www.chaotaboy.blogspot.com

29.1.06

Happy Lunar New Year everyone!! With a wiggle of the little puny toes.. one great year has past us.. hope you people had enjoyable memories in the past year and have more greater and memorable memories to come.. hehe..

Anyway.. on the last day of 2005 on the lunar calender.. i met up with my usual gang and we had a great fun of balls kicking.. haha.. i got mine kicked or rather smashed by the ball.. it hurts i tell you.. straight clean shot.. haha.. eventful eh? lol... played till bout' 12 plus and we went seperate ways after that.. tired..

The following is some info about the Chinese New Year.. it would be lengthy.. haha

1) Turning Over a New Leaf

Chinese New Year, signifies turning over a new leaf. Socially, it was a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stressed the importance of family ties. The Chinese New year's Eve dinner gathering was among the most important family occasions of the year.

2) Sweeping of the Grounds

Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 20th of the Twelveth Moon was set aside for the annual house cleaning. Every corner of the house must be cleaned. Couplets that consists of short poems in Classical Chinese that are expressions of good wishes are put up. Furthermore, symbolic flowers and colourful new year pictures are too, put up for decoration.

3) Kitchen God

The Kitchen God (Zao Wang), guardian of the family health, the inventor of fire. Fire is necessary for cooking and censor of household morals. The Kitchen God leaves the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behaviour of the family. At the evening of the 23rd, sweet foods and honey are offered (as some consider) as a bribe to have good reports on the family.

Without any watchful eyes, families prepares for the upcoming celebrations. During the old china, stores closes shop on the last two or three days of the old year and remained closed for the first week of the New Year. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tended more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. Debts must also be settled by the last day of the old year.

4) Family Celebration

Everyone would be getting tidied up for New Year's Day. All foods are prepared before New Year's Day. Sharp objects are usually kept (away from view) to prevent cutting away the New Year's luck. The kitchen and well (the deep hole that contains water) are not to be disturb on the first day.

The New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations were strickly family affairs. All members of the family would gather for the important family meal on the evening of the New year’s Eve. Even if a family member could not attend, an empty seat would be kept to symbolize that person’s presence at the banquet. At midnight following the banquet, the younger members of the family would bow and pay their respects to their parents and elders.

5) Lai-See

On the first day, children are given Lai-See envelopes (Red packets in modern day). Good luck money are wrapped in them. New clothes for everyone and best behaviour is expected. It is considered improper to tell a lie, raise one's voice, use indecent language or break anything.

Starting from the second day, people began going out to visit friends and relatives, taking with them gifts and Lai-See for the children. Visitors would be greeted with traditional New year delicacies, such as melon seeds and Nian Gao, New Year cakes.

6) Everybody’s Birthday

The entire first week was a time for socializing and amusement. Stores are closed and an air of gaiety prevailed, lion dances, acrobats, theatrical shows, and other diversions. Firecrackers, which symbolized driving away evil spirits, are heard throughout the first two weeks of the New year.

The 7th Day of the New Year is called "everybody’s birthday" as everyone was considered one year older as of that date. (In traditional China, individual birthdays were not considered as important as the New Year’s date. Everyone added a year to his age at New Year’s time rather than at his birthday.)

7) Lantern Festival

The New Year celebrations ends on the 15th of the First Moon with the Lantern Festival. On the evening of that day, people carried lanterns into the streets to take part in a great parade. Young men would highlight the parade with a dragon dance. The bobbing and weaving of the dragon was an impressive sight, and formed a fitting finish to the New Year festival.

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I didn't even realised there were so many traditions.. haha..