Today is New Year according to the Chinese calendar. Traditions of celebrating Chinese New Year

On the eighth day last month According to the lunar calendar, many houses prepare aromatic porridge - “labazhou”, which includes 8 types of products: glutinous rice, chumiza, grains of ivory tears (bead beads), dates, lotus seeds, red beans, longyan fruits, ginkgo seeds.

The twenty-third day of the last month according to the lunar calendar is popularly called “xiaonian” (i.e. “small New Year”). People who strictly follow traditions make sacrifices to the deity of the hearth.

Before the holiday, the country literally blooms with red. There are posters everywhere with the hieroglyphs “fu” (happiness) and “si” (joy) gracefully written on them, garlands of lanterns and other decorations, and all of them are exclusively red, meaning prosperity, luck and prosperity.

Before the holiday, the house must be thoroughly cleaned, all clothes and blankets washed and cleaned. After the house is cleaned, all brooms, dustpans, and rags are put away in a place where no one can see them during the holiday. The reason for this strange behavior lies in the legend: during the New Year celebrations, the gods fly around the houses of the Chinese and give them dust, which symbolizes happiness. Therefore, if you tidy up during the New Year, you may accidentally sweep all the happy moments of the future out of your home along with the dust.

Homes that are cleaned to a shine become festive look. Paired calligraphic inscriptions made in black ink on red paper are pasted onto all door frames. The content of paired inscriptions comes down to expressing the life ideals of the owner of the house or good wishes for the new year. Images of guardian spirits and the deity of wealth are pasted on the doors in the hope that they will bring happiness and prosperity to the house.

Two large red lanterns are hung in front of the entrance to the house, and the windows are decorated with paper patterns. The walls of the rooms are decorated with bright colors New Year's paintings, which symbolize the wish for happiness and wealth.

The night of Chinese New Year is also called “the night of meeting after separation.” For the Chinese this is the most important point. The whole family gets together festive table for New Year's dinner, which is distinguished not only by the abundance and variety of dishes, but also by numerous traditions. For example, New Year's dinner is not complete without dishes made from chicken, fish and "doufu" - soybean curd, called "tofu" in Russia, because in Chinese the names of these products are consonant with words meaning “happiness” and “prosperity”.

According to tradition, on New Year's Eve people do not sleep and stay awake until the morning so as not to miss their happiness. If someone does lie down to rest on New Year's Eve, they should get up early. There is a popular belief: “If you get up early on New Year’s Day, you will also get rich early.”

With the onset of New Year's morning, people put on elegant clothes. The young congratulate the elderly on the holiday and wish them longevity. It is customary to give children red envelopes containing pocket money. This money is supposed to bring them happiness in the new year. In ancient times, money was given not in envelopes, but in the form of necklaces, which were made up of one hundred coins. This was a kind of congratulation, wishing a person to live to be a hundred years old. Hundred coin necklaces are still very popular in China today.

In the north of China, it is customary to eat dumplings for the New Year, and in the south - “niangao” (slices made from glutinous rice). Northerners prefer dumplings because, firstly, in Chinese the word is “jiaozi”, i.e. “dumplings” is consonant with the words “seeing off the old and welcoming the new”; secondly, dumplings resemble traditional gold and silver bars in their shape and symbolize the desire for wealth. For the same reason, southerners eat "niangao", symbolizing the improvement of life every year.

Joyful celebration atmosphere fills not only every home, but also reigns on every street of every city and village. On the Spring Festival, noisy events are held for several days in a row. folk festivals and fairs where lion and dragon dances are performed.

The lion dance, according to legend, dates back to the events of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, when in a decisive battle one of the sides disguised itself as lions (which were never found in China) and won the battle because the enemy’s war elephants were afraid scary masks and ran, throwing off their riders. Since then, Chinese soldiers have performed the lion dance on special occasions. In the 14th-16th centuries, this dance spread throughout China and began to be performed during the Chunjie festival. It is designed to scare away all the evil forces that can bring misfortune in the coming year.

The dance of dragons also has a long history. It was included in festive rituals back in the 12th century and expressed people’s admiration for the dragon and requests for it to tame the wind and shed rain to obtain a good harvest. The dragon, made of paper, wire and willow twigs, can reach 8-10 meters. His body is flexible and consists of a different, but always odd number of parts (9, 11, 13). Each part is controlled by one dancer using a pole; the undulating, writhing movements of the dragon require great coordination among the participants.

The first five days of the new year are meant for meetings. Relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues visit and congratulate each other on the New Year and give gifts.

