hearth.
Before the holiday, the country literally blooms with red. There are posters everywhere with the hieroglyphs “fu” (happiness) and “si” (joy) gracefully written on them, garlands of lanterns and other decorations, and all of them are exclusively red, meaning prosperity, good luck and prosperity.
Before the holiday, the house must be thoroughly cleaned, all clothes and blankets washed and cleaned. After the house is cleaned, all brooms, dustpans, and rags are put away in a place where no one can see them during the holiday. The reason for this strange behavior lies in the legend: during the New Year celebrations, the gods fly around the houses of the Chinese and give them dust, which symbolizes happiness. Therefore, if you tidy up during the New Year, you may accidentally sweep all the happy moments of the future out of your home along with the dust.
Houses that are cleaned to a shine take on a festive look. Paired calligraphic inscriptions made in black ink on red paper are pasted onto all door frames. The content of paired inscriptions comes down to expressing the life ideals of the owner of the house or good wishes for the new year. Images of guardian spirits and the deity of wealth are pasted on the doors in the hope that they will bring happiness and prosperity to the house.
Two large red lanterns are hung in front of the entrance to the house, and the windows are decorated with paper patterns. The walls of the rooms are decorated with bright New Year's paintings, which symbolize the wishes of happiness and wealth.
The night of Chinese New Year is also called “the night of meeting after separation.” For the Chinese this is the most important point. The whole family gets together festive table for New Year's dinner, which is distinguished not only by the abundance and variety of dishes, but also by numerous traditions. For example, New Year's dinner is not complete without dishes made from chicken, fish and “doufu” - soybean curd, called “tofu” in Russia, because in Chinese the names of these products are consonant with words meaning “happiness” and “prosperity”.
According to tradition, on New Year's Eve people do not sleep and stay awake until the morning so as not to miss their happiness. If someone does lie down to rest on New Year's Eve, they should get up early. There is a popular belief: “If you get up early on New Year’s Day, you will also get rich early.”
With the onset of New Year's morning, people put on elegant clothes. The young congratulate the elderly on the holiday and wish them longevity. It is customary to give children red envelopes containing pocket money. This money is supposed to bring them happiness in the new year. In ancient times, money was given not in envelopes, but in the form of necklaces, which were made up of one hundred coins. This was a kind of congratulation, wishing a person to live to be a hundred years old. Hundred coin necklaces are still very popular in China today.
In the north of China, it is customary to eat dumplings for the New Year, and in the south - “niangao” (slices made from glutinous rice). Northerners prefer dumplings because, firstly, in Chinese the word “jiaozi”, i.e. “dumplings” is consonant with the words “seeing off the old and welcoming the new”; secondly, dumplings resemble traditional gold and silver bars in their shape and symbolize the desire for wealth. For the same reason, southerners eat "niangao", symbolizing the improvement of life every year.
A joyful festive atmosphere fills not only every home, but also reigns on every street of every city and village. On the Spring Festival, noisy folk festivals and fairs are held for several days in a row, where lion and dragon dances are performed.
The lion dance, according to legend, traces its history back to the events of the era of the Southern and Northern dynasties, when in a decisive battle one of the sides disguised itself as lions (which were never found in China) and won the battle because the enemy’s war elephants were frightened by the terrible masks and ran, throwing off their riders. Since then, Chinese soldiers have performed the lion dance on special occasions. In the 14th-16th centuries, this dance spread throughout China and began to be performed during the Chunjie festival. It is designed to scare away all the evil forces that can bring misfortune in the coming year.
The dance of dragons also has a long history. It was included in festive rituals back in the 12th century and expressed people’s admiration for the dragon and requests for it to tame the wind and shed rain to obtain a good harvest. The dragon, made of paper, wire and willow twigs, can reach 8-10 meters. His body is flexible and consists of a different, but always odd number of parts (9, 11, 13). Each part is controlled by one dancer using a pole; the undulating, writhing movements of the dragon require great coordination among the participants.
The first five days of the new year are meant for meetings. Relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues visit and congratulate each other on the New Year and give gifts.
New Year's festivities end after the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiaojie or Dengjie), on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar calendar. Today, lantern exhibitions and competitions organized in large city parks are very popular in the capital. Lantern exhibitions last for several days and form an integral part of the New Year's holiday.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
New Year in China is considered the most important holiday of the year; it has been celebrated on a grand scale for several millennia. Once upon a time, in ancient times, celebrations lasted more than a month, because there was no agricultural work in winter. Now that the rhythm of life has changed, the weekend has been shortened to a week and a half. However, this fact does not exclude general fun.
