When did Chinese New Year 1988 begin? Traditions of celebrating Chinese New Year

The Chinese love holidays. They work very hard, so they treat all holidays very carefully. Residents of the Celestial Empire especially honor the New Year. They carefully calculate the days of celebration, taking into account the lunar months. It depends on them what date the New Year will be. There is no fixed date here. This holiday in China is called Chun Jie. Chinese New Year in 2019 comes on the fifth of February and is celebrated for 15 days.

Each of the 15 New Year's days is dedicated to its own customs. The Chinese pay visits to their relatives, where they exchange gifts and New Year's tangerines. Another day they meet with friends. A particularly revered day in China is the day of worshiping the God of Wealth in temples. They ask the Higher powers for protection for home and family.

On the last day of the holiday, the Chinese traditionally hold a lantern festival. On February 19, 2020, the New Year will end. The reign of the Metal Rat will begin.

According to the calendar, 2019 is the year of the Yellow Pig. Some people call it Earthy. There is a legend that the Jade Emperor selected animals that exist on earth for the calendar of zodiac signs. The cat, out of laziness, overslept the reception and was replaced by a pig.

The Chinese believe that in the Year of the Pig 2019, success will be in business for those people whose work is related to agriculture. The coming year will be successful for those who plan to seal their relationship with marriage.

The Chinese have their own celebration traditions. And the question “How to celebrate the holiday?” they don't have it. From the very beginning, 7 days before the New Year, everyone begins to carry out general cleaning in their homes, throwing away old and unnecessary things. It is believed that in this way people get rid of bad luck and invite prosperity and well-being into their home. According to Feng Shui, energy should circulate in free space without debris and rubbish. And old things take energy.

General cleaning of the head

You definitely need to do some general cleaning in your head. It is necessary to get rid of negativity and resolve conflicts. You shouldn’t take troubles and quarrels with you into the New Year. You need to boldly go into the coming year refreshed and in good spirits. The Chinese believe that one should enter the holidays only with positivity and hopes for the best.

Home decoration

After cleaning, the Chinese start decorating the house. These can be garlands, canvases with hieroglyphs and much more. Red is considered a symbol of good luck, so this color is welcomed in jewelry. The Chinese believe that it is the color red that attracts good luck into their lives.

Basic colors of Chinese New Year

But since the main colors of the coming year are yellow, brown, olive, then decorations can have the same shades of colors. Symbolic lanterns of happiness and bright canvases are also hung in the courtyards. All this is predominantly red.

Tangerines as a gift

Particular attention is paid to gifts. This must be an even number, but not four (a symbol of death). Guests give the hosts a couple of tangerines, and in return they also receive two tangerines. This fruit symbolizes prosperity and prosperity.

Chic New Year's table

A luxurious table full of various dishes is a good old tradition for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. The housewives prepare the most delicious and varied dishes. The Chinese believe that in this way they bring happiness into their home.

Choosing the “right” clothes

Clothes of the right colors that the Chinese will wear in New Year's Eve, a very important pre-New Year moment. In their opinion, harmony and prosperity will be the result of choice the right shades clothes. You also definitely need to wear some new thing so that next year you will always have new things.

A large number of fireworks gives confidence that in this way the Chinese will awaken good luck and happiness, and scare away troubles and misfortunes.

Traditions of celebrating Chinese New Year

Mostly the celebration takes place on the street, in traditional dresses. Main character holiday - Dragon. But the most important thing is that the New Year holiday takes place with the whole family. This is an excellent occasion for meetings and communication between relatives living in distant provinces of China and far beyond its borders. The whole family gathers at the table. The table is set for all family members, even if someone could not come.

Traditional dishes

Every housewife tries to prepare many varied and delicious dishes. Traditionally it is meat and fish. One of the main dishes is Chinese dumplings. For the Chinese, this is a symbol that a boy will be born into their family in the coming year. Another dish is small rice balls. Some people cook them with filling, others prefer them without any additions. These balls are a symbol of family unity. Also on the table there are always tangerines and sweets, cookies with wishes, which both adults and children love very much.

