Chinese New Year
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (January 2024) |
Chinese New Year | |
---|---|
Also called | Spring Festival, Lunar New Year |
Observed by | Chinese people and Sinophone communities[1] |
Type | Cultural Religious (Chinese folk religion, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, some Christian communities) |
Significance | Commemoration of the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar |
Celebrations | Lion dances, dragon dances, fireworks, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives, giving red envelopes, decorating with chunlian couplets |
Date | First day of the first Chinese lunisolar month |
2023 date | 22 January |
2024 date | 10 February |
2025 date | 29 January |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | Lantern Festival and similar celebrations in other Asian cultures |
Chinese New Year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | "Spring Festival" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Agricultural Calendar New Year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 农历 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese New Year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival (see also § Names) is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring, observances traditionally take place from Chinese New Year's Eve, the evening preceding the first day of the year, to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.[a]
Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. It has influenced similar celebrations in other cultures, commonly referred to collectively as Lunar New Year, such as the Losar of Tibet, the Tết of Vietnam, the Korean New Year, and the Ryukyu New Year.[3][4][5] It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries that house significant Overseas Chinese or Sinophone populations, especially in Southeast Asia. These include Singapore,[6] Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,[7] the Philippines,[8] Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also prominent beyond Asia, especially in Australia, Canada, France, Mauritius,[9] New Zealand, Peru,[10] South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as in many European countries.[11][12][13]
The Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honour deities as well as ancestors.[14] Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the New Year vary widely,[15] and the evening preceding the New Year's Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also a tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. Another practiced custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets. Popular themes among these paper-cuts and couplets include good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes.
Names[edit]
In Chinese, the festival is commonly known as the "Spring Festival" (traditional Chinese:
The festival is also called "Lunar New Year" in English, despite the traditional Chinese calendar being lunisolar and not lunar. However, "Chinese New Year" is still a commonly-used translation for people of non-Chinese backgrounds.[20] Along with the Han Chinese inside and outside of Greater China, as many as 29 of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China also celebrate Chinese New Year. Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines celebrate it as an official festival.[20]
Dates in Chinese lunisolar calendar[edit]
The Chinese calendar defines the lunisolar month containing the winter solstice as the eleventh month, meaning that Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice (rarely the third if an intercalary month occurs[b]).[21][2] In more than 96 percent of years, the Chinese New Year is the closest new moon to the beginning of spring (lichun) according to the calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese New Year occurs on the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February.[22]
Gregorian | Date | Animal | Day of the week | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 22 Jan | Rabbit | Sunday | |
2024 | 10 Feb | Dragon | Saturday | |
2025 | 29 Jan | Snake | Wednesday | |
2026 | 17 Feb | Horse | Tuesday | |
2027 | 6 Feb | Goat | Saturday | |
2028 | 26 Jan | Monkey | Wednesday | |
2029 | 13 Feb | Rooster | Tuesday | |
2030 | 3 Feb | Dog | Sunday | |
2031 | 23 Jan | Pig | Thursday | |
2032 | 11 Feb | Rat | Wednesday | |
2033 | 31 Jan | Ox | Monday | |
2034 | 19 Feb | Tiger | Sunday |
Mythology[edit]
According to legend, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival. The Nian would eat villagers, especially children in the middle of the night.[23] One year, all the villagers decided to hide from the beast. An older man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night and would get revenge on the Nian. The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers. The day after, the villagers came back to their town and saw that nothing had been destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them. The villagers then understood that Yanhuang had discovered that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises.[23] Then the tradition grew when New Year was approaching, and the villagers would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and red spring scrolls on windows and doors and used firecrackers and drums to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk.[24]
History[edit]
Before the new year celebration was established, ancient Chinese gathered and celebrated the end of harvest in autumn. However, this was not the Mid-Autumn Festival, during which Chinese gathered with family to worship the Moon. In the Classic of Poetry, a poem written during Western Zhou (1045 BC – 771 BC) by an anonymous farmer, described the traditions of celebrating the 10th month of the ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn.[25] According to the poem, during this time people clean millet-stack sites, toast guests with mijiu (rice wine), kill lambs and cook their meat, go to their masters' home, toast the master, and cheer the prospect of living long together. The 10th-month celebration is believed to be one of the prototypes of Chinese New Year.[26] The records of the first Chinese new year celebration can be traced to the Warring States period (475 – 221 BC). In the Lüshi Chunqiu, in Qin state an exorcism ritual to expel illness, called "Big Nuo", was recorded as being carried out on the last day of the year.[27][28] Later, Qin unified China, and the Qin dynasty was founded; and the ritual spread. It evolved into the practice of cleaning one's house thoroughly in the days preceding Chinese New Year.
The first mention of celebrating at the start of a new year was recorded during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). In the book Simin Yueling (
Han Chinese also started the custom of visiting acquaintances' homes and wishing each other a happy new year. In Book of the Later Han, volume 27, a county officer was recorded as going to his prefect's house with a government secretary, toasting the prefect, and praising the prefect's merit.[31][32]
During the Jin dynasty (266–420), people started the New Year's Eve tradition of all-night revelry called shousui (
The Northern and Southern dynasties book Jingchu Suishiji describes the practice of firing bamboo in the early morning of New Year's Day,[34] a New Year's tradition of the ancient Chinese. Poet and chancellor of the Tang dynasty, Lai Gu, also described this tradition in his poem Early Spring (
During the Tang dynasty, people established the custom of sending bai nian tie (
The Chunlian (Spring Couplets) was written by Meng Chang, an emperor of the Later Shu (935–965 AD), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period:"
|
Amid the sound of firecrackers a year has come to an end, |
— |
—Wang Anshi, New Year's Day |
The poem Yuan Ri (
It was also during the Song dynasty that people started to give money to children in celebration of a new year. The money was called sui nian qian (
New Year's celebrations continued under the Yuan dynasty, when people also gave nian gao (
The tradition of eating Chinese dumplings jiaozi (
In the Qing dynasty, the name ya sui qian (
In 1928, the ruling Kuomintang party decreed that the Chinese New Year would fall on 1 Jan of the Gregorian Calendar, but this was abandoned due to overwhelming opposition. In 1967, during the Cultural Revolution, official Chinese New Year celebrations were banned in China. The State Council of the People's Republic of China announced that the public should "change customs" and have a "revolutionized and fighting Spring Festival." Since people needed to work on Chinese New Year's Eve, they would not need holidays during the Spring Festival. In 1980, the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations were reinstated.[47]
Public holiday[edit]
Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories where there is a sizeable Chinese population. Since Chinese New Year falls on different days of the week each year, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. In some countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day if the New Year (as a public holiday) falls on a weekend, as in the case of 2013, where the New Year's Eve (9 February) falls on Saturday and the New Year's Day (10 February) on Sunday. Depending on the country, the holiday may be termed differently; common names in English are "Chinese New Year", "Lunar New Year", "New Year Festival", and "Spring Festival".
For New Year celebrations that follow Chinese-inspired calendars but are outside of China and Chinese diaspora (such as Korea's Seollal and Vietnam's Tết), see the article on Lunar New Year.
For other countries and regions where Chinese New Year is celebrated but not an official holiday, see the table below.
Country and region | Official name | Description | Number of days |
---|---|---|---|
Malaysia | Tahun Baru Cina | The first 2 days of Chinese New Year.[48] | 2[49][48] |
Singapore | Chinese New Year | The first 2 days of Chinese New Year.[50] | 2 |
Brunei | Tahun Baru Cina | Half-day on Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of Chinese New Year.[51] | 1 |
Hong Kong | Lunar New Year | The first 3 days of Chinese New Year.[52] | 3 |
Macau | Novo Ano Lunar | The first 3 days of Chinese New Year[53] | 3 |
Indonesia | Tahun Baru Imlek (Sin Cia) | The first day of Chinese New Year.[54][55] | 1 |
China | Spring Festival (Chūn Jié) | The first 3 days of Chinese New Year. Extra holiday days are de facto added adjusting the weekend days before and after the three days holiday, resulting in a full week of public holiday known as Golden Week.[56][57] During the Chunyun holiday travel season. | 3 (official holiday days) / 7 (de facto holiday days) |
Philippines | Chinese New Year | Half-day on Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of Chinese New Year.[58] | 1 |
South Korea | Korean New Year (Seollal) | The first 3 days of Chinese New Year. | 3 |
Taiwan | Lunar New Year / Spring Festival | Chinese New Year's Eve and the first 3 days of Chinese New Year; will be made up on subsequent working days if any of the 4 days fall on Saturday or Sunday. The day before Chinese New Year's Eve is also designated as holiday, but as a bridge holiday, and will be made up on an earlier or later Saturday. Additional bridge holidays may apply, resulting in 9-day or 10-day weekends.[59][60][61] | 4 (legally), 9–10 (including Saturdays and Sundays)[62] |
Thailand | Wan Trut Chin (Chinese New Year's Day) | Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector. Usually celebrated for three days, starting on the day before the Chinese New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun[63] and Songkhla Provinces.[50] | 1 |
Vietnam | Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnamese New Year) | The first 3 days of Chinese New Year. | 3 |
New York, United States | Lunar New Year | The first days of Lunar New Year. | 1 |
California, United States | Lunar New Year | The first days of Lunar New Year. | 1 |
Suriname | Maan Nieuwjaar | The first day of Chinese New Year. | 1 |
Festivities[edit]
Red couplets and red lanterns are displayed on the door frames and light up the atmosphere. The air is filled with strong Chinese emotions. In stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities, products of traditional Chinese style have started to lead fashion trend[s]. Buy yourself a Chinese-style coat, get your kids tiger-head hats and shoes, and decorate your home with some beautiful red Chinese knots, then you will have an authentic Chinese-style Spring Festival.