The most ancient, the most important
Due to the great popularity of the “international” New Year, celebrated on the night from December 31 to January 1, the Chinese decided to rename their national New Year, the celebration of which often falls in the second half of a not too cold winter in this region, into the Spring Festival. This happened more than a hundred years ago.
By the way, Chinese New Year has another one distinguishing feature– he doesn’t have a fixed day. The specific date of the celebration varies from January 21 to February 21 and depends on the lunar calendar: in Chinese, the New Year starts on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. It is difficult to realize this, but over so many years the Chinese have learned to understand dates without much difficulty. So, for example, the year of the White Metal Rat will actually begin on January 26th.
Don't sleep - you'll freeze
Unusual traditions of celebrating the New Year are present in every country; in Catalonia they place logs at the table, in Austria they chase a mythical monster, but in China on the night before significant date can't go to bed. After all, judging by the legend, on the last day before the start of the New Year, all troubles and misfortunes go on the hunt to attack the Chinese who are gaping in the literal sense of the word. So if you want to spend a year without encountering big problems, don’t go to bed. Especially if you live in China.
And the Chinese do not advise buying before the holiday new shoes and cutting hair - all for the same reason. In their opinion, those who violated the rules will face continuous failures next year.
No fireworks? Make some noise!
Traditions require: the holiday must be noisy. Nowadays big problems No problem with this, because the Chinese are real masters in the production of fireworks, and the roar from them is more than enough (even too much). By the way, some time ago, during the celebration of the International New Year (no less beloved by modern Chinese), even a local landmark, a tower that was almost 600 years old, was damaged by fireworks. The version that it caught fire from firecrackers still remains unproven, but if you consider that the fire happened in the midst of the holiday, the conclusions suggest themselves...
But here’s what’s interesting: at the time of the birth of the “loud” tradition of fireworks, fireworks simply did not exist, but it was still necessary to make noise. The resourceful Chinese were not at a loss - after all, by and large, noise can be created using the most common household items.
It is also customary for the Chinese to burn bamboo sticks in ovens: when burned, they emit a peculiar crackling sound that scares away evil spirits. Today, firecrackers and sparklers have replaced sticks.
Mythical Nian
One interesting myth is associated with the celebration of the New Year in China - about a magical monster, whom the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire nicknamed Nian. The monster is especially angry and hungry on the first day of the year and, according to legend, is not at all averse to feasting on not only livestock, but also its owners (and things obviously didn’t work out with the good Grandfather Frost in the Middle Kingdom). Nian especially loves young children who have behaved inappropriately in the past year. To appease the monster, villagers leave food and drinks on the doorsteps of houses and temples - this is the only way to avoid a sad fate and avoid being eaten.
Hiding brooms and mops
Another fun tradition associated with the Chinese New Year celebration is hiding all cleaning items. The day before the celebration, the house must be put in perfect order, and the day before New Year's Eve It is customary to hide all brooms, rags and brushes so that they are not visible. This ritual is associated with the legend that on New Year's Eve the gods bring happiness and good fortune to families for the entire next year. This luck settles in the house in the form of dust, so in order not to sweep away the luck, you cannot clean for some time immediately after the New Year. Moreover, to avoid failures in the coming year, festive night cannot be held in one's own bedroom - so even the elderly leave their rooms to join their family at the festive table.
Pair of tangerines
In addition to traditional sweets and other pleasant gifts, in China on the National New Year it is customary to give two tangerines upon arrival. And when leaving the hospitable home, you need to take with you the other two tangerines, which have already been accepted as gifts from other participants in the celebration. The solution to the strange ritual is simple: it turns out that in Chinese, “a couple of tangerines” sounds exactly the same as the word “gold,” so a gift in the form of delicious fruit symbolizes a wish for wealth and prosperity in the coming year.
If wishes are not shouted out, they will not come true.
Chinese is one of the most difficult languages in the world. And not only thanks to the record number of hieroglyphs, which a European seems unable to remember, but also to the unusual pronunciation. Have you ever noticed that the Chinese talk too loudly? Sometimes such behavior seems like a manifestation of bad manners and is even annoying. In fact, in this language, some words really need to be shouted, because if you say them quietly, there is a risk that no one will understand you. The story is the same with wishes for the Chinese New Year: they need to be shouted, the louder, the greater the chance that everything will come true in the very near future.
