| Chinese New Year: The Traditions Behind the Celebration |
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Chinese New Year, as with the western New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties.
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s been called for over a century, is celebrated on the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar. In 2017, the beginning of the Year of the Rooster will be officially celebrated on January 28, but in old China, the entire celebration began with seven days of preparation followed by sixteen days of celebration. Here is how the Chinese New Year was traditionally celebrated in old China.
Sweeping of the Grounds
Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year’s Day with the annual housecleaning, or the “sweeping of the grounds.” Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year. Spring couplets were written in black ink on large vertical scrolls of red paper, and put on the walls or on the sides of the gate-ways. These couplets, short poems written in Classical Chinese, were expressions of good wishes for the family in the coming year. In addition, symbolic flowers and fruits were used to decorate the house, and colorful new year pictures (Nian Hua) were placed on the walls.
Family Celebration
On the last day of the old year, everyone was busy either in preparing food for the next two days, or in going to the barber and getting tidied up for New Year’s Day. Tradition stipulated that all food be prepared before the New Year’s Day, so that all sharp instruments, such as knives and scissors, could be put away to avoid cutting the “luck” of the New Year.
The New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations were strictly family affairs. All members of the family would gather for the important family meal on the evening of New Year’s Eve. Even if a family member could not attend, an empty seat would be kept to symbolize that person’s presence at the banquet.
Lai-See
On New Year’s Day, the children were given red envelopes (Lai-See) with good luck money wrapped inside. On New Year’s Day, everyone wore new clothes, and would be on his/her best behavior. It was considered improper to tell a lie, raise one’s voice, use indecent language, or break anything on the first day of the year.
Starting from the second day, people began going out to visit friends and relatives, bringing gifts and Lai-See for the children. Visitors would be greeted with traditional New Year delicacies, such as melon seeds, flowers, fruits and New Year cakes (Nian Gao).
No matter your ethnicity, culture or background, the new year symbolizes a fresh start with the hope of good health and success for all.
This article was adapted from blogs on sarawakheritage.wordpress.com and chinahighlights.com.
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