Happy Chinese New Year!
 
 

This year, the Chinese New Year celebrations will begin on February 18th. Chinese New Year, known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It's a time of year when Chinese people living overseas travel home to be with their families. Celebrations begin on Chinese New Year's Eve and continue through The Lantern Fesival, on the 15th day.

Why February 18th? Since the Chinese Calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which is about 29.5 days per month, there's a need to "catch up" with the solar calendar. Therefore, an extra month is inserted every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). It's a similar concept to adding an extra day on leap year. The Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the Gregorian New Year that contains a new moon. This day falls in between January 21st and February 20th.
 
 

 

In 2007, it falls on February 18th. 2007 is the Year of the Pig or Boar. In China, the Boar is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest.

Preparations traditionally begin in the home the week before the new year, when families thoroughly clean their houses to symbolically sweep away all traces of misfortune. They also pay off debts, add a new coat of red paint to doors and windowpanes, and decorate the home with flowers.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." People dress in new clothes to symbolize the discarding of the old year and its misfortunes. Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the New Year because it is believed that this will ensure a long and happy life. It's a time where families will pay a visit to their oldest and most senior member of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. Many adults, particularly married ones, also follow an ancient custom of giving small red packets of money (called hong bao or lai see in Chinese) to children, unmarried adults, and employees or servants.

Some families may invite a Lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs. On this day, married daughters traditionally visit their birth parents.

The third day of Chinese New Year is generally accepted as an inappropriate day to visit relatives. It is known as "chì kou," a day that is easy to get into arguments. Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect. The third day of the New Year is often spent visiting the graves of the deceased.

The fifth day is called "Po Woo." On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck. In Northern China, people eat Jiao z (dumplings) on the morning of "Po Wu." This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth.

On the sixth to the tenth day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.

The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

The seventh day, traditionally known as "renri," the common man's birthday, is the day when everyone grows one year older. It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, "yusheng," is often enjoyed. People get together to toss the colorful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity. This is a custom primarily among the Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, but not commonly practiced by Chinese in other parts of the world.

On the eighth day the Fujian people in Southeast China have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

On the ninth day, offerings are made to the Jade Emperor. This day is heralded as the New Year of the "Hokkiens." Come midnight of the eighth day of the New Year, the "Hokkiens" will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.

The tenth through the thirteenth are days that friends and relatives are invited for dinner. After days of celebrations, many Chinese enjoy simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.

The fourteenth day is often spent preparing for the Lantern Festival to be held on the evening of the fifteenth. The fifteenth day of the new year is the last day of the traditional New Year's celebrations. It is celebrated as "Yuánxiao jié," the Chinese Valentine's. "Tangyuan," a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is often served during the Lantern Festival.

In 2008, the Year of the Rat, Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 7th.

Happy Chinese New Year!