On New Year's Eve they always wish for a good harvest, prosperity, and career growth. A festive dinner brings together several generations. And no matter how old the relatives are, everyone finds common grounds for conversation, shares news, events, and joys. Everyone enjoys gatherings and communicating with each other.

Fireworks are an indispensable attribute of Chinese New Year

Fireworks are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This is how they scare away evil spirits, this is how they say goodbye to the old year, full of life events and everyday life. This is how we celebrate the New Year with faith in the best. All relatives and friends are waiting for this moment when the launch of bright lights begins.

Present

On New Year's holidays it is customary to give gifts. As a rule, these are very practical things. But giving very expensive gifts is considered bad manners among the Chinese. The red Hongbao envelope is the most common gift. This is not only money, but also good wishes to the recipient. But still the most popular gift is banknotes.

Chinese New Year tree

The Chinese also decorate the New Year tree. This is not a Christmas tree or spruce like ours. This is an ordinary tree that is decorated with colorful lanterns and garlands. This joyful event brings together all family members.

Fire Dragon Dances

And there are many different events held throughout the country. These include dances of fire Dragons, various competitions, and launching of lanterns. The last action turns into a whole performance. After midnight, thousands of lanterns are released into the air. They rise high, and thousands of lights illuminate the sky. The Chinese believe that these lights can guide and illuminate the path of the dead to heaven. This is a very ancient tradition. The people of China revere it sacredly and continue it for hundreds of years.

Children born in the year of the Pig will grow up open, cheerful, and active. Parents, knowing what sign their child will have, can be calm: these children will find it easy to study, they need to be praised and supported more often. They With early age learn to achieve what they want. They are characterized by childlike sensitivity, insight, sociability and cheerfulness.
Every year there are more and more connoisseurs of Eastern religion. More and more people from different parts of the world are joining the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Moreover, everyone can access the features of the Chinese New Year celebration. This is sincere laughter, positive emotions, a good atmosphere and being with family.

Lately, we have become accustomed to associating each New Year with some animal from the Chinese calendar. But many people do not know when the next totem takes over and what date the New Year begins. eastern calendar 2018.

How does the Chinese calendar differ from the ordinary one?

The entire path of life in the Celestial Empire is divided into twelve cycles. Each of them corresponds to a specific animal. In turn, each period corresponds to one of the five elements. Thus, 2018 corresponds to the Dog and the earth element. According to Chinese mythology, a person born in a certain year borrows the traits of the dominant animal.

The eastern calendar differs from our chronology in that it is based on the lunar calendar. The beginning of each month does not coincide with the same period in the Gregorian calendar. The month in the Chinese calendar begins with the next new moon. Naturally, the New Year according to the Eastern calendar does not correspond to our first January. It falls on the second new moon after winter solstice. It is clear that this date is not constant and changes every year. So in 2018, the spring festival - “Chun Jie” in China falls on February 16th. To find out what time Chinese New Year starts in your area, just find out the time of the second new moon in your area:

In Moscow	6 p.m. 13 minutes m.v.
In Pekin	23 hours 13 minutes m.v.
In Buryatia	23 hours 13 minutes m.v.

What is characteristic of the Year of the Dog?

Since next year the Yellow Earth Dog will become the mistress of the year, it can be said that 2018 will not be clear-cut. Despite the fact that this animal is characterized by such features as:

loyalty;
honesty;
justice;
friendliness.