— Xinwen Lianbo, January 2001, quoted by Li Ren, Imagining China in the Era of Global Consumerism and Local Consciousness[64]
During the festival, people around China will prepare different gourmet dishes for their families and guests. Influenced by the flourished cultures, foods from different places look and taste totally different. Among them, the most well-known ones are dumplings from northern China and Tangyuan from southern China.[citation needed]
Preceding days[edit]
On the eighth day of the lunisolar month prior to Chinese New Year, the Laba Festival, a traditional porridge, Laba porridge (simplified Chinese: 腊八
On the days immediately before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their homes a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying "Wash away the dirt on nin ya baat" (Chinese:
In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is observed, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and decorations used to adorn altars over the past year are taken down and burned a week before the new year starts on Little New Year, to be replaced with new decorations. Taoists (and Buddhists to a lesser extent) will also "send gods back to heaven" (Chinese:
Prior to the Reunion Dinner, a prayer of thanksgiving is held to mark the safe passage of the previous year. Confucianists take the opportunity to remember their ancestors, and those who had lived before them are revered. Some people do not give a Buddhist prayer due to the influence of Christianity, with a Christian prayer offered instead.
Chinese New Year's Eve[edit]
The day before Chinese New Year is usually accompanied with a dinner feast, consisting of special meats as a main course and an offering for the New Year. This meal is comparable to Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner.
In northern China, it is customary to make jiaozi or dumplings which are eaten at midnight. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape resembles a Chinese sycee. In the South, it is customary to make a glutinous new year cake (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days.[68]
Some families visit local temples hours before midnight to pray for success by lighting the first incense of the year. Today many households hold parties. Traditionally, firecrackers were lit to ward off evil spirits. The household doors are sealed and not reopened until dawn in a ritual called "opening the door of fortune" (simplified Chinese: 开财门; traditional Chinese:
First day[edit]
The first day, known as the "Spring Festival" (simplified Chinese:
Typical actions such as lighting fires and using knives are considered taboo, thus all consumable food has to be cooked prior. Using the broom, swearing, and breaking any dinnerware without appeasing the deities are also considered taboo.[70]
Normal traditions occurring on the first day involve house gatherings to the families, specifically the elders and families to the oldest and most senior members of their extended families, usually their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, and trading Mandarin oranges as a courtesy to symbolize wealth and good luck. Members of the family who are married also give red envelopes containing cash known as lai see (Cantonese:
While fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally very popular, some regions have banned them due to concerns over fire hazards. For this reason, various city governments (e.g., Kowloon, Beijing, Shanghai for a number of years) issued bans over fireworks and firecrackers in certain precincts of the city. As a substitute, large-scale fireworks display have been launched by governments in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Second day[edit]
The second day, entitled "a year's beginning" (simplified Chinese: 开年; traditional Chinese:
The second day also saw giving offering money and sacrifices to the God of Wealth (Chinese: 财神) to symbolize a rewarding time after hardship in the preceding year. During the days of imperial China, "beggars and other unemployed people circulate[d] from family to family, carrying a picture [of the God of Wealth] shouting, "Cai Shen dao!" [The God of Wealth has come!]."[74] Householders would respond with "lucky money" to reward the messengers. Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the second day of Chinese New Year, blessing business to strive in the coming year.
As this day is believed to be The Birthday of Che Kung, a deity worshipped in Hong Kong, worshippers go to Che Kung Temples to pray for his blessing. A representative from the government asks Che Kung about the city's fortune through kau cim.
Third day[edit]
The third day is known as "red mouth" (Chinese:
Fourth day[edit]
In those communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for 15 days, the fourth day is when corporate "spring dinners" kick off and business returns to normal. Other areas that have a longer Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate and welcome the gods that were previously sent on this day.
Fifth day[edit]
This day is the god of Wealth's birthday. In northern China, people eat jiaozi, or dumplings, on the morning of powu (Chinese:
It is also common in China that on the 5th day people will shoot off firecrackers to get Guan Yu's attention, thus ensuring his favour and good fortune for the new year.[77]
Sixth day[edit]
The sixth day is Horse's Day, on which people drive away the Ghost of Poverty by throwing out the garbage stored up during the festival. The ways vary but basically have the same meaning—to drive away the Ghost of Poverty, which reflects the general desire of the Chinese people to ring out the old and ring in the new, to send away the previous poverty and hardship and to usher in the good life of the New Year.[78]
Seventh day[edit]
The seventh day, traditionally known as Renri (the common person's birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older. In some overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten for continued wealth and prosperity.
For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat, the seventh day commemorating the birth of Sakra, lord of the devas in Buddhist cosmology who is analogous to the Jade Emperor.
Eighth day[edit]
Another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. People normally return to work by the eighth day, therefore the Store owners will host a lunch/dinner with their employees, thanking their employees for the work they have done for the whole year.
Ninth day[edit]
The ninth day is traditionally known as the birthday of the Jade Emperor of Heaven (Chinese:
A prominent requisite offering is sugarcane.[80] Legends holds that the Hokkien were spared from a massacre by Japanese pirates by hiding in a sugarcane plantation between the eighth and ninth days of the Chinese New Year, coinciding with the Jade Emperor's birthday.[80] "Sugarcane" (Chinese:
In the morning (traditionally anytime between midnight and 7 am), Taiwanese households set up an altar table with three layers: one top (containing offertories of six vegetables (Chinese:
Incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and gold paper, are served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.
Tenth day[edit]
The nation celebrates the Jade Emperor's birthday on this day.
Fifteenth day[edit]
The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival (simplified Chinese:
In China and Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Valentine's Day.[82] Nowadays, single women write their contact number on mandarin oranges and throw them in a river or a lake after which single men collect the oranges and eat them. The taste is an indication of their possible love: sweet represents a good fate while sour represents a bad fate.
This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.
Traditional food[edit]
A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve during which family members gather for a celebration.[83] The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish. Most reunion dinners also feature a communal hot pot as it is believed to signify the coming together of the family members for the meal. Most reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) also prominently feature speciality meats (e.g. wax-cured meats like duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for this and other special occasions during the remainder of the year. In most areas, fish (simplified Chinese: 鱼; traditional Chinese:
Other traditional foods consists of noodles, fruits, dumplings,[84] spring rolls,[85] and Tangyuan[83] which are also known as sweet rice balls. Each dish served during Chinese New Year represents something special. The noodles used to make longevity noodles are usually very thin, long wheat noodles. These noodles are longer than normal noodles that are usually fried and served on a plate, or boiled and served in a bowl with its broth. The noodles symbolize the wish for a long life. The fruits that are typically selected would be oranges, tangerines, and pomelos as they are round and "golden" color symbolizing fullness and wealth. Their lucky sound when spoken also brings good luck and fortune. The Chinese pronunciation for orange is
Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets contain money in an amount that reflects good luck and honorability. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.
Many families in China still follow the tradition of eating only vegetarian food on the first day of the New Year, as it is believed that doing so will bring good luck into their lives for the whole year.[86]
Like many other New Year dishes, certain ingredients also take special precedence over others as these ingredients also have similar-sounding names with prosperity, good luck, or even counting money.
