Chinese new year is an ancient celebration that is rich with its own customs and traditions that have both stood the test of time and evolved with the modern world. This year the celebration, often referred to as the “spring festival”, will commence on the 12th of February and last for about 16 days. To its very core, the Chinese new year is a vivid, vibrant, visual sensation, but perhaps the most ironically renowned sight is the more understatedly beautiful “lantern festival”- Yuan Xiao- which concludes the festivities with its climatic scenes.
Leaving behind the year of the rat, 2021 welcomes in the year of the Ox - the second Zodiac animal. Due to their agricultural role, the Ox is highly valued in Chinese society. The animal is also regarded as being intelligent, reliable and hardworking- quite the contrast to its predecessor! Ancient myth would have it that the Jade Emperor decided the order of the animals in the zodiac calendar would be determined by the order that they arrived at his party. According to the tale, the Ox was on his way first but upon his journey offered the rat a lift, only to be deceived last minute- in true the scorpion and the frog fashion-when the animal jumped off the Ox’s back and crossed the finish line first. It’s no wonder 2020 was so troublesome!
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The spring festival is also a chance to showcase east Asia’s plethora of sumptuous cuisine; spring rolls, noodles, dumplings and steamed fish or chicken are just a few notable items on the menu! Certain ingredients are used to symbolize important values and hopes for what families wish their year to be filled with. For example, duck is connoted with loyalty, pork is seen as a symbol of peace and the promise of fortune, and wealth is represented by shrimp.
Similar to many other celebrations, the Chinese new year is about family reunions, giving thanks to God and celebrating the society and community we live in. Chinese new year is also a time to smile and welcome fortune and happiness into your life and future. In the hope for good fortune, some taboos to avoid during the Chinese new year are:
- Saying negative words like pain, poor, or sick as you don’t want to jinx yourself or others.
- Breaking ceramics or glass as they have a connection with prosperity and fortune.
Fighting or crying -unless there is a special circumstance. It is advised that if a child cries do not reprimand them, this is to try and ensure that the journey into the new year is peaceful and smooth.
Giving New years blessings to anyone in bed. Giving new year blessings are welcomed, however, let the person you are blessing get out of bed first or they’ll be bedridden all year! Also, you aren’t supposed to wake people up and rush them into the new year- so take advantage of this and enjoy that lie-in!
Sleeping or cleaning. Prior to the spring festival, there is a day designated to sweep away any bad luck from the past year, but during the festival, it is thought that cleaning or throwing away rubbish may seep away good luck instead.
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