Tree of Light instead of a Christmas tree
Red is one of the most beloved colors in China. It is believed to bring good luck, and since in China it is traditional Christmas tree does not happen, then the most ordinary tree, which in China is called the Tree of Light, is decorated with red balls and lanterns.
Dragons are the main guests
One of the most important events that takes place annually in all cities and villages of China is the Dragon Dance. For the first time, judging by research, the Dragon dance appeared in the 12th century - for the Chinese it is of great importance, because it has long been believed that certain body movements protect against grief and misfortune in the New Year. Dragons are made from paper and wire: long body can be up to 10 meters long. The dragon's body segments are made separately, each with a pole attached to it, which is controlled by the performers.
Hello, dear readers!
Observing the various traditions of large states, it is always interesting to learn something new, to look at what is not popular in our country.
Such an interesting and breathtaking holiday is the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated not only in China, but also on many islands of the East. Also this ancient holiday celebrate Chinatowns of various countries (Canada, England, America and even Australia).
According to tradition, the date of the New Year “floats” between January 21 and February 21, depending on the lunar phases. Every year the date of the festival changes, which means that it is convenient to use special calendars to determine the day and symbol of the New Year.
When is Chinese New Year
The end of the winter solstice, as well as the beginning of a new calendar, symbolizes the arrival of spring for the Chinese people. That is why, after 1911, the holiday is considered the official Beginning of Spring.
It's amazing how seriously the Chinese take the celebration of this unofficial holiday. Many fly from other countries to their homes in order to reunite with their families. Dine together and watch chic theatrical performances, festivals and concerts within your hometown.
Agree, not every person will travel several thousand kilometers in order to hug his mother and admire the fireworks. The flight time before the holiday is called Chunyun and is recognized as an official vacation period by all employers in the world.
The history of the holiday
According to ancient legend, with the advent of each year, the population of China suffered from the mythical beast Nian. Nian stole children, stole livestock and even kidnapped adults. One day, the peasants noticed that Nian was afraid of people dressed in red. Since then, every year they decorate their streets with red lanterns, pieces of fabric and organize noisy celebrations, which, according to legend, are supposed to scare away all evil spirits, including Nanny.
The Chinese authorities take this holiday very seriously, so the decoration of the streets and financing of festivals comes from the state budget. This allows city residents to enjoy a truly enchanting performance.
In addition to the brightly decorated streets during this period in China and in Chinatowns, one can observe large crowds of people. This is the Chinese people watching a large festival that begins the official celebration of the Chinese New Year .
One of the most important elements festival is a large dancing dragon. The most famous artists of the city are engaged in its creation, because such an occupation is very honorable and exciting.
During the festival, the streets are filled with folk artists who not only dance and sing, but also recreate various mythical paintings and theatrical performances.
The costumes of these dancers are the most luxurious. Great honor Participation in the festival is considered for every Chinese.
For those who come to the festival at night, various fire shows staged by both professionals and amateurs will be of interest.
When the Chinese New Year comes, all residents of the Celestial Empire definitely go to temples. They hang small signs on their doors wishing health and happiness to their loved ones. Doors decorated with bright red signs create an even warmer and more family-friendly atmosphere on the city streets.
Many residents pray with incense, asking for love and prosperity for themselves and their loved ones in the coming year.
Chinese New Year traditions allow the celebrations to continue for 3-4 days. In this case, the official holiday period ends on the 15th day after the start of the festival and is called the Lantern Festival.
Throughout the entire period, actors and ordinary residents entertain people with beautiful performances and processions that symbolize the welcoming of Spring.
The holidays end with traditional fireworks decorating the sky over China, Mongolia, England and other countries where the Chinese nation lives.
Overall, if you want to enjoy incredible carnivals, as well as an atmosphere of family love and understanding, go to China, where traditional holiday The meeting of Spring will win the heart of any traveler.
2020 is the year of the rat according to the eastern calendar.
Official holidays for the new year in China in 2020: from January 24 to January 30 (due to epidemic extended until February 9).
In 2020, Chinese New Year according to the Eastern calendar is celebrated on the night of January 24-25, at 24:00.
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival: (Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, 春节, 过年) is the most important holiday in China, the date of celebration of which is determined by the lunar calendar, in 2020 it falls on January 25.
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, has a history of more than 4,000 years. This is the greatest and most important holiday of the year for the Chinese, let's look at why:
- Time for a family reunion
Chinese New Year is a celebration of the reunion of the entire family clan, just as they do at Christmas in the West, only on a larger scale: on the eve of the New Year, all the masses leave the cities to meet at the family table in their hometown. Which causes traffic collapse for many weeks before and after the new year.