Food item | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Buddha's delight | 罗汉斋 | Luóhàn zhāi | An elaborate vegetarian dish served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced "fat choy" in Cantonese, is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like "prosperity". Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk (Chinese: 扣肉; pinyin: kòuròu) and ngiong teu fu. | |
Chicken | 鸡 | 雞 | Jī | Boiled chicken is served because it is figured that any family, no matter how humble their circumstances, can afford a chicken for Chinese New Year. |
Apples | 蘋果 | Píngguǒ | Apples symbolize peace because the word for apple ("ping") is a homonym of the word for peace. | |
Fish | 鱼 | Yú | Is usually eaten or merely displayed on the eve of Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of fish makes it a homophone for "surpluses" (simplified Chinese: | |
Garlic | Suàn | Is usually served in a dish with rondelles of Chinese sausage or Chinese cured meat during Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of Garlic makes it a homophone for "calculating (money)" (Chinese: | ||
Jau gok | Yóu jiǎo | The main Chinese new year dumpling for Cantonese families. It is believed to resemble a sycee or yuánbǎo, the old Chinese gold and silver ingots, and to represent prosperity for the coming year. | ||
Jiaozi | 饺子 | Jiǎozi | The common dumpling eaten in northern China, also believed to resemble sycee. In the reunion dinner, Chinese people add various food into Jiaozi fillings to represent good fortune: coin, Niangao, dried date, candy, etc. | |
Mandarin oranges | 桔子 | Júzi | Oranges, particularly mandarin oranges, are a common fruit during Chinese New Year. They are particularly associated with the festival in southern China, where its name is a homophone of the word for "luck" in dialects such as Teochew (in which | |
Melon seed/Guazi | Guāzi | Other variations include sunflower, pumpkin and other seeds. It symbolizes fertility and having many children. | ||
Niangao | Niángāo | Most popular in eastern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) because its pronunciation is a homophone for "a more prosperous year ( | ||
Noodles | 麵條 | Miàntiáo | Families may serve uncut noodles (making them as long as they can[88]), which represent longevity and long life, though this practice is not limited to the new year. | |
Sweets | Tángguǒ | Sweets and similar dried fruit goods are stored in a red or black Chinese candy box. | ||
Rougan (Yok Gon) | Ròugān | Chinese salty-sweet dried meat, akin to jerky, which is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then smoked for later consumption or as a gift. | ||
Taro cakes | Yùtougāo | Made from the vegetable taro, the cakes are cut into squares and often fried. | ||
Turnip cakes | 萝卜糕 | 蘿蔔糕 | Luóbogāo | A dish made of shredded radish and rice flour, usually fried and cut into small squares. |
Yusheng or Yee sang | 鱼生 | Yúshēng | Raw fish salad. Eating this salad is said to bring good luck. This dish is usually eaten on the seventh day of the New Year, but may also be eaten throughout the period. | |
Five Xinpan | Wǔ xīnpán | Five Xin include onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, mustard. As an ancient traditional folk culture, it has been existing since the Jin dynasty. It symbolizes health. In a well-economic development dynasty, like Song, The Five Xinpan not only have five spicy vegetables. Also, include Chinese bacon and other vegetables. Moreover, it offered to the family's ancestors to express respect and seek a blessing.[89] | ||
Laba porridge | 腊八 |
Làbā zhōu | This dish is eaten on Laba Festival, the eighth day of the twelfth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The congees are made of mixed walnut, pine nuts, mushrooms, persimmon. The congees are for commemorating the sacrifices of ancestors and celebrating the harvest.[90] |
Practices[edit]
Red envelopes[edit]
Traditionally, red envelopes or red packets
(traditional Chinese:
Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. Chinese superstitions favour amounts that begin with even numbers, such as 8 (
The act of asking for red packets (Mandarin: 討紅
In Taiwan in the 2000s, some employers also gave red packets as a bonus to maids, nurses or domestic workers from Southeast Asian countries, although whether this is appropriate is controversial.[96][97]
In the mid-2010s, Chinese messaging apps such as WeChat popularized the distribution of red envelopes in a virtual format via mobile payments, usually within group chats.[98][99] In 2017, it was estimated that over 100 billion of these virtual red envelopes would be sent over the New Year holiday.[100][101]
Mythology[edit]
In ancient times, there was a monster named sui (
A folklore tale of sui is about an elderly couple with a precious son. On the night of New Year's Eve, since they were afraid that sui would come, they took out eight pieces of copper coins to play with their son in order to keep him awake. Their son was very sleepy, however, so they let him go to sleep after placing a red paper bag containing the copper coins under the child's pillow. The two older children also stayed with him for the whole night. Suddenly, the doors and windows were blown open by a strange wind, and even the candlelight was extinguished. It turned out to be a sui. When the sui was going to reach out and touch the child's head, the pillow suddenly brightened with the golden light, and the sui was scared away, so the exorcism effect of "red paper wrapped copper money" spread in the past China[102] (see also Chinese numismatic charms). The money is then called ya sui qian (
Another tale is that a huge demon was terrorizing a village and there was nobody in the village who was able to defeat the demon; many warriors and statesmen had tried with no luck. A young orphan stepped in, armed with a magical sword that was inherited from his ancestors, and battled the demon, eventually killing it. Peace was finally restored to the village, and the elders all presented the brave young man with a red envelope filled with money to repay the young orphan for his courage and for ridding the village of the demon.[103]
Gift exchange[edit]
In addition to red envelopes, which are usually given from older people to younger people, small gifts (usually food or sweets) are also exchanged between friends or relatives (of different households) during Chinese New Year. Gifts are usually brought when visiting friends or relatives at their homes. Common gifts include fruits (typically oranges, but never trade pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and candies. Gifts are preferred to be wrapped with red or golden paper, which symbolizes good luck.
Certain items should not be given, as they are considered taboo. Taboo gifts include:[104][105][106]
- items associated with funerals (i.e. handkerchiefs, towels, chrysanthemums, items coloured white and black)
- items that show that time is running out (i.e. clocks and watches)
- sharp objects that symbolize cutting a tie (i.e. scissors and knives)
- items that symbolize that you want to walk away from a relationship (examples: shoes and sandals)
- mirrors
- homonyms for unpleasant topics (examples: "clock" sounds like "the funeral ritual" or "the end of life", green hats because "wear a green hat" sounds like "cuckold", "handkerchief" sounds like "goodbye", "pear" sounds like "separate", "umbrella" sounds like "disperse", and "shoe" sounds like a "rough" year)
Markets[edit]
Markets or village fairs are set up as the New Year is approaching. These usually open-air markets feature new year related products such as flowers, toys, clothing, and even fireworks and firecrackers. It is convenient for people to buy gifts for their new year visits as well as their home decorations. In some places, the practice of shopping for the perfect plum tree is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a Christmas tree.
Fireworks[edit]
Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that was burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. In modern times, this method has eventually evolved into the use of firecrackers during the festive season. Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits. The burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations.[107] Since the 2000s, firecrackers have been banned in various countries and towns.
Music[edit]
"Happy New Year!" (Chinese:
Movies[edit]
Watching Chinese New Year films is an expression of Chinese cultural identity. During the New Year holidays, the stage boss gathers the most popular actors whom from various troupes let them perform repertories from Qing dynasty. Nowadays many people celebrate the new year by watching these movies.[109]
Hong Kong filmmakers also release Chinese New Year films, mostly comedies, at this time of year.
Clothing[edit]
The color red is commonly worn throughout Chinese New Year; traditional beliefs held that red could scare away evil spirits.[85] The wearing of new clothes is another clothing custom during the festival;[110] the new clothes symbolize a new beginning in the year.[85]
Family portrait[edit]
In some places, the taking of a family portrait is an important ceremony after the relatives are gathered.[111] The photo is taken at the hall of the house or taken in front of the house. The most senior male head of the family sits in the center.
Symbolism[edit]
As with all cultures, Chinese New Year traditions incorporate elements that are symbolic of deeper meaning. One common example of Chinese New Year symbolism is the red diamond-shaped fu characters (Chinese:
For Cantonese-speaking people, if the fu sign is hung upside down, the implied dao (upside down) sounds like the Cantonese word for "pour", producing "pour the luck [away]", which would usually symbolize bad luck; this is why the fu character is not usually hung upside-down in Cantonese communities.
Red is the predominant color used in New Year celebrations. Red is the emblem of joy, and this color also symbolizes virtue, truth and sincerity. On the Chinese opera stage, a painted red face usually denotes a sacred or loyal personage and sometimes a great emperor. Candies, cakes, decorations and many things associated with the New Year and its ceremonies are coloured red. The sound of the Chinese word for "red" (pinyin: hóng; Cantonese Yale: húng) is in Mandarin homophonous with the word for "prosperous." Therefore, red is an auspicious color and has an auspicious sound. According to Chinese tradition, the year of the pig is a generally unlucky year for the public, which is why you need to reevaluate most of your decisions before you reach a conclusion. However, this only helps you get even more control over your life as you learn to stay ahead of everything by being cautious.[112]
Nianhua[edit]
Nianhua can be a form of Chinese coloured woodblock printing, for decoration during Chinese New Year.[113] Nianhua uses a range of subjects to express and invite positive prospects as the new year begins. The most popular representatives of these prospects take inspiration from nature, religion, folklore, etc., and are portrayed in flashy and lively ways.[114]
Flowers[edit]
The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets.
Floral Decor Meaning Plum Blossom symbolizes luck Kumquat symbolizes prosperity Calamondin symbolizes luck Narcissus symbolizes prosperity Bamboo a plant used for any time of year, its sturdiness represents strength Sunflower means to have a good year Eggplant a plant to heal all of your sicknesses Chom Mon Plant a plant which gives you tranquility Orchid represents fertility and abundance, as well as good taste, beauty, luxury and innocence
Each flower has a symbolic meaning, and many Chinese people believe that it may usher in the values that it represents.[115] In general, except those in lucky colour like red and yellow, chrysanthemum should not be put at home during the new year, because it is normally used for ancestral veneration.[116]
Icons and ornaments[edit]
Icons Meaning Illustrations Lanterns These lanterns that differ from those of Mid-Autumn Festival in general. They will be red in color and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns. Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colorful, and in many different sizes and shapes. Decoration Decorations generally convey a New Year greeting. They are not advertisements. Faichun, also known as Huichun—Chinese calligraphy of auspicious Chinese idioms on typically red posters—are hung on doorways and walls. Other decorations include a New year picture, Chinese knots, Sycee and papercutting and couplets. Dragon dance and Lion dance Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the Dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses in Hong Kong and Macau. Fu Lu Shou Nianhua of the Fu Lu Shou. Red envelope Typically given to children, elderly and Dragon/Lion Dance performers while saying t 恭 喜 發 財 j gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4, s恭 喜 发财 p gōng xǐ fā cái.Shrubs Citrus trees are typically used for decoration.