New Year's festivities end after the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiaojie or Dengjie), on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar calendar. Today, lantern exhibitions and competitions organized in large city parks are very popular in the capital. Lantern exhibitions last for several days and form an integral part of the New Year's holiday.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

In our country, New Year tops the list of most favorite holidays. No wonder some even celebrate it twice: January 1 and January 14. When the New Year holidays are over, you can sadly put away the tree and other holiday paraphernalia until next December. Or you can not clean anything up and celebrate the New Year again - by eastern traditions. The start date of the holiday is determined by the lunar-solar calendar. According to it, the Chinese New Year in 2018 starts on February 16.

A little history

The history of New Year's celebrations in the Middle Kingdom is shrouded in legends. According to one of them, the holiday is associated with a terrible monster named Chun (Nan). This monster attacked a small village once a year, whose inhabitants were forced to hide from it in the mountains. One day, an old beggar came to the village and asked permission from one of the residents to stay in her house during the attack of the monster. The woman tried to dissuade the old man, but in the end she allowed him to stay. The next day, returning to their village, instead of destruction, local residents saw undamaged houses and that same old man in red clothes. The old man laughed, and lights shone around him and firecrackers rattled.

It turned out that Nan is afraid of bright red and cannot stand loud sounds. Now the villagers no longer hid in the mountains, but once a year they held noisy, cheerful celebrations so that the evil monster would never come to their land again.

When does New Year start in China?

It is not for nothing that New Year is considered the largest holiday in China. Preparation for it lasts several weeks. It is considered very important during this period to finish all business, pay off debts and throw away unnecessary things in order to start the year with a new clean page. Before the celebration begins, the house is thoroughly cleaned.

Instead of Christmas tree The Chinese decorate the Tree of Light, hanging numerous decorations, garlands and lanterns on it.

The day when the new year begins is also known as the Spring Festival. According to local beliefs, this day marks the end of old year, and with it winter. The awakening of nature is noisily welcomed by numerous fireworks, festivities and fairs. The celebration lasts for 15 days.

The Chinese spend the eve of the year's holiday with close people. The family table is set with a variety of treats, fish, chicken, seafood, and sweets. Dumplings are a traditional dish for the New Year's table in China. It is believed that the richer and tastier it will be New Year's table, the more satisfying life will be in the coming year. At midnight, all doors and windows in the house are opened, clearing the way for the outgoing old year.

In the first days of the year, the Chinese meet with friends and family, visit each other to congratulate each other and celebrate the beginning of the new year together.

The Spring Festival date is set after winter solstice on the first new moon, therefore, New Year's Chinese calendar occurs between January 21 and February 21 of each year.

Symbols of the coming year

The cycle of the eastern calendar includes 12 animals that are the patrons of each coming year. In addition to animals, the calendar includes five elements (water, earth, metal, fire and wood), which also alternate. Thus, each year in China is symbolized by a combination that is repeated only once every 60 years.

Eastern symbols have firmly entered into the traditions of celebrating our country, setting the mood for New Year's decorations and gift souvenirs.

Chinese New Year 2018 will be symbolized by the animal Dog and the element Earth. The main color of the year is yellow. By the way, the chronology in China is different from ours. The coming Year of the Dog will be eastern calendar 4716 year.

In China, it is not customary to give expensive gifts. However, congratulations are rarely complete without a gift. Traditional New Year's gifts in China are considered:

1. Banknotes. In China, it is customary to give money to children. They are packaged in red envelopes and given to every child who arrives at their doorstep in the first 15 days of the new year. This tradition is believed to bring good luck for the coming year.
2. Symbols of the year. A popular gift are souvenirs with images of the animal that is the patron saint of the year. In the coming year, these are figurines of dogs and various objects with their image.
3. Couple gifts. In China, there is a custom to give small gifts consisting of two items for the New Year. These can be glasses, paired figurines and other things. Two parts of one whole symbolize harmony and well-being in the family.

It is customary to give gifts (except for envelopes with money for children) before leaving. Guests often do this secretly, almost unnoticed by the hosts.

Also in China there is an ancient tradition of presenting two tangerines to the hosts upon entry. When guests leave, they receive two other tangerines in return. This gesture is a wish for each other good luck and wealth, as tangerines symbolize gold.

How to celebrate the Year of the Yellow Earth Dog

To make the coming year prosperous and successful, you can use some tips from Chinese traditions in your New Year celebrations:

1. Celebrating the coming year should begin with preparation. According to Eastern customs, it would be a good idea to get rid of all the excess rubbish that has accumulated in the house. It is worth reconsidering your grievances, dealing with debts and unresolved issues. If in 2018 the New Year in your family begins in a friendly and warm atmosphere, rest assured that the Yellow Dog will help support it throughout the year.
2. It is better to decorate your home in yellow, gold, light brown and pale greenish tones. They correspond to the color of the element of Earth, which patronizes the coming year.
3. You shouldn't celebrate alone. The Chinese always surround themselves with loved ones on New Year's Eve. In addition, the dog, symbolizing the coming year, is a herd animal, so it is better not to contradict it and celebrate the holiday in pleasant company.
4. The festive table must include meat or poultry dishes. The dog prefers meat food, and in celebrating the coming year it is better to try to please it.
5. Clothing and accessories are also worth choosing from color range yellowish tint. The dog is a conservative, so you should not overdo it with extreme short dresses and bright shiny accessories.

