Celebrating Chinese New Year
Brian Hennessy. Cairns, Australia. January, 2024
Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it is known locally, is China’s longest and most important festival. It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon, 15 days later.
Every year has a zodiac animal: the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Positive traits of these animals are bestowed on people born in that year.
2024 is the Year of the Dragon
Dragon Strengths
Dragons are upright characters who scorn any hypocritical or dishonorable behavior. They have a self-respecting pride that is matched by a Dragons’ wisdom, generosity, vigor, and talent. They’re full of energy and can attract followers with their charisma.
Dragon people are usually courageous and fearless leaders who will never back down from a challenge. This enterprising spirit, coupled with their innate talent, will, without a doubt, make Dragons the movers and shakers of this world.
Dragon Weaknesses
On the flip side of this confidence and courage, is a propensity to be domineering, temperamental, self-centered, and gullible. This last possibility seems difficult to understand until you realize Dragons always believe that they know best.
Celebrating Chinese New Year
_________________________________________________________________________
How do Chinese people celebrate Spring Festival?
Prior to Spring Festival in China, houses are cleaned in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and make way for incoming good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper-cuts and characters spelling out themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity. Further, any outstanding debts are repaid to make sure that the New Year begins with a clean slate.
And all over the country, millions of relatives will travel long distances in overcrowded buses and trains (and by air) to return to their hometown and reunite with family.
Chinese people value family – the Confucian bedrock of this ancient society – and at the beginning of Spring Festival the extended family will gather together for a celebratory banquet.
After the meal, everyone will relax by playing mah-jong, eating leftovers from the banquet, and watching variety shows on TV. Later on, absent relatives will be visited, money will be given in red envelopes, and firecrackers and rockets will be lit in order to banish any bad spirits which might have been hanging around.
During this time individuals will speak kind words to each other because they believe that bad words spoken at the beginning of the year may attract bad luck for the rest of the year. It is important to celebrate the new year with correct behaviour and good intentions.
Xin nian kuaile (Happy New Year); and Gong xi fa cai (Hope you will be rich).
Happy Chinese New year to everybody!
Published in the Cairns Post. January 27, 2020