At the same time, the Dog is characterized by unpredictability and laziness. Nevertheless, Chinese astrologers are confident that due to the fact that this animal has yellow and strengthened by the earthly elements, it can make our lives stable and calm. The coming year will be characterized by harmony and tranquility. There is a possibility that economic problems in many countries will disappear, and confrontation in many regions will decline. The lives of many people will improve qualitatively. Also, next year is good for marriage and replenishment of offspring. And yet, the Chinese are sure that if you feed all the dogs that come your way on New Year’s Day, then 2018 will definitely be lucky. The Mistress of the Year will certainly reward you with excellent health and give you true love.

history of the holiday

The history of celebrating spring day goes back more than one millennium. According to Confucius, the holiday appeared in the twenty-third century BC. There are many versions of the origin of "Chun Jie" in China. One of them explains its appearance as follows. A long time ago, the inhabitants of modern China suffered from the sea monster Nian, which once a year crawled onto land and destroyed everything in its path. During this period, the local population went high into the mountains, and food and livestock went to the terrible animal. But then one day, during such turbulent days, a monk appeared who promised to save the people from this scourge. He hung red lanterns in the house, wrote certain phrases on paper and began making incredible noise. The monster did not expect such resistance and left these places forever. After this, the Chinese repeat the traditions of their ancestors once a year. An incredible number of red lanterns are launched into the sky, and the roar of firecrackers and fireworks shakes the earth.

Celebration traditions

In fact, a lot of traditions have accumulated over the years to celebrate the New Year in China. Each region has its own characteristics. We will describe the most basic ones, which are typical for most regions.

Like all other peoples, the Chinese empty their homes of trash and unnecessary things before the holiday. There are reasons for this. According to Feng Shui experts, this procedure clears the way for the Chi energy. The difference between cleaning in China is that the garbage in the house is not swept as in our country - to the threshold, but on the contrary - from the entrance to the center. This allows you to keep useful energy from leaving the house. Another tradition that differs from us is a complete ban on cleaning after the New Year. According to the Chinese, by cleaning the house you can sweep away good luck. China has traditions that are similar to our customs. For example, as in Russia, New Year in China family celebration. Wherever a person is, on new year holidays he strives to go to his father's house. It is no coincidence that on the eve of the Spring Festival, all of China boards cars, trains, planes, etc. to celebrate the New Year together. Like us, Chinese New Year's table bursting with deliciousness. The Chinese are skilled cooks, and it is no coincidence that their cuisine is so popular all over the world. According to Chinese customs, cooking should be completed before lunch. Otherwise, you can hurt your luck. Strange as it may seem, dumplings, an everyday dish for us, are a must on the holiday table. Another must-have is Soy Tofu.

When it comes to gifts, the Chinese are great symbolists. For example, a very popular New Year's gift is a pair of tangerines. They are considered worth their weight in gold. After all, they mean that the donor wishes you a strong marriage. The peculiarity of gift giving is that the gift is not given directly. It is usually hidden in a secluded place when leaving the house. It is customary for children to be given a “lucky sum” - money that is placed in a red envelope. This means that you wish the applicant prosperity so that there is always money in his house. The ritual of burning “money” is interesting. True, the zealous Chinese do not destroy real banknotes, but good counterfeits.

The most common gifts for the New Year are:

various amulets, talismans, amulets;
all kinds of sweets;
figurines symbolizing the approaching year;
colorful cards with best wishes.

What not to do

Not accepted in China:

give expensive gifts;
pack gifts in white or blue paper. These colors mean mourning;
The number “4” should not be present in any way. It means death.;
give a gift in the presence of others.

Offerings should only be in pairs: two cards, two figurines, etc. In the family circle, gifts are given with both hands and first to the eldest.

Spring Festival (Chunjie) - traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, main holiday years in China.

New Year is celebrated twice in the country: on January 1 according to the solar calendar, as in most countries, and during the new moon. However, the Chinese people traditionally celebrate the Spring Festival more solemnly and with greater joy than the New Year according to the solar calendar. This is due to the fact that most of the country's population are peasants who, by tradition, continue to live according to the lunar calendar, and all field work and holidays are closely intertwined with the lunar calendar.

Chinese New Year is also celebrated as Public Holiday in a number of countries and territories where significant numbers of Chinese live, primarily in East Asian countries.

