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Hello
and welcome to my blog .Today I will be taking you through some of the most important traditions of Chinese New Year and then stop at background we look at some of the legends behind Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated here in the US and by Chinese across the world.
The Chinese have very specific way of celebrating the new year if you walk down the street in Chinatown during Chinese New Year you see a variety of ancient traditions such as red banners firecrackers and lion dance performances .The streets are filled with lively celebration however legend has said that the New Year has not always been a time of festivity.
An ancient Chinese story tells a chilly start to this festive holiday. It begins with an ancient Chinese beast called Nian .Every new union It would rise from swelling in the sea to ravage a Chinese village , eating livestock and hurting people. The villages soon found out from a wise gray-haired old man that the only way to scare the beasts away was to set off firecrackers and light lamps and to hang red banners on each door
As the story goes this was the beginning of a tradition that would last thousands of years . So this story led to the creation of many of the traditions for celebrating Chinese New Year .
Let's take a look at some of these traditions
FIRECRACKERS
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Year celebrations will not be the same without firecrackers. This tradition originates from ancient China as the Chinese were the first to invent gunpowder as early as during ninth century. It was believed that ghosts , bad spirits and even the legendary monster cult Nian that came out to attack people during new year were afraid of loud noises . So the ancient Chinese would fill bamboo stems with gunpowder to make small explosions to drive away Nian , evil spirits and bad luck.
Another popular traditional belief was that the noise from the firecrackers would awaken the sleeping that will then fly across the sky bringing plentiful rain for their crops. Today in most countries for safety issues it is illegal for individuals to light firecrackers , but this tradition persists. To make it safe and enjoyable for the public various Chinese organizations have organized firecracker celebrations as part of the annual cultural activities . Since 2000 the Chinese American community in New York City has been organizing the annual Chinatown Lunar New Year firecracker ceremony that attracts more than 200,000 visitors.
LIONDANCE
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Another way the Chinese use to scare off evil monsters at the start of the new year is the lion dance. Let's now find out more about this Chinese tradition. The lion dance is a familiar sight on the streets of Chinatown during Chinese New Year celebrations. This is a traditional lively dance that combines art, history and culture with the rigors of Chinese martial arts movements .The two dancers form the lion .One holds the lion's head ,who forms the front part of the lion's body while the second dance forms the body and the tail of a lion . Together they prance about to the rhythm of drums ,cymbals and a gong.
The lion symbolizes courage , strength and authority . According to traditional Chinese belief loud music can frighten away ghosts,evil spirits and Nian ,the Chinese legendary monster that would come out to attack and kill people during the new year . Today the lion dance is performed to usher in a new and prosperous year . It involves the ritual of the lion plucking the greens or citing the Chinese words.
REDBANNERS
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This auspicious ritual is believed to bring in good luck and wealth to the business .If you'll walk around a Chinese village during the new year you will see a lot of red banners stuck on people's doors now .These banners are messages of good fortune for the new year . An old Chinese tradition of hanging red banners for new year was one of the methods used to scare away the beasts.
These banners contain auspicious messages to dwell and harmony . When the lunar new year comes around some of the banners contain corresponding Chinese poetic couplets are placed on the entrance of houses . During the Chinese New Year these Chinese couplets which are pasted on either side of a doorway are sometimes also accompanied by a third idiom located on the top of the door.
REDPACKETS
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Chinese families give each other red packets with money inside . Unlike the Western custom of giving presents during Chinese New Year , it is customary practice to give and receive red packets ,a Hong Bao in Chinese. This is a small red rectangular envelope for putting money in to give away as a gift.The envelope is red because in traditional Chinese culture red is considered a lucky color. It's believed to ward off evil spirits and to bring good fortune to the receiver. Hence most red packets are decorated with auspicious Chinese symbols or characters such as happiness and prosperity .
Today red packets come in all kinds of different designs besides the more traditional ones .Traditionally the older generation gives the red packet to the younger generation ,parents ,grandparents and married members of the family would give the red packet to the children , grandchildren and unmarried family members . Nowadays this practice extends to close friends neighbors and even some companies give away year-end bonuses in a red packet. The amount of money placed inside a red packet varies depending on the relationship between a giver and a receiver but it must be in even numbers .Amount starting or ending with 8 is common . 8 means Oba in Chinese . It symbolizes prosperity .
As a child my favorite day was the last day of Chinese New Year un shell jet or Lantern Festival . I used to go to the beach with lanterns . I believe it is one of the most glittering festivals of the world.
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