Chinese New Year 春chūn 节jié

How is Chinese New Year Different from your New Year? Chinese calendar is lunisolar (it combines parts of the lunar阴yīn 历lì and solar calendars阳yáng 历lì ) The traditional Chinese year春chūn 节jié , begins on the first day of their New Year celebration—which date changes from year to year.

The Legend Behind the Holiday The Chinese New Year began with the fight against a mythical beast called the 年nián ("Year" in Chinese).

According to the legend, the Nian would come into the village and devour livestock, crops, and villagers on the first day of New Year.

What did they do? Then they discovered the Nian was scared of the color red and loud sounds. They began hanging red lanterns and spring scrolls on their doors and windows every new year. They also used firecrackers to scare the Nian away.

Some things that happen during the New Years holiday… Chinese New Year is a public holiday in many countries that have a large Chinese population Businesses Close for several days Large migration of Chinese to their ancestral homes for reunion dinners

Common Beliefs The attitude that you have on New Year will be the attitude you have all year. If you cry on New year, you’ll cry all year Some children are allowed to be more rambunctious than usual because it’s bad luck to punish the kids.

Good Luck 好运 Eat sweets so you have a “sweet” year Clean house(top to bottom) before the New Year so everything will be “new” in the new year No cleaning after the new year’s eve

Lucky words 恭gōng 喜xǐ 发fā 财cái 新xīn 年nián 快kuài 乐lè People greets each other with lucky words 恭gōng 喜xǐ 发fā 财cái 新xīn 年nián 快kuài 乐lè 步bù 步bù 高gāo 升shēng 岁suì 岁suì 平píng 安ān

Fish is important New Year food 鱼yú (fish) sounds like 馀yú (left over) 年nián 年nián 有yǒu 馀yú (there are left over every year)

Mandarin oranges and apples 苹píng 果guǒ (apple) ＆平píng 安ān (safe) 橘jú(orange) ＆吉jí (lucky)

Dumplings 饺jiăo 子zi (look like ancient gold bars)

年nián 夜yè 饭fàn New Year’s Eve 除chú 夕xì Family gather together on new year’s eve to have the big meal together. It’s called年nián 夜yè 饭fàn

火huǒ 锅guō

Hang red lanterns Wear red clothing Wear new clothes Sleep with the lights on to scare ghosts away

Bad Luck Getting a haircut during the first lunar month Washing your hair Sweeping the floor Talking about death

Giving anything in increments of 4 四 is also bad luck Giving anything in increments of 4 四 is also bad luck. 4 in Chinese sounds like the word for death (死). Buying books (书) is bad luck. Wearing black (symbolizes bad luck) or white clothes (funeral color).

Red Packets红hóng 包bāo Adults give red packets to kids and unmarried members of the family. Packets contain money. Always in even numbers.

15 days to Celebrate Day 1: 拜bài 年nián families visit the oldest member of their extended family Red packets given to young/unmarried family members Firecrackers Day 2:回huí 娘niáng 家jiā Married daughters visit birth parents

Days 3: sleep late Days 4: Greet Gods Day 5: separate, go back to work Day 15: Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival The 15th day of the Chinese New Year. Observed at the full moon. Traditionally, Chinese people put our red lanterns to celebrate the 1st New moon of the new year