Spring travel[edit]
Traditionally, families gather together during the Chinese New Year. In modern China, migrant workers in China travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year's Eve. Owing to a large number of interprovincial travellers, special arrangements were made by railways, buses and airlines starting from 15 days before the New Year's Day. This 40-day period is called chunyun, and is known as the world's largest annual migration.[117] More interurban trips are taken in China in this period than the total population of China.
In Taiwan, spring travel is also a major event. The majority of transportation in western Taiwan is in a north–south direction: long-distance travel between urbanized north and hometowns in the rural south. Transportation in eastern Taiwan and that between Taiwan and its islands is less convenient. Cross-strait flights between Taiwan and China began in 2003 as part of Three Links, mostly for "Taiwanese businessmen" to return to Taiwan for the new year.[118]
Festivities outside China[edit]
Chinese New Year is also celebrated annually in many countries which houses significant Chinese populations. These include countries throughout Asia, Oceania, and North America. Sydney,[119] London,[120] and San Francisco[121] claim to host the largest New Year celebration outside of Asia and South America.
East Asia[edit]
Japan[edit]
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024) |
Southeast Asia[edit]
Chinese New Year is a national public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries and considered to be one of the most important holidays of the year.
Malaysia[edit]
Chinese New Year's Eve is typically a half-day holiday in Malaysia, while Chinese New Year is a two-day public holiday. George Town, a Chinese-majority city, is known for its lively Chinese New Year celebrations that last until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day. Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, is typically lit up throughout the festivities.[122] Penang's Chief Minister customarily hosts an "open house" for the public, while various other events take place across the city, including at the Chinese clan houses and the Snake Temple.[123][124] Hokkien households celebrate the Jade Emperor's Birthday, known colloquially as the "Hokkien New Year", on the ninth day with offerings.[125] Traditionally during the Lantern Festival, single females throw oranges at seafront locations like the Esplanade with the hope of finding their partners.[126]
Singapore[edit]
In Singapore, Chinese New Year is officially a two-day public holiday. Chinese New Year is accompanied by various festive activities. One of the main highlights is the Chinatown celebrations. In 2010, this included a Festive Street Bazaar, nightly staged shows at Kreta Ayer Square and a lion dance competition.[127] The Chingay Parade also features prominently in the celebrations. It is an annual street parade in Singapore, well known for its colourful floats and wide variety of cultural performances.[128] The highlights of the Parade for 2011 include a Fire Party, multi-ethnic performances and an unprecedented travelling dance competition.[129]
Philippines[edit]
In the Philippines, Chinese New Year (Philippine Hokkien Chinese: 咱人
In 2024, Manila celebrates the Spring Festival of the Wooden Dragon, including the 430th anniversary of Manila Chinatown featuring the "Manila Chinatown Solidarity Float Parade" along Manila Central Post Office in Lawton, Ermita and Jones Bridge led by Ambassador Huang Xilian with Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Philippines 2023 winners. It was preceded by Chinese New Year's Eve, with the "First incense offering" at Binondo Church, a Taoism prayer ritual with Joss sticks, including Chinese ancestor worship at Martyr Saints of China altars in Binondo Chinese Parish Church. A midnight 2-minute pyro-musical fireworks was witnessed by 1.5 million at the Chinese-Filipino Friendship Bridge.[130]
In Cebu are also celebrating which a festival is called the Red Lantern Festival.[131]
Indonesia[edit]
In Indonesia, the Chinese New Year is officially named Tahun Baru Imlek (Chinese:
Effectively from 6 December 1967,[137] until 1998, the spiritual practice to celebrate the Chinese New Year by Chinese families was restricted specifically only inside of the Chinese house. This restriction is made by the New Order government through a Presidential Instruction No. 14 of 1967 signed by President Suharto. This restriction is ended when the regime has changed and the President Suharto was overthrown. The celebration was conducted unofficially by Chinese community from 1999 to 2000.
On 17 January 2000, the President Abdurrahman Wahid issued Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2000 to annul the previous instruction.[138] On 19 January 2001, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued Minsterial Decree No.13 of 2001 on Imlek Day as a National Holiday to set Hari Tahun Baru Imlek as a "facultative holiday" for Chinese community.[139] Through the Presidential Decree it was officially declared as a 1 (one) day public religious holiday as of 9 April 2002 by President Megawati.[133] The Indonesian government authorize only the first day of the Chinese New Year as a public religious holiday and it is specifically designated only for Chinese people.[132][133][135][136][140]
In Indonesia, the first day of the Chinese New Year is recognized as a part of the celebration of the Chinese religion and tradition of Chinese community.[132][133][135][136][139] There are no other official or unofficial of the Chinese New Year as a public holiday. The remaining 14 days are celebrated only by ethnic Chinese families.[141] In Indonesia, the Chinese Year is named as a year of Kǒngzǐ (Chinese:
Cities with significant Chinese populations in Indonesia include Jakarta, Medan, Batam, Surabaya, Semarang, Surakarta, Singkawang, Pangkal Pinang, Binjai, Bagansiapiapi, Tanjungbalai, Pematangsiantar, Selat Panjang, Pekanbaru, Tanjung Pinang, Ketapang, Pontianak, Sungailiat, Tanjung Pandan, Manggar, Toboali, Muntok, Lubuk Pakam, Bandung, Rantau Prapat, Tebing Tinggi, Sibolga, Dumai, Panipahan, Bagan Batu, Tanjung Balai Karimun, Jambi, Palembang, Bengkayang, Manado, and Tangerang always have its own New Year's celebration every years with parade and fireworks. A lot shopping malls decorated its building with lantern, Chinese words and lion or dragon with red and gold as main colour. Lion dance is a common sight around Chinese houses, temples and its shophouses. Usually, the Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist Chinese will burn a big incense made by aloeswood with dragon-decorated at front of their house. The Chinese temple is open 24 hours at the first day, their also distributes a red envelopes and sometimes rice, fruits or sugar to the poor around.
Thailand[edit]
Chinese New Year festivities occur throughout the country, especially in provinces where many people of Chinese descent live such as Nakhon Sawan, Suphan Buri, and Phuket.[142][143][144]
Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector, the festival is usually celebrated for three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in the provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun[63] and Songkhla.[145] For the year 2021 (one year only) the government declared Chinese New Year a government holiday. It applied mostly to civil servants. Financial institutions and private businesses were allowed to decide whether or not to observe it.[146]
Divided into 3 days, the first day is the Wan chai (Thai: วันจ่าย; pay day), meaning the day that people go out to shop for offerings, the second day is the Wan wai (Thai: วันไหว้; worship day), is a day of worshiping the gods and ancestral spirits, which is divided into three periods: dawn, late morning and afternoon, the third day is a Wan tieow (Thai: วันเที่ยว; holiday), is a holiday where everyone will leave the house to travel or to bless relatives or respectable people, often wearing red clothes which is believed to bring auspiciousness to life.[147]
In the capital Bangkok, there are large celebrations in Chinatown, Yaowarat Road, where the main road is closed and turns into a pedestrian street, with a member of royal family in attendance each year to open the ceremony, such as Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.[148][149][150]
Australia and New Zealand[edit]
With one of the largest Chinese populations outside of Asia, Sydney also claims to have the largest Chinese New Year Celebrations outside of Asia with over 600,000 people attending the celebrations in Chinatown annually. The events there span over three weeks including the launch celebration, outdoor markets, evening street food stalls, Chinese top opera performances, dragon boat races, a film festival and multiple parades that incorporate Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese people. More than 100,000 people attend notably the main parade with over 3,500 performers.[151] The festival also attracts international media coverage, reaching millions of viewers in Asia.[152] The festival in Sydney is organized in partnership with a different Chinese province each year. Apart from Sydney, other state capital cities in Australia also celebrate Chinese New Year due to large number of Chinese residents.[153] The cities include: Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne Box Hill and Perth. The common activities are lion dance, dragon dance, New Year market, and food festival. In the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, Victoria a Lunar New Year celebration initially focusing on the Vietnamese New Year has expanded into a celebration of the Chinese New Year as well as the April New Year celebrations of the Thais, Cambodians, Laotians and other Asian Australian communities who celebrate the New Year in either January/February or April.[154]
The city of Wellington hosts a two-day weekend festival for Chinese New Year,[155] and a one-day festival is held in Dunedin, centred on the city's Chinese gardens.[156]
North America[edit]
Many cities in North America sponsor official parades for the Chinese New Year. Among the cities with such parades are New York City (Manhattan; Flushing, Queens; and Brooklyn),[157] San Francisco,[158] Los Angeles,[159] Boston,[160] Chicago,[161] Mexico City,[162] Toronto, and Vancouver.[163] However, even smaller cities that are historically connected to Chinese immigration, such as Butte, Montana,[164] have recently hosted parades.
