Spring Festival Mei Xiang

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: ; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī (, chúxī,). It literally means "Year-pass Eve". traditional Chinese holidaysLunar New YearChinesepinyinChinese calendarLantern Festivaltraditional Chinese holidaysLunar New YearChinesepinyinChinese calendarLantern Festival Usually, its 15 days long Time: Dated back to 4000 years ago

Places Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Aboriginal Taiwanese people, Koreans, Mongolians, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates. Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Aboriginal Taiwanese people, Koreans, Mongolians, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates. ethnic Chinese KoreansMongoliansVietnameseJapaneseSingapore IndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandoverseas ChineseCanada Post ethnic Chinese KoreansMongoliansVietnameseJapaneseSingapore IndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandoverseas ChineseCanada Post

What time is it this year?, chúxī: The day before the new year, chúxī: The day before the new year Please read

The traditions New-year visits and greetings New-year visits and greetings ; pinyin: bàinián ; pinyin: bàiniánpinyin Different ways to practice new year visit with gifts and greetings, wearing new clothes

Lets practice it Greetings: 1. Happy new year: Xīnni á n ku à il è guònian h ǎ o 2. Congratulations and be prosperous: Gōngx ǐ fāc á i

2. New year practice: Red packets 2. New year practice: Red packets hóng bāo hóng bāoOr yā suì qián yā suì qián the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit Lets see it Gōngx ǐ fāc á i, h ó ngbāo n á l á i Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope

3. Do the Spring Cleaning

4. sh ǒ u suì Occurs when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who Shou Sui will increase the longevity of the parents.

nián yè fàn nián yè fàn reunion dinner of the New year eve

Food 1) Fish: yú 1) Fish: yú homophone for "surpluses" homophone for "surpluses"

2) nián ɡ āo pudding 2) nián ɡ āo pudding

3) ji ǎ o zi 3) ji ǎ o zi

4 tān ɡ yuán 4 tān ɡ yuán Rice dumplings The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yu á nxiāo ji é ( ) Rice dumplings sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup,glutinous rice is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival,Lantern Festival and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

tān ɡ yuán Rice dumplings

Activities Indoors Indoors Chinese calligraphyChinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idioms Chinese idioms Chinese calligraphyChinese idioms New year pictureNew year picture, Chinese knots, and paper cutting and couplets. Chinese knots paper cuttingcouplets New year pictureChinese knots paper cuttingcouplets

Couplets

Paper cuttings

Outdoors OutdoorsFireworks Lantern FestivalLantern Festival and Riddles Lantern Festival Dragon danceDragon dance and Lion dance Lion dance Dragon danceLion dance

Lantern FestivalLantern Festival and Riddles

cái shén Fortune gods cái shén Fortune gods

Lets listen cái shén dào Lets listen cái shén dào

Dragon danceDragon dance and Lion dance Lion dance Dragon danceLion dance Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dances are also popular for opening of businesses.

Video of the dancing Video of the dancing TY=.html TY=.html html

New year songs _ _ascending_1_page_1.html _ _ascending_1_page_1.html _ _ascending_1_page_1.html _ _ascending_1_page_1.html

Lets make our double happiness paper cutting Fold your paper twice and draw lines like this, Then cut out the part with shade and when you Unfold your paper you will get the double Happiness word which will bring you Good luck!