History of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year or Traditional Chinese or and Spring Festival/Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holiday. The Chinese New Year period lasts for 15 days, beginning on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar.

The first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang changed the beginning of the year to month 10 in 221 BC. Whether the New Year was celebrated at the beginning of these months or at the beginning of month 1 or both is unknown. In 104 BC, Emperor Wu established month 1 as the beginning of the year where it remains.

 Legend of Ancient China for Chinese New Year:

According to legend, in ancient China, Nian (Nyan), a man-eating beast from the mountains, could infiltrate houses silently to prey on humans. The people later learned that nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use the color red. So Guo Nian actually means surviving the Nian. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations. When Nian arrived, people used firecrackers to scare him away. Once Nian ran away, people joined together to celebrate for another year of safe. So Chinese New Year is considered to be a major holiday for the Chinese as well as ethnic groups who were strongly influenced by Chinese culture. This included Japanese, Korean, Miao (Chinese Hmong), Mongolians, Vietnamese, Tibetans, the Nepalese, and the Bhutanese.

Chinese New Year is also the time when the largest human migration takes place when oversees Chinese all around the world return home on the eve of Chinese New Year to have reunion dinners with their translations.

New Year Dates:

Many non-Chinese people confuse their Chinese birth-year with their Gregorian birth-year. As the Chinese New Year start in late January to mid February, the Chinese year dates from 1 January until that day in the new Gregorian year remain unchanged from the previous Gregorian year.

Days before the New Year:

On the day before the New Year celebration, Chinese families provide clean to their homes. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes their homes ready for good luck to arrive. All brooms and dust pans are put away on New Year’s Eve, so that good luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors, and windowpanes a new coat of red paint. Homes are decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious Phrases and couplets that mean Happiness, Wealth, and longevity.

Reunion Dinner:

A reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve where members of family, near and far, get together for celebration. The New Year’s Eve dinners is very sumptuous and traditionally include chicken. Fish is included, but not eaten up completely – and the remainder is stored overnight, as the Chinese Phrases, which means: may there be surpluses every year, sounds the same as May there be fish every year.

First day of the New Year:

The first day of New Year is for welcoming of god of the heavens and earth. Many people abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed this will ensure long and happy lives for them. Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time where family members, in order of their seniority, will pay a visit to their oldest and most senior member of their family. Some families may invite a Lion dance troupe evict bad spirits from the premises.

Second day of the New Year:

Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual. The second day of the Chinese New Year is usually for daughters-in-law to visit their own parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their own families frequently.

Third day of the New Year:

The third day of Chinese New Year is generally accepted as an inappropriate day to visit relatives due to the following schools of thought.

1/. It’s known as Chi Kou, meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It’s suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of New Year Celebration.

2/. Families who have had a death in the close family in the past 3 years will not go house visiting as a form of respect to the dead family member. As such the third day of the New Year is allocated to visit them instead. Some people then conclude that it is inauspicious to do house visiting at all.

Clothing:

Red clothing is worn throughout on the Chinese New Year, as red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. Also, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting anew in the New Year. 

Decoration:

Red banners with the word of happiness, written on them are hung around the house and on the front of door. Therefore, is symbolizes the arrival of luck of happiness.