New York[edit]
New York City[edit]
Multiple groups in New York City cooperate to sponsor a week-long Chinese New Year celebration. The festivities include cultural festival,[157] music concert,[165] fireworks on the Hudson River near the Chinese Consulate,[166] and special exhibits.[165] One of the key celebrations is the Chinese New Year parade[167] with floats and fireworks taking place along the streets in Chinatown, Manhattan, the largest Chinese New Year parade outside Asia.[168] In June 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared that the Lunar New Year would be made a public school holiday,[169] in September 2023, New York State made Lunar New Year a mandatory public school holiday.[170]
California[edit]
Signed into law in 2022, and effective 2023, California declared Lunar New Year a state government holiday.[171] Many communities throughout all of California celebrate with large celebrations taking place in both the Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles as well as in Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Stockton.
San Francisco[edit]
The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is the oldest and one of the largest events of its kind outside of Asia, and one of the largest Asian cultural events in North America.
The festival incorporates Grant and Kearny Streets into its street festival and parade route, respectively. The use of these streets traces its lineage back to early parades beginning the custom in San Francisco. In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing California Gold Rush, over 50,000 people had come to San Francisco to seek their fortune or just a better way of life. Among those were many Chinese, who had come to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. By the 1860s, the residents of San Francisco's Chinatown were eager to share their culture with their fellow San Francisco residents who may have been unfamiliar with (or hostile towards) it. The organizers chose to showcase their culture by using a favourite American tradition – the parade. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street carrying colourful flags, banners, lanterns, drums, and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.
In San Francisco, over 100 units participate in the annual Chinese New Year Parade held since 1958.[172] The parade is attended by some 500,000 people along with another 3 million TV viewers.[173]
Greater Los Angeles[edit]
The Golden Dragon Parade has happened annually in Chinatown Los Angeles since 1899, one of the oldest and largest Chinese New Year parades outside of Asia. Beginning in the 1970s, famous Asian American actors have held the title of Grand Marshall of the parade, the first being Bruce Lee.[174]
Around Southern California many communities also put on festivals and parades that can last multiple days, with some of the largest occurring in the San Gabriel Valley, home to the largest Chinese community outside of Asia and often called the first suburban Chinatown, and Little Saigon where many Vietnamese and Chinese live. Monterey Park puts on the largest of such festivals, occupying 5 blocks in the city and attracting over 100,000 individuals.[175] Neighboring Alhambra also has hosted a large festival since 1993 with many performances and street vendors.[176] San Gabriel hosts an annual Chinese Gala at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in addition to its street festival.[177]
The Little Saigon area has hosted Tet celebrates since 1982 for its Chinese and Vietnamese community.[178] Originally held at Garden Grove Park, with parades in both Garden Grove and Westminster, starting in 2014 a larger celebration is also held at the Orange County Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa which attracts over 50,000 visitors.[178] Neighboring Fountain Valley also hosts an annual Chinese New Year carnival in Mile Square Regional Park with many food vendors and a ferris wheel.[179]
Many people also celebrate by going to temples across Southern California, and the largest temple celebration is held at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights.[180] Most major shopping malls will also decorate for Chinese New Year.[181]
Disneyland California Adventure in Anaheim celebrates Chinese New Year by decorating certain areas of the park in Chinese displays, serving speciality East Asian foods and allowing for character photos with Mulan, Mushu, Raya, Tigger and Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Chinese Costumes.[182]
Some other communities that hold Chinese New Year Celebrations include Eastvale, Hollywood, Irvine, Palos Verdes, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Rosemead, San Marino, San Pedro, Santa Monica, Temple City, Tustin, and West Covina.
Europe[edit]
United Kingdom[edit]
In London, celebrations take place in Chinatown, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square. Festivities include a parade, cultural feast, fireworks, concerts, and performances.[183] The celebration attracts between 300,000 and 500,000 people yearly according to the organisers.[184]
France[edit]
In Paris, celebrations have been held since the 1980s in several districts during one month with many performances[185] and the main of the three parades with 40 groups and 4,000 performers is attended alone by more than 200,000 people in the 13th arrondissement.[186][187]
Netherlands[edit]
Official celebrations were held in The Hague,[188][189] Amsterdam, and Rotterdam.[190][191]
Hungary[edit]
In Budapest, celebrations have been held since 2017 in Kőbánya district with many performances and parades.[192]
India and Pakistan[edit]
Many celebrate the festival in Chinatown, Kolkata, India, where a significant community of people of Chinese origin exists. In Kolkata, Chinese New Year is celebrated with lion and dragon dance.
In Pakistan, the Chinese New Year is also celebrated among the sizeable Chinese expatriate community that lives in the country. During the festival, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad arranges various cultural events in which Pakistani arts and cultural organizations and members of the civil society also participate.[193][194][195][196]
Mauritius[edit]
Chinese culture in Mauritius is an important component of the multiculturalism in Mauritius.[197] Despite the small size of the Sino-Mauritian community (estimated to be only about 3% of the total population),[198] Chinese New Year (also known as Chinese Spring Festival) is a time where Chinese culture is celebrated on the island[199] and is a public holiday in Mauritius.[200] Mauritius is also the only country in Africa which lists the Chinese Spring Festival as a statutory public holiday.[197] During this period of the year, there is a joyful and festive atmosphere throughout the entire country.[197]
Sino-Mauritians are very attached to Chinese traditions.[201] The Chinese Spring Festival is the biggest celebration for the Sino-Mauritians on the island.[201] The dates of the celebration follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.[201] During the week prior to the New Year's Day, spring cleaning in homes is performed.The festival starts on Chinese New Year's Eve by lighting on firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.[202]: 71 Traditionalist visit pagodas to offer offerings and prayers on the New Year's Eve.[202]: 71 Following Chinese customs, there is a big family dinner on the New Year's Eve.[201][203] While the family dinner was traditionally celebrated at the house of the oldest family parents, going to restaurants for New Year's Eve is getting more popular; some restaurants may also have special dinners across the island to foster the family reunions of Sino-Mauritians.[201] After the New year's Eve dinner, youths often go to nightclubs.[201] On the day of the Chinese New Year, it is customary for Sino-Mauritian to share niangao to their relatives and friends and to light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.[200][201] Red envelopes are also given. Some families would also visit pagoda on New Year to honour their ancestors.[201] Some families observe a vegetarian diet on the New Year.[203] The main celebration events typically take place in the Chinatown area in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.[200][204] The Dragon dance and the Southern Lion dance is also customary on that day.[201][203] The colour red is predominantly used to decorate the streets and houses. Chinese items (e.g. Chinese lanterns) are also used as decorations.[204]
Greetings[edit]
The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as
Some of the most common greetings include:
- Xin nian kuai le / San nin fai lok: simplified Chinese:
新年 快 乐; traditional Chinese:新年 快樂 ; pinyin: Xīnniánkuàilè; Jyutping: san1 nin4 faai3 lok6; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k; Hakka: Sin Ngen Kai Lok; Taishanese: Slin Nen Fai Lok. A more contemporary greeting reflective of Western influences, it literally translates from the greeting "Happy new year" more common in the west. It is written in English as "xin nian kuai le".[206] In northern parts of China, traditionally people say simplified Chinese: 过年好 ; traditional Chinese:過 年 好 ; pinyin: Guònián Hǎo instead of simplified Chinese:新年 快 乐; traditional Chinese:新年 快樂 (Xīnniánkuàile), to differentiate it from the international new year. And過 年 好 (Guònián Hǎo) can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese New Year. However,過 年 好 (Guònián Hǎo) is considered very short and therefore somewhat discourteous. - Gong xi fa cai / Gong hei fat choi: simplified Chinese:
恭 喜 发财; traditional Chinese:恭 喜 發 財 ; pinyin: Gōngxǐfācái; Hokkien: Kiong hee huat chai (POJ: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); Cantonese: Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4; Hakka: Gung hee fatt choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous". It is spelled varyingly in English, such as "Gung hay fat choy",[207] "gong hey fat choi",[206] or "Kung Hei Fat Choy".[208] It is often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with "Happy New Year". The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including overseas Chinese communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from Greater China, and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).
Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say
The most common auspicious greetings and sayings consist of four characters, such as the following:
金玉 滿堂 , Jīnyùmǎntáng – "May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall"大 展 鴻 圖 , Dàzhǎnhóngtú – "May you realize your ambitions"迎春 接 福 , Yíngchúnjiēfú – "Greet the New Year and encounter happiness"萬事 如意 , Wànshìrúyì – "May all your wishes be fulfilled"吉 慶 有餘 , Jíqìngyǒuyú – "May your happiness be without limit"竹 報 平安 , Zhúbàopíng'ān – "May you hear [in a letter] that all is well"一本 萬 利 , Yīběnwànlì – "May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits"福壽 雙 全 , Fúshòushuāngquán – "May your happiness and longevity be complete"- 招財
進 寶 , Zhāocáijìnbǎo – "When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow"[209]
These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Children and their parents can also pray in the temple, in hopes of getting good blessings for the new year to come.
