CNY. I'm learning to write this when referring to Chinese New Year because I'm constantly texting or referring to this consuming holiday that I don't understand very well. I think this is what someone from Russia must feel like when they visit America on Thanksgiving weekend. At any rate, for those who might want to read, I copied this from the boys' school's weekly email.
What is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks, and gift giving. It is a 15-day holiday, beginning on the first day of a new moon and ending with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival. The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year pattern with each year named after an animal, which is also known as the Chinese zodiac. There are various stories that explain this. The simplest is that the Jade Emperor invited all of the animals to join him for a New Year celebration, but only 12 animals turned up. To reward the animals that showed up, the Emperor named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived, starting with the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The year of the Snake is the sixth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac.
Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks, and gift giving. It is a 15-day holiday, beginning on the first day of a new moon and ending with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival. The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year pattern with each year named after an animal, which is also known as the Chinese zodiac. There are various stories that explain this. The simplest is that the Jade Emperor invited all of the animals to join him for a New Year celebration, but only 12 animals turned up. To reward the animals that showed up, the Emperor named a year after each of them in the order that they arrived, starting with the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The year of the Snake is the sixth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac.
Chinese all over the world celebrate this important holiday. Other countries, such as Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, list the Lunar New Year as a public holiday.
Year Of The Horse
1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014
In 2014, the year of the Horse begins on January 31, 2014. According to Chinese Astrology Calendar, it is the Year of Wood Horse. As wood is related to tree or green, it is also called Year of Green Horse. In Chinese culture, Horse is a symbol of nobility, class, speed and perseverance. People born in the Year of the Horse are smart, fabulous speakers who have a gift for getting through to other people. People bearing the horse sign strive towards seeking freedom and happiness. Clickhere for more information.
The Chinese New Year Legend
Long ago, the world was not a safe place; monsters dominated the world. There was one horrifying monster that came out on the same day each year to eat people. This monster was named Nian, and the people marked the end of a year by his visits to the human civilization. That is where the Chinese word for "year" came from. This monster was the most feared by people because every time it came out, whole villages would be destroyed. So, every time the monster would come out, people would huddle together in their homes and stay up all night, hoping not to be eaten. This happened for many years until a wise man thought up a plan to scare the monster away. This man proposed that the people should light bamboo. The bamboo would crack and make a lot of noises, possibly scaring the monster away. The villagers thought this was a very good idea and started to light the bamboo. The noise was tremendous. The monster was scared by the loud noise and ran back to its cave without eating any people. The next morning, everyone was present. They were all elated. The people congratulated each other for executing the plan effectively. From then on, people stayed up late, lit firecrackers (to simulate the lighting of the bamboo), and congratulated each other every New Year.
Long ago, the world was not a safe place; monsters dominated the world. There was one horrifying monster that came out on the same day each year to eat people. This monster was named Nian, and the people marked the end of a year by his visits to the human civilization. That is where the Chinese word for "year" came from. This monster was the most feared by people because every time it came out, whole villages would be destroyed. So, every time the monster would come out, people would huddle together in their homes and stay up all night, hoping not to be eaten. This happened for many years until a wise man thought up a plan to scare the monster away. This man proposed that the people should light bamboo. The bamboo would crack and make a lot of noises, possibly scaring the monster away. The villagers thought this was a very good idea and started to light the bamboo. The noise was tremendous. The monster was scared by the loud noise and ran back to its cave without eating any people. The next morning, everyone was present. They were all elated. The people congratulated each other for executing the plan effectively. From then on, people stayed up late, lit firecrackers (to simulate the lighting of the bamboo), and congratulated each other every New Year.
Getting Ready for Chinese New Year
In the run up to Chinese New Year, homes are spring-cleaned thoroughly so that all the bad luck of the previous year is swept away. On the first day of the new year, brooms and dustpans are put away and never used in case the good luck of the new year is swept away! Very often houses are freshly painted. Traditional Chinese homes sometimes get a new coat of red paint, as red is a particularly lucky color. Homes are decorated with paper-cuttings. Chinese couplets are also used to decorate homes. These are two tall posters, usually consisting of 4 to 7 Chinese characters, which are hung on either side of the front door. The couplets express traditional good wishes for the year ahead.
Lai See Packs/Red Envelopes - 利是袋/红包
At Chinese New Year, parents, family and friends give money in red envelopes to children. The red color symbolizes good luck, and the amount of money can be anything from a small coin to a larger amount. Lucky money envelopes are also known as Lai See Packets or Red Envelopes.
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