The Year Of The Monkey CHINESE NEW YEAR MONDAY FEBRUARY 8 TH 2016

How do they know when it is? Why is it different from England? What is celebrated? How Is This celebrated? TOPIC QUESTIONS

HOW DO THEY KNOW WHEN IT IS? The Chinese use a calendar known as a Lunisolar Calendar. This means the date is set by the cycle of the moon. When the New Moon is in the sky it signifies a new month. The New Moon that is mid-way between the winter and summer equinox is the start of a new Chinese year. Chinese people use this Lunisolar calendar to determine what days are lucky for a wedding, funeral or to open a new building or business. This calendar is used by Chinese people all over the world to determine the day, month and time of the year. This is achieved with a basic understanding of the lunar cycle of new moons, full moons and equinox.

Lunar Cycle

WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FROM ENGLAND? In England we use the Gregorian Calendar what was introduced by the catholic pope in It was introduced to correct the 0.002% error in the previous calendar set by the Catholics previously. This change meant each year was the same length. This brought the Easter celebration to spring each year which was preferred by the church. The Chinese lunisolar calendar is ancient and pre dates the use of anything that we use today. Chinese people hold the tradition of their ancestors in very high regard and like to keep these traditions alive. The Chinese do use the Georgian calendar to keep up with the modern world but the lunisolar calendar is used for their traditional festivals and celebrations.

WHAT IS CELEBRATED? Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families. The New Year's Eve dinner is called Reunion Dinner, and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. Chinese families also use this time to honour their ancestors and the deities they hold close to their hearts. This is a major celebration with great significance to the Chinese people. It is not to be confused with the lack lustre celebrations we call New Year in our country.

HOW IS THIS CELEBRATED? The new year celebrations last for 15 days, starting with new year's eve (last day of the previous month until the lantern festival on day 15. The first day of the Chinese new year falls between 21st January - 20th February on our calendar. This is the longest celebration in the Chinese year. This is a centuries old celebration built on several myths and legends. Traditionally it was used to honour deities (gods) and ancestors. Celebrations include Lion Dances, Dragon Dances, Fireworks, Family gathering & meal, giving red envelopes with money and decorating with duilian.

A LITTLE MORE DETAIL Duilian is a traditional poetry with a pair of lines where both lines have the same number of Chinese characters. There are several other requirements that are important to make it a duilian. Giving of red envelopes with money is an import part of Chinese custom. They are said to bring good luck and warn off evil spirits so are given on many special occasions including celebration of new year, child birth and weddings. The lion dance has two people dressed in a lion costume and dance to mimic a lion moving. This is used in many ceremonies and religious events similar to The Dragon Dance other than the costume is worn by many people and is in the shape of a dragon with poles positioned along the length to mimic a dragons movements. The longer the dragon the better luck it will bring.

LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THESE IMAGES FROM CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD Play Video On Hard Drive

TASKS What are your thoughts on this celebration? Design your own Chinese dragon. Plan your Chinese New Year Celebration. Who would you invite? Design and make some decoration we could use for our party.