Chinese New Year Celebrations
Celebrations and Traditions Related to the Chinese New Year
Chinese New year in 2019 is on the 5th February. This marks the beginning of the Year of the Pig. The Chinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days, starting with the New Moon on the New Year of the Pig to February 19th, fifteen days later and the first Full Moon: the Lantern Festival. – An evening of lantern displays and parades.
Before New Year’s Eve, the house should be cleaned in preparation. Decorations are hung up around the house and oranges and tangerines are put out, symbolizing good luck for the New Year.
New Year's Eve Chinese Celebrations
On New Year’s Eve, families get together to enjoy a special dinner to acknowledge their ancestors. Deceased relatives are remembered with respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations of glory and honour of the family. Dishes are chosen to celebrate luck, health, longevity and reunion. A coin will be hidden in one of the Chinese dumplings (Jiaozi) and whoever gets the dumpling with the coin is likely to have luck in the coming year. Everyone will take something from each dish to share news, love and gladness, thus the banquet goes on for quite some time. This communal feast is called Weilu or Surrounding the Stove.
Family Traditions during the New Year Celebrations
After the meal, adults hand out red envelopes containing money to the children. Friends and relatives might also exchange red envelopes containing lucky money; they will put these under their pillows when sleeping and this is believed to encourage them to have pleasant dreams and they will become richer next year.
Gifts of clothing and toys are also given. A tray of Togetherness will be prepared for the New Year celebrations. This will be circular or octagon in shape with eight compartments, each containing symbolic foods such as lotus seeds and lychee nuts.
Fireworks start the Chinese New Year Festival. Spirits and ancestors are worshipped and celebrated with candles, dancing, fruit and firecrackers.
Superstitions Related to the Chinese New Year
Some superstitions relating to the Chinese New Year: The house should be cleaned before the New Year as to sweep up on New Year’s day will sweep good fortune away. After New Year’s Day, dirt and rubbish should be taken out of the back door. It is traditional for all debts to be paid by the New Year.
No money should be loaned out at this time or whoever lends money will be lending all the year through.
Some also believe that staying up all night on New Year’s Eve will ensure that their aged parents will live a longer and healthier life. For this reason, lights are kept burning through the night.
People should refrain from using foul language on New Year’s Day. Looking back on the past should also be avoided as the day should bring new hope for the future. Although many people today aren’t so superstitious and aren’t so observant of the dos and don’ts, these traditions are still practiced by some.
