Chinese New YearThe English Corner - Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year: 2013 The Year of the Snake Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese use the lunar calendar which is different from ours and celebrate New Year’s Day on different dates every year. This year the Chinese will celebrate New Year’s Day on February 10, 2013.
Chinese New Year Dates
How is it celebrated?
In China, people take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for the New Year celebrations. The Chinese New Year festivities last 15 days. The New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, especially for a feast on New Year's Eve.
During this time people wear red clothes, decorate their houses with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can keep away bad luck. They also throw fireworks because they believe that the flames and loud noise will scare evil spirits.
The Lantern Festival
One of the highlights of the Chinese New Year celebrations is the Lantern festival. During the festival people hang lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of a full moon.
In many areas the most exciting part of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which is usually about 30 meters long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Young men hold the dragon and dance as they carry it through the streets.
How did it all start?
Legend says that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality.
The Chinese Horoscope
Each year of the Chinese Zodiac is represented by a different animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has certain characteristics. The year a person is born determines their animal sign. For example, a person's animal sign is a rat if they were born in the year of the rat.
Now find your chinese zodiac sign :
If you were born in 1996, you are a RAT.
If you were born in 1997, you are an OX.
If you were born in 1998, you are a TIGER.
If you were born in 1999, you are a RABBIT.
If you were born in 2000, you are a DRAGON.
If you were born in 2001, you are a SNAKE.
Animal Personality Characteristics
by I. Giannopoulou and V. Fragiadaki Chinese New Year Quiz
1. Why do the Chinese use firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year? a. They scare away monsters. b. They provide light in the dark winter night. c. They wake up people to celebrate.
2. How long does the New Year celebration last? a. One day b. A fortnight c. A lunar month (28 days)
3. According to Chinese custom, on New Year's Day you shouldn't... a. Eat sweets b. Leave home c. Sweep the house
4. What color should you wear for Chinese New Year's celebrations? a. red b. white c. green
5. What do children get? a. Presents b. Money c. Nothing
6. According to tradition, who do families visit on the first day of Chinese New Year? a. young family members b. old family members c. friends
7. What fruit, representing good fortune and happiness, is traditionally the most popular at the Chinese New Year meals? a. pineapple b. apple c. tangerine
8. What do Chinese people hang in temples, and carry to an evening parade under the light of the full moon? a. baskets b. lanterns c. masks
9. What is made of silk, paper, and bamboo, and is the most important event of the traditional lantern festival? a. dragon b. monster c. float
10. The Chinese horoscope signs are: a. ancient Greek gods b. flowers and plants c. animals The Chinese New Year Quiz Answers
1. a According to one legend, a monster terrorized villages while searching for food at the time of the New Year. One year, the monster attacked while the villagers were building a fire out of bamboo. When the bamboo started making loud sounds as it was burnt, the monster was scared and ran away. 2. b A fortnight is 15 days. 3. c You shouldn't sweep the house on New Year's Day. Tradition says you run the risk of sweeping your good luck away. 4. a Red is the Chinese color of celebration, as it keeps away evil spirits. 5. b Children get money in red envelopes. 6. b On Chinese New Year, families visit their elders. 7. c Tangerines are considered good luck. 8. b They often paint lanterns with birds, animals, flowers and zodiac signs. 9. a Everybody loves the dragon, which takes several people to carry and animate. 10. c The Chinese zodiac signs are animals. |