New Year's celebrations can be extended over two months. They can begin, according to the traditions of our country, on the night of January 1 and continue until the New Year according to the Chinese calendar, which starts on February 16 and is celebrated for another 2 weeks. For those who consider the New Year holiday to be their favorite, this is a wonderful opportunity to extend Christmas mood and charge positive attitude for the entire coming year.

Annually on the last Saturday of March held all over the world environmental action "Earth Hour", organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The meaning of the action is in voluntary cessation of consumption electrical energy for one hour. Thus, society realizes the importance of taking measures to reduce negative impact human activity on the environment.

This great idea was first implemented in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Then about two million residents of the metropolis took part in the action, and energy savings amounted to about 10%.

Inspired by the example, more and more cities began to join the Earth Hour campaign every year. It is expected that in 2020, residents of more than 7 thousand settlements on our planet (more than 2 billion people) will take part in a voluntary power outage for 1 hour. Of course, among the countries participating in the action is Russia.

What date and time does the Earth Hour 2020 campaign take place:

As we wrote above, the event is held annually on the last Saturday of March, with the exception of those years when the last Saturday in March precedes Easter.

This year's Earth Hour is scheduled for Saturday. March 28, 2020. The promotion will begin at 20:30 local time and will last for an hour, until 21:30.

That is, the Earth Hour 2020 campaign - what date is it held and at what time:
* Date: March 28, 2020
* from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.

New Year is celebrated twice in China. According to European tradition, it is celebrated on the night from December 31 to January 1 and is called Yuan Dan. Residents of the country celebrate it on family circle, modestly and calmly. Since ancient times, it has been customary to celebrate the New Year in China on the second new moon after the winter solstice (on one of the days between January 21 and February 21).

New Year January 1

The country's main Christmas tree is installed and decorated in the center of Beijing, on the historical shopping street - Qianmen. Due to the influence of Western European culture and the influx of foreign tourists, the spirit of New Year's holidays more than in other cities. In large shopping and office centers they are installed artificial Christmas trees. Dressed up Santa Clauses walk the streets. On New Year's Eve, people leave their homes and gather in the main square - Tiananmen, congratulate each other and admire the festive fireworks.

Traditions and rituals

New Year on January 1 is a young holiday in China. It does not have ancient established traditions. European culture had a great influence on its implementation.

The day before New Year's Eve Chinese housewives clean houses. It is customary to celebrate the holiday in new clothes, which should attract order and success.

According to Buddhist tradition, midnight is announced by the ringing of bells in temples. The bells ring 108 times. The Chinese believe that every person has six vices (greed, anger, stupidity, indecisiveness, frivolity, envy), which have 18 shades. With each ring of the bells, a person gets rid of one of the harmful traits. In the first minutes of the new year, the Chinese try to laugh and smile at each other so that the year passes happily and peacefully.

The tradition of decorating homes for the New Year is not common in all areas of China. In large cities, Christmas trees and New Year's decorations are installed in public places. Trees in parks and squares are decorated with multi-colored electric garlands.

The Chinese New Year's feast does not have any distinctive features. Housewives are serving a family holiday dinner. Main Ingredients national cuisine: rice, noodles, soy, chicken and pork. The most popular dishes: pork in sweet and sour sauce, gongbao chicken with chili pepper, mapo tofu with minced beef and vegetables, wontons - flour products stuffed with minced meat or shrimp, chow mein - fried noodles, Peking duck.

As desserts, there are traditional sweets on the tables: apples or bananas in caramel, peanuts in a sweet glaze, fried bananas in batter, egg tartlets, rice balls with honey, caramelized peaches. For the holidays, Chinese housewives like to bake fortune cookies with fortunes inside.

In China, it is not a common tradition to give each other gifts on January 1st. The Chinese send gifts and e-cards to my friends from Europe and countries for which New Year is the main holiday.

history of the holiday

The tradition of celebrating the New Year on the night of December 31 to January 1 came to China after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1911. To avoid confusion between the European and Lunar New Year, on September 27, 1949, the government of the republic approved the official names of these holidays. First day lunar calendar began to be called Chun Jie, and January 1 according to the Gregorian calendar - Yuan-dan, which literally translates as “beginning of dawn.” Yuan Dan became official public holiday and on days off.

Cities and resorts

China is an amazing country with a lot to see. New Year holidays it will bring unforgettable impressions and new emotions.

The capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, will amaze with its scale, active nightlife, and abundance of hotels and restaurants. Among tourists, excursions to the Great Wall of China are the most popular. This unique structure was built during the Ming Dynasty. It reaches 10 meters in height and 6,000 kilometers in length.

The famous attractions of the capital of the Celestial Empire include: Beihang and Jingshan parks, the Summer Imperial Palace (Yiheyuan), the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), and the Gugong Imperial Palace. Beijing is home to the world's largest square, Tiananmen Square, Asia's largest zoo and aquarium.

The port city of Dalian is located in northeast China. It is famous for its clean air, magnificent pebble beaches, and a combination of ancient Chinese and Japanese culture. There are many opportunities for tourists to spend an interesting and unusual holiday: excursions to mountain waterfalls, fishing, yachting, visiting golf and tennis clubs, shopping at Chinese bazaars. There are many sanatoriums in Dalyan that offer their clients ancient traditional methods diagnosis and treatment.

Beach lovers will love Hainan Island, which is located in a tropical climate zone. In the city of Sanya, they will be able to stay in a luxurious hotel on the shore of the bay and soak up the clean sandy beaches.

Zhangjiajie Nature Park is located in the northwest of the Chinese province of Hunan, which is famous for its rich flora, fauna and unique landscape. IN winter time This place maintains a positive temperature, which will make walking comfortable. The park contains unique attractions: the Yellow Dragon Cave and the ancient Buddhist temple "Heaven's Gate".

An exotic type of New Year's holiday will be a trip to the cultural and spiritual capital of Tibet - Lhasa. Tourists will be amazed by the grandeur of the landscapes, ancient temples and monasteries.

The lunar-solar calendar is used in China to determine the dates of traditional holidays and the beginning of certain types of agricultural work.

Oldest chinese holiday is a complex of ceremonies and rituals lasting more than two weeks. Unlike its Western counterpart, there is no fixed start date for Chinese New Year and it is set at a different time each year. According to the lunisolar calendar, the first day of the holiday in China begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Ends Chinese New Year in fifteen days new lunar month procession with lanterns.

Below are the dates of Chinese New Year in the next five years:

In 2014 - from January 31 to January 14;
- In 2015 - from February 19 to;
- In 2016 - from February 8 to;
- In 2017 - from January 28 to February 11;
- In 2018 - from March 2.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

This is the largest festival in the Chinese calendar, comparable in scale to Christmas and New Year's Eve in the Western world. The day before, people are busy preparing for the celebration, making wish lists, buying gifts and decoration materials. Traditional holiday treats are prepared, because even in the poorest Chinese family it is customary to richly set the table for a family dinner. Thousands of years of Chinese New Year celebrations are inspired by the legends of the people of the Middle Kingdom.

One legend about the origin of the Chinese New Year says that a dragon named Nian (or Nian) got into the habit of visiting people in the village. He broke into houses, ate the crops collected by the villagers, not disdaining the villagers themselves and their children if they did not have time to hide in the mountains. In order not to give the dragon a reason to rush inside the house, the villagers put the treats outside. One fine day, people noticed how Nian was afraid of a baby dressed in red clothes. Realizing that it was a matter of color, every year the whole village began to decorate houses and streets with red cloth and lanterns, and wear red clothes. It was believed that the roar of pyrotechnics frightens evil spirits, so during the holiday the Chinese began to set fire to long bundles of firecrackers.

Another legend tells of an old beggar with a silver mustache who volunteered to help the unfortunate villagers. The residents did not pay attention to the strange newcomer, collected their belongings and the whole village went to hide in the forest on the mountain. Having waited for the dragon at night, the old man came out to meet him in red clothes, rattled firecrackers and drove Nanny away.

One of the legends says that once upon a time, Buddha invited all the animals of the earth to celebrate the New Year with him. Only twelve responded to the invitation, and Buddha named them after them for the following years.

A common practice among the Chinese on the eve of the celebration is a general cleaning of the house, which drives away troubles and attracts good luck. Residents scrub their rooms and apartments from floor to ceiling, wash and repaint windows and doors. According to legends, the outside of houses is decorated with lanterns, red cloth, and sheets of fortune are hung on which are inscribed the hieroglyphs “wealth,” “happiness,” and “longevity.”

In the evening, the whole family gathers at the festive table, in the morning tables with offerings to the monster are placed outside the doors of the houses, and in the afternoon a team of actors with a huge figure of a dragon begins to walk through the streets. Puppet Nian looks into every open door on the street, where money is put into his mouth. After he leaves, the owner of the house sets fire to previously hung ribbons with firecrackers, scaring off invisible evil spirits and onlookers with the roar. So, when you find yourself witnessing the holiday, do not forget to buy earplugs at the pharmacy.