- Longest holiday in China
In most organizations in China, holiday holidays last from 7 to 15 days, and schoolchildren and students go on vacation for a whole month.
Traditionally, the celebration lasts 15 days from the 1st to the 15th day of the first lunar month, and it is customary for people to start preparations even earlier - from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.
- The holiday owes its origin to the monster “Nian”
The holiday dates back to the Shang Dynasty (17-11 centuries BC). The festival was then held to drive out the monster "Nian", who loved to devour children, supplies and livestock. The monster was afraid of the color red and loud sound, so people decorated their houses in red and set off lots of fireworks to drive it away.
Chinese New Year celebration dates
When is Chinese New Year? Based on lunar calendar, the festival does not have a fixed date and it changes every year, but generally falls on the day from January 21 to February 20 according to the Gregorian calendar.
The lunar calendar also determines the 12-year repeating cycle of the eastern zodiac, and each year belongs to an animal.
How long does Chinese New Year last? The festival lasts 15 days, from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival.
How is Chinese New Year celebrated?
Preparations begin seven days before the Chinese New Year, and the holiday itself lasts until the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the new year.
The Chinese have a daily to-do list that must be followed during the holiday. Important days are the Eve and the first day; on these days a festive feast is held and fireworks are set off.
▷ 23rd day of the last lunar month (8 days before the new year)
Making offerings to the God of the kitchen
General cleaning of the house
Holiday shopping, purchasing New Year's attributes,
▷ Chinese New Year's Eve:
Preparing red envelopes, family reunion dinner, watching holiday programs on TV, setting off fireworks.
▷ 1st day of the first lunar month:
Setting off fireworks, preparing and eating dumplings or nengao (sweet delicacy), visiting relatives.
▷ Day 2:
Worship of the God of Wealth, married daughters visit their parents' house (the first day should be spent with the groom's family).
▷ Day 5:
Greeting the deity of wealth and prosperity, visiting friends.
▷ Day 15 (Lantern Festival):
On the last day of the New Year, a Lantern Fair is held and sweet stuffed rice balls are prepared and eaten.
Events on the eve of the holiday
Before Spring Festival Each family thoroughly cleans the house and goes shopping. Gift red envelopes are being prepared, various new Year decoration for the home, red ribbons are hung on the door inviting good luck and wealth into the house.
In addition, you should definitely buy new clothes, especially for children, it is very important for the Chinese to celebrate the New Year in everything new. During family dinners around the Lunar New Year, northern Chinese eat dumplings and southern Chinese eat Nyangao 年糕 (cookies made from glutinous rice and flour). All family members exchange red envelopes with money.
Why is red so popular in China? Red symbolizes happiness, prosperity and good luck in Chinese culture.
What is forbidden to do on Chinese New Year?
At the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Chinese, in their daily affairs, try to set the pace of their lives for the coming year, as they say: how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. During the entire holiday, words such as “death,” “loss,” “murder,” “ghost,” and “disease” are prohibited.
During the entire Chinese New Year it is forbidden:
- Borrowing and lending money will bring financial losses next year.
Breaking things means you will be away from your family all year.
Crying means causing failure.
Taking medications means you will be sick all year.
Wash your hair - wash away wealth (in Chinese, the words hair and wealth are synonyms).
Sweeping - sweeping away good luck.
Using scissors means quarrels with people.
Eating porridge means you bring poverty.
Gifts for Chinese New Year
What to give for the Spring Festival in China:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Cigarettes
- Tea and Fruits
- Cosmetics and products for longevity (balms, swallow's nests)
- Red envelopes with money (amounts in no case should contain the number 4; amounts with a large number of eights are welcome).
Quantity is also of great importance, since numerology plays a huge role in China, and each number has a specific meaning. The Chinese believe that everything good should have a pair, so gifts are also given in pairs, for example two packs of cigarettes or 2 bottles of rice wine. If you decide to give a red envelope with money, it is best that the numbers are multiples of: 8 (the most revered number in China, consonant with the word wealth), 6 or 9, for example, you can put 68, 288, 688, 999 yuan in the envelope. Beware of the number 4, it is an unlucky number and is consonant with the word death.
Chinese New Year Greetings:
春节快乐 (chūn jié kuài lè) - Happy New Year!新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) - Happy New Year!
恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) - I wish you great wealth!
