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| '''Chinese New Year''' (春节, 农历新年 or 过年) |
'''Chinese New Year''' (春节, 农历新年 or 过年), also known as the '''Lunar New Year''' and the '''Spring Festival''' is celebrated on the second ] after the ]. | ||
| Around the new year people greet each other with ''gong xi fa cai'' (恭喜發財, | |||
| 恭喜发财), often translated as 'congratulations and be prosperous'. Traditionally, ]s ('hong bao') are passed out on Chinese New Year's Eve, and then Chinese New Year is celebrated with ]s. | |||
| The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes ]. However, the New Year's day dinner is typically vegetarian. Many dishes with various symbolic meanings are associated with the Chinese New Year: | |||
| * '']'' (New Year's Cake) | |||
| * '']'' dumplings | |||
| * '']'', a salad of raw fish (especially popular in Singapore and Malaysia) | |||
| * ]s (a symbol of wealth) | |||
| * whole steamed fish (a symbol of prosperity) | |||
| * uncut noodles (a symbol of longevity) | |||
| * baked goods with seeds (a symbol of fertility) | |||
| The date is determined by the ], a ]. The same calendar is used in countries that have adopted the ] and ] tradition and in many cultures influenced by the ], notably the ]s and the pagan ]s. | The date is determined by the ], a ]. The same calendar is used in countries that have adopted the ] and ] tradition and in many cultures influenced by the ], notably the ]s and the pagan ]s. | ||
Revision as of 13:20, 16 January 2004
Chinese New Year (春节, 农历新年 or 过年), also known as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Around the new year people greet each other with gong xi fa cai (恭喜發財, 恭喜发财), often translated as 'congratulations and be prosperous'. Traditionally, red packets ('hong bao') are passed out on Chinese New Year's Eve, and then Chinese New Year is celebrated with firecrackers.
The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes chicken. However, the New Year's day dinner is typically vegetarian. Many dishes with various symbolic meanings are associated with the Chinese New Year:
- nian gao (New Year's Cake)
- jiaozi dumplings
- yu sheng, a salad of raw fish (especially popular in Singapore and Malaysia)
- mandarin oranges (a symbol of wealth)
- whole steamed fish (a symbol of prosperity)
- uncut noodles (a symbol of longevity)
- baked goods with seeds (a symbol of fertility)
The date is determined by the Chinese calendar, a lunisolar calendar. The same calendar is used in countries that have adopted the Confucian and Buddhism tradition and in many cultures influenced by the Chinese, notably the Tibetans and the pagan Bulgars.
Some Chinese New Year dates (in the Gregorian calendar) are listed below (with a type of Cantonese romanization for the animals):
| Animal | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster - Yaw5 | 1993 January 23 | 2005 February 9 |
| Dog - Sot1 | 1994 February 10 | 2006 January 29 |
| Pig - Hoi6 | 1995 January 31 | 2007 February 18 |
| Rat - Zi2 | 1996 February 19 | |
| Ox - Caw2 | 1997 February 7 | |
| Tiger - Yant4 | 1998 January 28 | |
| Rabbit - Mau5 | 1999 February 16 | |
| Dragon - Sant4 | 2000 February 5 | |
| Snake - Zi6 | 2001 January 24 | |
| Horse - Ng5 | 2002 February 12 | |
| Goat - Mey6 | 2003 February 1 | |
| Monkey - Sant1 | 2004 January 22 | |
See Chinese zodiac for a list of Chinese New Year dates over the last century.
Mythology
In Chinese mythology, several legends are related to the Chinese new year. Examples include:
See also
- Holidays in Taiwan
- Japanese New Year
- Mid-autumn Festival
- New Year
- Têt - Vietnamese New Year