Children and teenagers sometimes jokingly use the phrase "
Back in the 1960s, children in Hong Kong used to say
See also[edit]
- Other celebrations of Lunar New Year in China:
- Tibetan New Year (Losar)
- Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
- Celebrations of Lunar New Year in other parts of Asia:
- Buryat New Year (Sagaalgan)
- Korean New Year (Seollal)
- Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu)
- Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar)
- Vietnamese New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán)
- Similar Asian Lunisolar New Year celebrations that occur in April:
- Burmese New Year (Thingyan)
- Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey)
- Lao New Year (Pii Mai)
- Sri Lankan New Year (Aluth Avuruddu)
- Thai New Year (Songkran)
- Chinese New Year Gregorian Holiday in Malaysia
- Malaysia Chinese New Year (Tahun Baru Cina)
- Indonesian Chinese New Year (Imlek)
- Lunar New Year fireworks display in Hong Kong
- The Birthday of Che Kung
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Asia welcomes lunar New Year". BBC. 1 February 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Aslaksen, Helmer (17 July 2010). "The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2016.
- ^ Yeung, Jessie (29 January 2023). "Is it Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year? Depends who you ask". CNN.
- ^ Roy, Christian (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 320. ISBN 978-1-57607-089-5.
- ^ "Lunar New Year Ceremonies Live On in the Okinawa Islands". nippon.com. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Chinese New Year 2011". VisitSingapore.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Chinese New Year Celebrated in Grand Scale in Yangon". Mizzima.com. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "Philippines adds Chinese New Year to holidays". Yahoo News Philippines. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Festivals, Cultural Events and Public Holidays in Mauritius". Mauritius Tourism Authority. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- ^ "Peru leads Chinese New Year celebrations in Latin America". China Daily. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ Crabtree, Justina (16 February 2018). "As the Lunar New Year celebrations begin, CNBC looks at Chinatowns across the world". CNBC.
- ^ "Happy Chinese New Year! The year of the Dog has begun". USA TODAY.
- ^ "Chinese New Year and its effect on the world economy". BostonGlobe.com.
- ^ "Chinese New Year". History.com. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "The Year of the Dog – Celebrating Chinese New Year 2018". EC Brighton. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ Lee, Jonathan H. X.; Nadeau, Kathleen M. (2011). Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife. ABC-CLIO. p. 312. ISBN 978-0-313-35066-5.
- ^ "There are 6 Chinese solar terms in spring". GBTIMES. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ Huang, Alice (21 January 2020). "Lunar New Year explainer: what's with all the lions and lanterns?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^
民 國 政府 曾強廢 農 曆 新年 . China Times. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2024. - ^ a b Haiwang Yuan. "The Origin of Chinese New Year". pp. 3, 6. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
... it is also called Lunar New Year in Chinese communities all over the world. ... Chinese outside mainland China still prefer calling it Lunar [New] Year. 'Chinese New Year' is a popular and convenient translation for people of non-Chinese cultural backgrounds. Along with the Han Chinese in and outside China, as many as 29 of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China also celebrate Chinese New Year. Countries like Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia celebrate it as their official festival.
- ^
中國 古代 歲 首 分 那 幾 種 ?各 以何為 起點 ? [In ancient China, how to decide the starting point of a year?] (in Chinese). Central Weather Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017. - ^ Aslaksen, Helmer (17 July 2010), The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar (PDF), National University of Singapore, p. 31, archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2014
- ^ a b Chan Sui Jeung (2001). Traditional Chinese Festivals and Local Celebrations. Wan Li Book Company Limited.
- ^ "
保 庇 有 狗 讚 -這些年 年 獸 去 了 哪裡?". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 January 2023. - ^ Wikisource.
. (in Chinese) – via九 月 肅霜,十 月 滌場。朋 酒 斯饗,曰殺羔羊。躋彼公 堂 ,稱 彼 兕觥。萬壽 無 疆。 - ^ "
春 节起源 ". www.sohu.com. - ^
呂 不 韋. "季冬 紀 ". (in Chinese). Vol. 12 – via Wikisource.命 有司 大 儺,旁 磔 ,出土 牛 ,以送寒氣 。 - ^
司馬 彪 . "禮儀 中 ". (in Chinese). Vol. 95 – via Wikisource.先 臘一 日 ,大 儺,謂 之 逐疫。 - ^
崔 寔 . (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.正月 之 旦 ,是 謂 正日 。躬率妻 孥,絜祀祖 禰...子 、婦 、孫 、曾,各 上 椒 酒 於其家長 ,稱 觴舉壽 ,欣欣 如也。 - ^ "Chinese New Year". History.com. 20 April 2023.
Ritual sacrifices of food and paper icons were offered to gods and ancestors.
- ^ "
吳 良 ". [Book of the Later Han] (in Chinese). Vol. 27 – via Wikisource.歲旦 與 掾 史 入 賀 ,門下 掾 王 望 舉觴上壽 ,謅稱太守 功德 。 - ^ "The Lunar New Year: Rituals and Legends". Asia for Educators, Columbia University.
On New Year's Day and for the next several days, people still follow the custom of exchanging visits — with close relatives first, then with distant relatives and friends. Traditionally, the order of these visits also began with the eldest, and the first day was usually devoted to paternal family relatives.
- ^
周 處 . (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.蜀 之 風俗 ,晚 歲 相 與 饋問,謂 之 饋歲。酒食 相 邀為別 歲 。至 除 夕 ,達 旦 不眠 ,謂 之 守 歲 。 - ^
宗 懍. (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.正月 一 日 ,是 三 元 之 日 也,謂 之 端 月 。鷄鳴 而起。先 於庭前 爆 竹 ,以辟山 臊惡鬼 。 - ^
来 鵠 . "早春 ". (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.新曆 才 將 半紙 開 ,小 庭 猶 聚爆竿 灰 。偏 憎 楊柳 難 鈐轄,又 惹東風 意 緒 來 。 - ^ "
古代 春 节:春秋 战国有 雏形 "桃 梗"是 最初 的 春 联".新 文化 报. 7 February 2014 – via www.chinanews.com. - ^ "
古人 拜 年 常用 "拜 年 帖 "".半 岛晨报. 30 January 2011 – via www.chinanews.com. - ^
張 唐 英 . (in Chinese). Vol. 2 – via Wikisource.蜀 未 亡 前 一 年 歲 除 日 ,昶 令 學士 辛 寅 遜 題 桃 符 板 於寢門 ,以其詞 工 ,昶 命 筆 自 題 云 :「新年 納 餘慶 ,嘉 節 賀 長春 。」 - ^ "Love of Chinese Language Expressed in Couplets".
The earliest known couplet was written at Spring Festival 964 by the King of Later Shu. It said: "The New Year is bathed in forefathers' blessings; the joyous festival promises everlasting youth and wealth."
- ^ "Chinese Couplets History, Categories & Quotable Examples". 9 March 2019.
The famous poet Wang Anshi (1021–1086) in Northern Song Dynasty even created a poem to depict the spectacular scene of pasting Spring Festival couplets, called New Year's Day (《
元日 》 [yuán rì]). - ^
周 ,廣 玲 (9 February 2011). "宋 代人 怎样过年:大抵 与 今 人 相似 ". Guangzhou Daily. - ^
周密 . (in Chinese). Vol. 3 – via Wikisource.后妃 諸 閣 ,又 各 進 歲 軸 兒 及珠翠 百事 、吉利 市 袋 兒 、小樣 金 銀器 皿 ,並 隨 年金 錢 一 百 二 十 文 。 - ^
熊 夢 祥 . (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.車馬 紛 紜於街衢 、茶 坊 、酒 肆,雜 遝交易 至 十 三 日 ,人家 以黃米 為 糍糕,饋遺親戚 ,歲 如常。 - ^
劉 若 愚 . (in Chinese). Vol. 20 – via Wikisource.正月 初 一 五更 起 ,焚香放 紙 炮,將門 閂 或 木 杠 於院地上 拋擲三 度 ,名 曰「跌千金 」。飲 椒 柏 酒 ,吃水 點心 ,即 「扁 食 」也。或 暗 包 銀 錢 一 二 於內,得 之 者 以卜一 年 之 吉 。 - ^ 顾禄. "遞貢
望 ".清 嘉 錄 .長者 貽小兒 以朱繩 綴 百 錢 ,謂 之 壓 歲 錢 ;置 橘 、荔諸果 於枕畔 、謂 之 壓 歲 果 子 。元旦 睡 覺 時 食 之 ,取 讖于吉利 ,為 新年 休 征 。 - ^ 邱建
一 (24 January 2020). "皇帝 也有 「壓 歲 錢 」可 領 內容物 曝光". Archived from the original on 26 July 2020.皇帝 領 到 的 壓 歲 錢 的 內容是 這樣的 :「賜 皇 上之 荷 包 ,乃黃緞繡五彩 加 金 ,繡有歲歲 平安 四 字 ,內裝金銀 錢 、金銀 錁子、金銀 八 寶 各 一 個 (各 五 分 重 ),口上 插一小金 如意 ,約 二 吋 許 。上 鏨連年 如意 四 字 。」 - ^ Huang, Wei; Xie, Ying (January 2012). "The New Year That Wasn't". NewsChina. NewsChinaMagazine. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ a b "HOLIDAYS". Embassy of the United States: Kuala Lumpur, Mayalsia. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Jadual hari kelepasan am persekutuan 2012" [Federal Public Holiday Schedule 2012] (PDF) (in Malay). Putrajaya, Malaysia: Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Department of the Prime Minister). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Public holidays: entitlement and pay". Ministry of Manpower Singapore.