The Chinese New Year does not have a fixed date; it is calculated according to the Far Eastern lunisolar calendar. The beginning of the Chinese year occurs on the second new moon after the winter solstice and therefore moves between January 21 and February 21.

The onset of 2018 (4716 Chinese calendar) falls on February 16, 2018.

Chunjie is a family holiday. Millions of Chinese return to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year with their families. The New Year's travel season in China is specially called "Chunyun" and is considered the world's largest migration phenomenon.

Lunar New Year celebrations in Yangon, Myanmar

According to scientists, the history of the holiday goes back more than a thousand years.

It has always been rich in a variety of customs, some of which still exist today.

On the eighth day last month According to the lunar calendar, many homes 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, good 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 “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. During the Spring Festival, noisy folk festivals and fairs are held for several days in a row, 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

If traditional Ukrainian holidays weren’t enough for you, then you can celebrate the New Year again! According to the Chinese calendar. By the way, we will be celebrating not 2019, but 4717. What is different about the celebration and how to prepare to unforgettably celebrate the Year of the Yellow Earth Pig - read on.

When to celebrate

Of course, let's start with when this Chinese New Year is celebrated. The current celebration will begin February 5th and will continue until February 20th. New Year according to the eastern calendar will come February 5 at 23:03 Kyiv time or 5:03 Beijing time. This time will be considered the beginning of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar. Previously, the celebration lasted a whole month (and they also say that Ukrainians rest a lot), but in modern world a month of holidays is too much, so holidays reduced somewhat. This year the festivities will last 15 days.

Chinese New Year 2019

Chinese New Year has a variable date as it depends on lunar calendar. Therefore, the holiday falls on one of the days between January 21 and February 21.

What does the holiday mean for the Chinese?

Like our ancestors, for the Chinese the New Year is associated with the beginning of spring. With the awakening of nature and the start of sowing. It is believed that on Chinese New Year, winter meets spring and a new countdown begins. Reminds us of our Candlemas, doesn’t it?

For the Asian world, New Year is a family holiday. Family members come from different parts of the world to celebrate the beginning of the new year together. It is believed that at this time family circle Even the spirits of deceased relatives participate.

During these two weeks, people visit and have lavish feasts. There is also enough time for fairs, masquerades, and open-air folk festivals!

There are many shows and masquerades held in China.

During Chinese New Year celebrations, people exchange gifts. What to give if you decide to celebrate? Traditionally, the Chinese exchange red envelopes containing money, coin beads and tangerines. But anything that symbolizes wealth will do. With this gift you wish the person well-being and prosperity next year.

How to celebrate

The celebration of the aromas of the East and fireworks begins! For what? It's very simple to scare away evil spirits from the harvest. Of course, in the modern world this is only a tradition, but the Chinese carefully observe it.

Therefore, do not forget to buy sparklers for the celebration and aroma sticks. Or an aromatic lamp, if you’ve been dreaming about it for a long time - here great opportunity. Choose aromatic oils that you like and enjoy the scent all evening. But we advise you to avoid firecrackers and fireworks. They are dangerous for you personally and have a very negative impact on people who have been in a combat zone. Sparklers are a great alternative!

Sparklers: cheap, beautiful and safe

On the last day, the Chinese traditionally light red lanterns. You can also launch a lantern into the sky in Ukraine. It is on this day that people put on a necklace of tangerines and have a family feast. All this can be repeated with us without any problems.

Festive lanterns for Chinese New Year

Prepare a necklace, invite family and friends, and to avoid standing at the stove, you can order food from a Chinese restaurant. There are now enough of them in all major cities of Ukraine. Just be careful with exotic things: don’t try everything at once, otherwise digestive system may not cope and the holiday will be ruined.

Chinese food is very tasty

There should be plenty on the table, since the Pig loves to eat well. You can prepare a variety of salads. Give preference to plant foods, fruits and vegetables; you can also serve baked goods and fish dishes.

