celebrate chinese new year

If you want to participate in the celebrations, there are many things you can do to join the festivities and to pay homage to Chinese traditions. It is a significant cultural hub with people from … It’s a time to herald abundance of all sorts, including health and prosperity. You could include a "door god" image on your door, traditionally to fight off evil spirits and bless your house. Eight is a lucky number. If you want to celebrate Chinese New Year with traditional foods, start with a feast on New Year’s Eve. The Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. On the days leading up to the festival, there are many New Year's street markets. Peach blossom was used centuries ago by single women looking for a husband. You can also serve nian gao, which is a sweetened sticky rice cake that is served on the 15th day of Chinese New Year. Married couples also give red envelopes to their parents, the envelopes contain money. Although some people decorate their houses several days before the festival, most people do it on New Year's Eve. Traditions and celebrations vary greatly across China. Fifth day. The dragon dancers skillfully synchronize their dancing in one line, holding poles supporting a long, vibrant dragon. Thursday 11 February, from 6:30pm to 10pm. Personal fireworks are banned in some countries and regions, but you may be able to watch an official fireworks display. This custom is called shousui (å®å²/show-sway/âto keep watch over the yearâ). Baby New Year's purpose varies by myth, but he generally performs some sort of ceremonial duty over the course of his year such as chronicling the year's events or presiding over the year as a symbol. Their variety is infinite—sweet, savory, steamed, pan-fried—you can stuff and prepare them any way you like. Expect a lot of noise and excitement if you're living in a Chinese community! Attractions, China Lotus flowers symbolize rebirth and new growth. Traditionally, these contain images of health and bounty, including animals and fruit. Chinese people believe that what they do on the first day of the lunar year will affect their luck during that year. ", "Great information in addition to what I already knew! In 2021, it corresponds to January 20. If you have a religion, pray. Windsor will celebrate Chinese New Year online for the first time For the first time in nearly 50 years, Daniel and Dora Law won't be celebrating the Chinese New Year with a restaurant full of guests. You're in luck if you live near San Francisco: its annual Chinese New Year parade is said to be the largest and oldest outside of Asia. A bell is a traditional symbol of Chinese New Year, and Chinese people believe that ringing a large bell can drive away bad luck and bring good fortune.Â, At midnight on New Yearâs Eve some people like to go to large squares or temples where huge bells are rung. In many rural areas, it's customary to set off firecrackers before dinner, each day from New Year's Eve to day 3 of CNY.Â See Why Chinese New Year Must Have Firecrackers. Many people write riddles onto the lantern for children to solve. This is called "sweeping away the dust", and represents a wish to put away old things, bid farewell to the old year, and welcome in the New Year. The Spring Festival is celebrated either in January or February because the Chinese use a lunar calendar, which is based on the movement of the moon. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. For example, they buy everyone new clothes for the festival, whether they need them or not. People who are too busy to visit their friends or relatives send a New Year's card, a WeChat red envelope, or a text message instead. All you need to participate is a smart phone, an adventurous spirit and a face mask. their way. If you are looking to celebrate Chinese New Year in Bangkok with a more peaceful vibe, how about visiting Kudi Chin and Khlong San? Avoid wearing too much black during the celebration period. Big families including several generations sit at round tables and enjoy the food and time together. Chinatown Connection, Celebrate Chinese New Year. Celebrating Chinese New Year’s Eve has always been a family matter in China, it is the reunion day for every Chinese family. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the year of the Ox and falls on February 12. The money must be in new bills, and the total amount must be an even number. Black symbolizes bad luck and even death. This is a festival called Laba ( èå« LÃ bÄ /laa-baa/ '12th lunar month' + '8'). Virtual Lucky Draw. & Referral Program. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. You can walk through their Chinatowns and see the restaurants and shopfronts adorned in red and gold, and experience firecrackers, colorful parades, and dragon dances. Last Updated: April 19, 2020 However, anyone can burn a picture of the kitchen god to send to heaven as smoke. Typically, red lanterns are hung from the ceiling or on trees, meant to drive away bad luck. Set out a tray of eight candies. These four things are introduced below. Both dances are accompanied by traditional Chinese drumming. Other areas that have a longer Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate and welcome the gods that were previously sent on this day. Decorating the house is an important element of Chinese New Year. Beijing's temple fairs are the places to go for traditional activities in Beijing. Families stay up for this joyful moment.Â. Spectrum at Raffles. Use an even number and eat in pairs for good luck. You answered both! Dumplings (aka potstickers) are central in any Chinese New Year celebration. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. While recipients of hongbao would typically get giddy over the cash inside … The celebration includes decorations, parades, folk traditions, and a wonderful feast. It features traditional, folk, and pop performances from China's best singers, dancers, and acrobats. Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12th, 2021, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 26th, 2021. I'm a Canadian. Many worships on New Year's Eve, before the reunion dinner, to show that they are letting their ancestors "eat" first. Lion dances and dragon dances are also seen on New Year's Day. It is the traditional end of Spring Festival celebrations. Once you hit send, you get a red-themed fireworks effect, similar to what you see when you type ‘Happy New Year’: Apple also has emojis to celebrate 2021 Chinese New Year as well, with a red envelope, firecracker, red circle, red paper lantern and ox, with the latter animal representing this year’s Chinese zodiac sign. Chinese restaurant Lao is hosting a feast on February 11, offering a four-course menu to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Kids, with (mini) firecrackers in one hand and a lighter in another, cheerfully celebrate by throwing the small explosives one-by-one on the street whilst plugging their ears. You can experience Chinese New Year celebrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, etc. Hence, this is the reason why numbers and objects which have names that are homophones for words “death” and “suffering” are typically considered unlucky in these cultures. In the north, Chinese dumplings are the must-eat food on Chinese New Year's Eve, but south of the Yangtze River most people eat spring rolls or sticky rice cake. Discuss what happened in the previous year, your plans for the coming one, and just overall enjoy your time together. It signals the start of spring so people also call it the “Spring Festival”. The celebration is believed to have originated when the people started decorating their houses with red paper decorations to ward off Nian, a mythical beast that swallowed people and other animals. Keeping fresh and hygienic is also an important part of celebrating; even a new haircut will do. For example: Rooster will be on January 28, 2017 - February 18, 2018; Dog on February 19, 2018 - February 04, 2019; Pig on February 05, 2019 - January 24, 2020; Rat on January 25, 2020 - February 11, 2021; Ox on February 12, 2021 - January 31, 2022; Tiger on February 1, 2023 - February 19, 2024; and Rabbit on February 20, 2024 - February 8, 2025. Thanks! New Year, Why Chinese New Year Must Have Firecrackers, Top 10 Popular Chinese New Year Greetings and Sayings, How Chinese New Year Is Celebrated in Northern and Southern China, Garma Ri Gi (Tibetan Bathing Festival) in 2020, Loyalty Display Chinese New Year paintings and artwork. Putting Up New Year Decorations. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. As for other Lunar New Year effects today on other platforms, Google’s Doodle is … These shiitake mushroom potstickers are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and bursting with umami. Everything is in order, and, "Going to a Chinese New Year celebration and wanted to know what to wear and what gift to bring. Greet other celebrants with "Gong Xi," pronounced "gong zee." The first house-sweep of the New Year: Chinese people don't clean their homes during the first two days of New Year, as sweeping then is believed to sweep away the good luck accrued by the litter of firecrackers, red paper, wrappers, and other evidence of celebration on the floor. This same thing holds true for many forms of spoken Chinese, Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean. Money in red envelopes is believed to bring good luck, as red is China's lucky color, so it's called lucky money. Parents usually give their children red envelopes after the reunion dinner, wishing them health, growth, and good studies in the coming year.Â. Many people continue to set off fireworks for the entire fifteen days, or at least the first four to eight days before they have to return to work. Chinese New Year is not only celebrated in China, but also in several other East Asian countries (among non-Chinese Asians it's knownÂ 'Spring Festival') as well as Chinatowns in Western countries.Â. On the third day, some people go to visit the tombs of their relatives, but others think being outside there on the third day is inauspicious, because evil spirits roam around. This includes praying to the dead and the various Chinese gods. How to celebrate Chinese New Year virtually. The most important part is to be with your family, as this is the biggest festival for Chinese people. Friday marks the beginning of the Asian New Year. For more on this, readÂ How Chinese New Year Is Celebrated in Northern and Southern China. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for New Year as early as day 8 of the 12thÂ month of the lunar calendar. Two lion dancers share a single costume depicting a large, stylized lion. Certain numbers (such as four) are bad luck, so the total amount should not be one of these unlucky numbers. In recent years people have begun to go to mountain temples to wait for the first ringing of a bell in the New Year.Â. You can use any treats for your tray, or traditional Chinese candies made from lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, red melon seed, or candied melon. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. "I'm doing a presentation about Chinese New Year, and I think this is a great resource. Traditionally married daughters visit their parentsâ home on the second day of Chinese New Year. They are more popular in Hong Kong and Macau. It's believed that the louder the firecrackers, the better and luckier it will be for business and farming in the coming year. Before Chinese New Yearâs Eve, people buy New Yearâs food and snacks, New Year's decorations, and New Year's clothes. If someone spots you (the sound of firecrackers is impossible to miss), they may report you to the authorities and you'll be slapped with a lawsuit by the cops. When is Chinese New Year 2021? Fines imposed for the offense would be recoverable in the same way as fines imposed as penalties for other crimes. ", "The significance of red and various flowers and numbers was helpful. Offerings of meat, wine, joss sticks, and joss paper are placed in front of the shrine/grave. The Baby New Year is a personification of the start of the New Year commonly seen in editorial cartoons. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Thanks! There are many ways to celebrate Chinese New Year, from specific folk rituals associated with each day of the festival to local traditions from a specific region in China. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Celebrate-Chinese-New-Year-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Celebrate-Chinese-New-Year-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Celebrate-Chinese-New-Year-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid410045-v4-728px-Celebrate-Chinese-New-Year-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"