- ^ "Embassy Holidays". Embassy of the United States: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ "General holidays for 2018". Hong Kong Government. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ "Public Holidays in 2019 Decree Law No. 60/2000 on Public Holidays". Macao SARG Portal. Macao SAR of the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "National Public Holidays in Indonesia". AngloINFO, the global expat network: INDONESIA. AngloINFO Limited. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ "Holiday Schedule". Embassy of the United States: Jakarta, Indonesia. U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ Zhu Yafei (16 October 2006). "从
数字 之 外 看 黄金 周 的 去 与 留 (Seeing Golden Week from Beyond the Numbers)". news.cctv.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.黄金 周 的 7天 连续假 期 是 通 过对法定 三 天 假 日前 、后 的 周 末 休息 日 进行调整而形成 的 。(The 7 seven-consecutive day Golden Week is formed by adjusting the weekend days before and after the 3 day holiday). - ^ "Chinese New Year – China's Grandest Festival & Longest Public Holiday". TravelChinaGuide.
- ^ "Proclamation No. 831, s. 2014 by the President of the Philippines, Declaring the Regular Holidays, Special (Non-Working) Days, and Special Holiday (for all Schools) for the Year 2015" (Press release). Malacañang Palace, Manila: Official Gazette of the Philippines. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "
紀 念 日 及節日 實施 辦法". Laws & Regulations Database of The Republic of China (Taiwan). Retrieved 8 January 2023. - ^ "Before You Go: Useful Information: Public Holidays". Taiwan, the heart of Asia. Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan). 4 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Chinese Lunar year: Lunar New Year's Eve; 1st, 2nd, 3rd of the 1st month by lunar calendar
- ^ 2015 Work Calendar (Revised Version), Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, 27 October 2014, archived from the original on 23 September 2015
- ^ "AIT Offices to Close for Multiple Holidays in February" (Press release). American Institute in Taiwan. 10 February 2015. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ a b "ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง กำหนดเวลาทำงานและวันหยุดราชการ (ฉบับที่ ๒๐) พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๕" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2019.
- ^ Li Ren (2003). "Imagining China in the Era of Global Consumerism and Local Consciousness: Media, Mobility, and the Spring Festival". PhD thesis, College of Communications, Ohio University. Retrieved 13 September 2007. Edited for grammar.
- ^ Bodde, Derk. Festivals in Classical China: New Year and other Annual Observances during the Han Dynasty, Princeton University Press, 1975, pp. 49 ff.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 5.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 9.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 36.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 30.
- ^ "Chinese New Year customs in Singapore | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
- ^ a b Laing, Jennifer; Frost, Warwick (30 October 2014). Rituals and Traditional Events in the Modern World. Routledge. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-134-59313-2. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "10 taboos you should always observe during Chinese New Year". www.msn.com.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 40.
- ^ Kong, Shiu L. Chinese Culture and Lore. HK: University of Toronto Press, 1989, p. 48
- ^ "¬K¸'". .ctps.tp.edu.tw. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ Berkowitz and Brandauer, Folk Religion in an Urban Setting, Hong Kong, 1969, p. 49.
- ^ Rodgers, Greg. "Chinese New Year Traditions". About.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ "Chinese New Year". yourchineseastrology.com.
- ^ a b c Lin Meirong (2011). "Jade Emperor". Encyclopedia of Taiwan. Council for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ^ a b c d Conceicao, Jeanne Louise (2009). "Hokkien community". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ^ "This Mid-Autumn Festival, learn all about the ancient Chinese tradition of writing riddles on lanterns – and solve some yourself". Young Post. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Thousands throw oranges to mark Chap Goh Meh". Thestar.com.my. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ a b "Chinese New Year Traditions". History.com. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Chinese New Year Food". Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Laing, Jennifer; Frost, Warwick (30 October 2014). Rituals and Traditional Events in the Modern World. Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-134-59313-2. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Chan, Yannie (26 January 2021). "Why do Chinese families stick to a vegetarian diet on Lunar New Year?". The Loop HK. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Thianchai Iamworamet. Chinese-Thai Dictionary. Bangkok: Ramsar, 1998. page 73, 272. (เธียรชัย เอี่ยมวรเมธ. พจนานุกรม จีน-ไทย. กรุงเทพฯ : รวมสาส์น, 2541. หน้า 73, 272.) ISBN 978-974-246-307-6
- ^ Butler, Stephanie (30 January 2014). "Symbolic Foods Of Chinese New Year – Hungry History". History.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^
李 ,開 周 (2016).過 一 個 歡樂 的 宋朝 新年 .臺北 市 :華 藝 數 位 股 份有限 公司 . pp. 95–98. ISBN 9789571365213. - ^ (
宋 )周密 .武林 舊 事 ·卷一 ~卷 三 .浙江 大学 图书馆. - ^ Flanagan, Alice K. (2004). Chinese New Year. Compass Point Books. ISBN 9780756504793. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ "Red Pockets". Chinese New Year. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "This numbers game is crazy – for 8s". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "How much money should you put in red envelope..." Taiwan News. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "What's the significance of Lunar New Year red envelopes?". The Seattle Times. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Ofw chinese new year things to remember" (PDF). South East Asia Group [an agency introducing foreign workers to work in Taiwan]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^
家庭 外 傭 過 年 習俗 應 注意 事項 (JPEG) (in Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, and English). South East Asia Group. 23 January 2012. - ^ "How Social Cash Made WeChat The App For Everything". Fast Company. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Young, Doug. "Red envelope wars in China, Xiaomi eyes US". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Why this Chinese New Year will be a digital money fest". BBC News. 27 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Tencent, Alibaba Send Lunar New Year Revelers Money-Hunting". Caixin Global. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^
超 宏 ,陳 (2014).紅 包 .香港 :商務 書 局 。. - ^ Zhang, Qian; Li, Jun; Wang, Shanyong; Zhou, Yu (2019). "Understanding the User's Economical and Psychological Intentions to Snatch Electronic Red Envelopes: An Experimental Study". IEEE Access. 7: 5749–5759. Bibcode:2019IEEEA...7.5749Z. doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2888576. ISSN 2169-3536.
- ^ "Chinese Culture: New Years – Cantonese Culture Notes and Phrases". chinese-lessons.com. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ David (3 December 2009). "Green Hat a No-No".
- ^ Mack, Lauren (27 February 2015). "Chinese Gift-Giving: What Not to Buy – Avoid These Chinese Gift-Giving Blunders". About.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Firecrackers". Infopedia.nlb.gov.sg. 15 April 1999. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "
新年 好 (xīnniánhǎo) Happy New Year". eChineseLearning.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2012. - ^ Lee, Jen Sookfong (3 October 2017). Chinese New Year: A Celebration for Everyone. Orca Book Publishers. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4598-1127-0. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Ong, Siew Chey (2005). China Condensed: 5000 Years of History & Culture. Marshall Cavendish. p. 182. ISBN 978-981-261-067-6. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "就地过年|
定 格 幸福 :来 张特殊 的 春 节"全 家 福 "".澎湃 新 闻. Retrieved 1 January 2023.春 节来临,不 少 家庭 喜 欢趁团聚拍 一 张全家 福 ,记录时光、记录美好 ,是 一件很有仪式感的事。 - ^ "Year of the Pig | 2019 Chinese Horoscope | Ask Astrology Blog". 16 October 2018.
- ^ Wood, Frances. "The Boxer Rebellion, 1900: A Selection of Books, Prints and Photographs". British Library. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ Holm, David (1 January 2006). "The Cult of Happiness: Nianhua, Art, and History in Rural North China. James A. Flath". The China Journal. 55: 230–231. doi:10.2307/20066170. ISSN 1324-9347. JSTOR 20066170.
- ^ "10 Lucky Flowers & Plants For Chinese New Year". thehkhub.com. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "
清明 節 掃墓為 什麼 用 菊花 ?清明 節 掃墓用 什麼 顏色 菊花 好 ". Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021. - ^ China's holiday rush begins early, BBC
- ^ Shan, Shelley (7 January 2012). "Ministry warns of heavy Lunar New Year holiday traffic". Taipei Times.
Lee, I-chia (25 January 2012). "Despite rain, millions hit the road". Taipei Times.
Lee, I-chia (29 January 2012). "Early start beats tolls and congestion as the holiday ends". Taipei Times.
... total traffic volume on Friday was 2.7 million vehicles, about 1.7 times the average daily traffic volume of about 1.6 million. "We estimate the total traffic volume [yesterday] was between 2.1 million and 2.3 million vehicles," Chen said. "Northbound traffic volume was much higher than southbound and peak hours were between 3 pm and 6 pm."
- ^ "Chinese New Year parade doomed as Baird government's new route 'too narrow' for floats". Smh.com.au. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ "London – Chinese New Year – "The largest celebrations outside of Asia"". BBC. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ Kim, Ryan (28 February 2010). "Year of the Tiger off to roaring start at parade". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ a b Lo, Tern Chern (4 February 2024). "Kek Lok Si Temple lights up for Chinese New Year". The Star. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ Trisha, N. (31 January 2024). "Penang gears up for a month of Chinese New Year festivities". The Star. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ Wang, Yi (30 January 2023). "Discover cultural treasures in Chinese New Year celebration at Malaysia's Penang". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ Chong, Kah Yuan (24 February 2018). "Penang Chinese usher in Hokkien New Year with grand offerings". The Star. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ Edmund Lee (1 February 2023). "Penang expects grander Chap Goh Meh celebration". Buletin Mutiara. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Singapore in spring: Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2010". VisitSingapore.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Chingay Parade Singapore 2011". VisitSingapore.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Chinggay Parade 2011 Highlights". Archived from the original on 31 July 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ Calusin, Diann (11 February 2024). "Crowd of 1.5 million seen at Chinese New Year festivity in Binondo". Manila Bulletin.