What to wear

If you can “go crazy” with holiday dishes, then we advise you to take a responsible approach to your choice of clothes. The Chinese use clothing to appease the patron animal of the year.

Considering that a year goes by Yellow Earth Pig, wear yellow, green or brown clothes and accessories. A natural palette will be suitable, which will bring you closer to harmony with nature. Moreover, nude tones are in trend! But bright, overly sophisticated things are best left for another occasion.

The table should be decorated in the same colors as the clothes: pastel colors, yellow, mustard.

You need to carefully prepare for the celebration of Chinese New Year

But most importantly - good mood and positive thoughts! We wish you a happy celebration.

One of the longest and happy Holidays In the Middle Kingdom and in many other countries of East Asia, it is Chinese New Year. Despite its Western counterpart, this holiday does not have a specific day of celebration. Every year it is celebrated on different days.

The first holiday falls on the second new moon, which comes after the winter solstice. According to the Gregorian calendar, this day falls somewhere between January 21 and February 21. Typically, the holiday lasts for 15 days.

This year, the New Year holiday began on February 16, 2018 and will end on February 4 next year. The celebration will take place from February 16 to March 2, 2018. But the Chinese will officially rest for only 7 days, starting from February 15 and ending on February 21.

As you already know, the Chinese New Year began on February 16, just at this time the second new moon after the winter solstice occurred.

Every year, China has its own combination, which can only be repeated once in 60 years. This combination represents one of the 12 available zodiac animals of a certain color, which will correspond to one of the available 5 elements: earth, fire, wood, water and metal. This year the symbol of the year is the dog, the element is earth, the main color is yellow.

It should be said that all 60-year circles begin with a wooden rat and end with a water pig. This circle began on February 2, 1984, and will end on January 29, 2044.

If you believe the old myths, then with the onset of the New Year, all Chinese must hide from a monster called Nian (translated from Chinese as “Year”). He always comes on the first day of the celebration and destroys all settlements: he eats livestock, crops, and also villagers.

To protect themselves and their home from this monster, all Chinese residents decorate their homes in advance. They cover them with beautiful red patterns with different inscriptions, hang pictures with wishes, and also hang red lanterns. The color red has its own legend.

As you know, Nian, who always loved to feast on children, once saw a child in a red robe and was afraid of him. After this, everyone concluded that the monster was afraid of the color red. In addition, all families, before the arrival of the holiday, try to thoroughly clean their homes in order to clear their lives of various misfortunes and make room for happiness.

As has long been customary, all families in China gather at one table. In the Celestial Empire, it is appropriate to set a luxurious table for the holidays. All housewives try to prepare their household's favorite dish. There must be fish and meat on the table, as well as dumplings.

Even those family members who study or work in another country or city return to this holiday. All Chinese residents celebrate the New Year with their parents. Because of this, all transport in the country is overcrowded and it is impossible to purchase a ticket.

The festive night ends with fireworks, which scare away evil spirits and attract happiness and peace to the family.

The next morning, the children try to wake up as early as possible to congratulate their parents on the holiday, and also tell them a lot of nice and pleasant things. kind words. Parents respond to their children and give them red envelopes containing money, the Rosregistr website reports.

After this ritual, the whole family gets together and goes to visit their relatives or neighbors. It takes them five days to walk like this. It is not customary to come to a house without a gift, so they prepare gifts for their friends and family in advance. In the Celestial Empire, it has long been customary to give gifts in pairs that symbolize unity and family harmony.

Also, when you come to visit, the owners of the house need to hand over a couple of tangerines, and when they leave them, the owners in return also hand over two tangerines to the guests. Symbols are exchanged in a similar way financial well-being For the Chinese, these are tangerines.

After the Chinese have visited all their relatives and friends, they go out into the street where folk festivities take place. You can take part in traditional dances, which include the lion and dragon dance. This happens as follows: people are inside the animal and imitate its movements.