I wish you success in all your undertakings, and the fulfillment of all your desires, so that your prosperity increases every year! I wish you happiness and prosperity!
What you should not give to the Chinese:
- Umbrellas
- Shoes
- Pears
- Sharp objects
- Chrysanthemums.
Where to celebrate the spring festival?
In China, each province has its own traditions and events that are held during the celebration of this grand festival. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an with their authentic folk festivals are great places to visit during your holidays. But still, we advise you to choose another country to visit during the Chinese holidays, since at this time most establishments in China are closed, the vast majority of local residents leave the cities, and tickets for all types of transport become scarce.
Celebrating Chinese New Year in other countries
The festival is celebrated not only in China, but also in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, some Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, as well as in Chinatowns in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia. Celebration traditions in different places gradually change under the influence of local characteristics and become unique.
New Year is celebrated twice in China. On January 1, the European New Year is celebrated, and during the new moon, the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (Chunjie). AND New Year traditions in China depend on what kind of New Year is being celebrated.
European New Year in China
Yuan Dan (European New Year) is very quiet and modest. There is no sparkle of lights on the streets, no lush feasts at home, no decorated Christmas trees. Only in large shopping centers they put up artificial Christmas trees and little Santa Clauses. The Chinese do not consider this time a holiday, preferring traditional Chinese Holiday Spring.
Spring Festival
The history of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) goes back more than one century. However, it does not have a specific date. It is celebrated between January 21 and the last days of winter. Warmth comes, a new life cycle begins, hopes for well-being, happiness, and health come.
Spring Festival traditions are very rich. On the eve of a significant day, the Chinese attach five strips of paper to the door lintel, which symbolize honor, luck, wealth, joy and longevity. By ancient tradition The New Year should be celebrated noisily and cheerfully, with firecrackers and fireworks. In this way, the Chinese drive out evil spirits so that they do not bring grief and illness. If the spirits find a quiet house, it becomes their refuge. Then the owners will be in trouble.
Many, many years ago, before the invention of firecrackers and firecrackers, the Chinese created noise with any objects they had at hand. And since the 14th century, residents of the Celestial Empire threw bamboo sticks into the oven, which burned and made a loud crash. Then pyrotechnics replaced sticks. According to legend, evil spirits are afraid of the color red. That's why these holidays are colored red. In villages, there is still a tradition of tightly closing all doors and windows to prevent evil from entering through them.
Before the Spring Festival, the Chinese clean the house, utility rooms, and yard. Everything should sparkle clean. During the festival, sweeping and washing floors is considered a bad omen.
Instead of a Christmas tree, the Chinese install a Tree of Light, which is decorated with flowers, bright ribbons, and lanterns.
Festive New Year's table
In China, as in many countries, They believe that how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. Therefore, many hearty and tasty dishes are served on the table. The whole family sits down at the table a few hours before the New Year. In the north of the country they especially love dumplings, in the south - soup with dumplings and noodles. Long noodles symbolize long happy life. After dinner, everyone is given “happiness money.” They are given in red envelopes, which are supposed to bring wealth and good luck. No one sleeps until the morning so as not to miss their happiness.
Two tangerines
Since ancient times in the Celestial Empire there has been a beautiful and interesting custom. Guests must give the owners of the house two tangerines. When the invitees went home, they were given a couple of tangerines as a gift, but different ones, those that had been prepared in advance for the guests. This custom arose due to the fact that in Chinese the phrase “two tangerines” is consonant with the word “gold”.
The Chinese love to give gifts in pairs, as they signify harmony in the family and common interests. It is not customary to give watches to elderly people, toys or baby items to couples who are expecting a child. Gifts are presented before leaving, sometimes they are simply placed in a secluded place so that the owners will find them on occasion.
Three holidays
After the New Year comes three holidays- Chui, Chuer and Chusan. This is a time to socialize with friends and relatives. Everyone goes to visit each other, exchange gifts, and have fun from the heart. The fun continues for another 14 days.
Dances of lions and dragons
In China, lion and dragon dances are performed during festivals and are considered traditional and sacred. The dance of lions provides protection from misfortunes and grief. It has survived to this day from the 14th century. An equally ancient dragon dance that comes from the 12th century. He expresses his admiration for the dragon.
In every country, the New Year is celebrated according to special traditions. Chinese New Year is interesting because of its ancient rituals, strict adherence to traditions, and belief in their power. Those who honor their ancestors and their will will always be healthy, rich and happy.
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