- ^ "Cebu City to celebrate Chinese new year with a Red Lantern Festival at Plaza Sugbo". INQUIRER.net. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Hari-Hari Penting Di Indonesia" (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Keputusan Presiden Republik Indonesia. Nomor 19 Tahun 2002. Tentang. Hari Tahun Baru Imlek" [Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia. Number 19 of 2002. About. Chinese New Year's Day] (PDF). kepustakaan-presiden.pnri.go.id. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2017.
- ^ Chang-Yau Hoon (2009). "The politics of Imlek". Inside Indonesia. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Penetapan Pemerintah 1946 No 2/Um::Aturan Hari Raya". ngada.org. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Keputusan Presiden Republik Indoniesia No. 24 Tahun 1953 Tentang Hari-Hari Libur" [Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia No. 24 of 1953 concerning Holidays]. Aswin Weblog (in Indonesian). 24 May 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ a b Wikisource. (in Indonesian) – via
- ^ Wikisource. (in Indonesian) – via
- ^ a b c "Keputusan Menteri Agama No. 13 dan 14 Tahun 2001 – Imlek Sebagai Hari Libur Fakultatif ". www.hukumonline.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ AFP (22 January 2012). "Chinese-Indonesians celebrate once-forbidden roots". Taipei Times.
- ^ a b "Pemerintah Tetapkan Hari Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama Tahun 2017". Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "Nakhon Sawan Chinese New Year Festival". TAT. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Chinese New Year in Phuket". PHUKET.COM. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Suphanburi Chinese New Year Festival". TAT. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง กำหนดเวลาทำงานและวันหยุดราชการ (ฉบับที่ ๒๑) พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๖" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2019.
- ^ "CHINESE NEW YEAR IS AMONG NEW GOV'T HOLIDAYS FOR 2021". Khao Sod. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "วันตรุษจีน 2561 กับ 7 คำถามยอดฮิตที่คนอยากรู้" [Chinese New Year 2018 with 7 popular questions that people want to know]. Kapook.com (in Thai). 7 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ Pramarnpanich, Tanachai (16 February 2018). "Gateway to the Chinese new year". The Nation. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Princess Sirindhorn to open Chinese New Year Festival in China Town Bangkok today". TPBS. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Princess Sirindhorn opens Chinese New Year Celebration at China Town". TPBS. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "2013 Sydney Chinese New Year Twilight Parade". sydneychinesenewyear.com. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "City of Sydney Official Chinese New Year Website". Cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Chinese New Year in Australia". www.chinesenewyear.net.au. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "East Meets West Lunar New Year Festival". Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ "Chinese New Year Festival, Wellington New Zealand". Chinesenewyear.co.nz. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- ^ "Tourists flock for Year of the Rooster". www.odt.co.nz. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ a b Cross, Heather. "Chinese Lunar New Year in New York City: 2015 – Don't miss out on Lunar New Year festivities in NYC". About.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco". Chineseparade.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "The Golden Dragon Parade". Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles. 2014. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013.
- ^ "Welcome to Chinatown, Boston". Chinatown Main Street. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Events". Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. 2016. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ "Realizarán desfile en DF por Año Nuevo chino". El Universal. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver". Seechinatown.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ Rhein, Jamie (16 February 2007). "A Chinese New Year Parade in Butte, Montana? Sure". Gadling.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Fireworks Fly on Hudson River For Chinese Lunar New Year". CBSNewYork. 17 February 2015.
- ^ Semple, Kirk (16 February 2015). "With Lunar New Year Show, Another Link to China for a New York Fireworks Family". The New York Times.
- ^ "Chinese New Year". 7 November 2022.
- ^ "LNY PARADE". 10 January 2020.
- ^ Harris, Elizabeth A.; Grynbaum, Michael M. (22 June 2015). "Mayor de Blasio to Make Lunar New Year a School Holiday". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ David Robinson (11 September 2023). "NY makes Asian Lunar New Year a public school holiday. When is it in 2024?". USA TODAY Network. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ "State Holidays". www.calhr.ca.gov.
- ^ "Chinese New Year festival & Parade". chineseparade.com. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Best San Francisco Bay Area Events, Weekends & Festivals 2013". hiddensf.com. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Welcome to the Visit California Homepage". www.visitcalifornia.com.
- ^ "Lunar New Year". Lunar New Year.
- ^ "Gallery". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "2023 Lunar New Year Festival | San Gabriel, CA – Official Website". www.sangabrielcity.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ a b HENRIQUEZ, CRYSTAL (20 January 2023). "Tet Parades Across OC Gear Up for Year of the Cat Festivities". Voice of OC.
- ^ "OC Tet Festival at Mile Square Park 2023 | Enjoy OC". 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple 1/1/2022 News: New Year Festival at Hsi Lai Temple". www.hsilai.org.
- ^ "Lunar New Year – South Coast Plaza". www.southcoastplaza.com.
- ^ "Lunar New Year". Disneyland. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Chinese New Year 2013 – Year of the Snake starts in style". chinatownlondon.org. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "London's Chinese New Year is More Chinese than Ever Before". londonnet.co.uk. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Le Nouvel An Chinois à Paris 2013". sortiraparis.com. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Le Nouvel An Chinois". mairie13.paris.fr. 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Le grand défilé du Nouvel An Chinois". mairie13.paris.fr. 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ Chinese New Year Festival
- ^ "Chinees Nieuwjaarfeest Den Haag 2020". Stichting Chinese Culturele Evenementen Nederland. 27 December 2019.
- ^ "Chinees Nieuwjaar in Amsterdam (binnenstad)". Immaterieel Erfgoed.
- ^ "'Chinees Nieuwjaar stelt steeds meer voor in Nederland'". NU. 31 January 2019.
- ^ https://hirado.hu/kultura-eletmod/cikk/2020/01/25/kitarul-a-budapesti-kinai-negyed Retrieved: 2024.02.10
- ^ Iqbal, Myra (15 February 2013). "Chinese New Year: Celebrating spring and all it brings". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Chinese new year : Pakistan in photo show". The Express Tribune. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "CELEBRATING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH THE PAKISTAN-CHINA INSTITUTE – – Youlin Magazine". Youlin Magazine.
- ^ "Chinese New Year celebrated in Islamabad". CCTV English. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ a b c "Relishing a different Spring Festival in Mauritius ( An Essay written by Chinese Ambassador in Mauritius)". www.mfa.gov.cn. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Chinese Spring Festival in Mauritius in 2023". Office Holidays. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Chinese New Year Mauritius: A cultural celebration". www.airmauritius.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Republic of Mauritius- Festivals". www.govmu.org. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i administrator (18 February 2021). "How is the Chinese New Year celebrated in Mauritius? | World Marks". Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b Richards, Alexandra (2012). Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion (Ed. 8 ed.). Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-410-5. OCLC 795856647.
- ^ a b c Turenne, Christine (8 February 2016). "Nouvel an chinois: la force des symboles". lexpress.mu (in French). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b "A Taste of Chinese New Year in Mauritius". www.airmauritius.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 20.
- ^ a b Friedman, Sophie (4 February 2019). "Top 10 things to know about Chinese New Year". nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
In Mandarin, they'll say gong xi fa cai (
恭 喜 发财), wishing you a prosperous New Year. In Cantonese, it's gong hey fat choi. Still, if you wish someone xin nian kuai le (新年 快 乐), literally 'happy new year,' that's perfectly welcome, too. - ^ Rabinovitz, Jonathan (29 January 1998). "Bettors Try to Ride the Tiger; Chinese Hope Good Luck Accompanies the New Year". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
When they arrived at Foxwoods, casino employees greeted them with 'Gung hay fat choy,' the Cantonese phrase that translates roughly as 'Happy New Year.'
- ^ Magida, Lenore (18 December 1994). "What's Doing in Hong Kong". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
In such an environment, it seems fitting that the traditional New Year's greeting is, in Cantonese, 'Kung Hei Fat Choy' – which means 'Wishing You Success and Prosperity.'
- ^ Welch 1997, p. 22.
Bibliography[edit]
- Welch, Patricia Bjaaland (1997). Chinese New Year. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-587730-4.
External links[edit]
- Media related to Chinese New Year at Wikimedia Commons
- Chinese New Year
- New Year celebrations
- Public holidays in Cambodia
- Public holidays in China
- Public holidays in Indonesia
- Public holidays in Malaysia
- Public holidays in the Philippines
- Public holidays in Singapore
- Public holidays in Taiwan
- Public holidays in Thailand
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Observances set by the Chinese calendar
- Winter events in China
- Buddhist holidays
- Taoist holidays
- Chinese-Australian culture