Tuesday, April 19, 2011

New Year Activities Of The East

By John Chan


You may find it difficult to calculate Chinese New Year but if you observe the traditional activities related to New Year carefully you will get to know when it is celebrated.

The Chinese New Year is a period when the locals bring back to life the ancient traditions that have been practiced for centuries in China. Although there is no fixed date for the Chinese New Year the activities sure do make it obvious that the New Year is here. The festive spirits are on high during this time of the year and the whole of China is engaged in a hub of activity.

It is quite amazing that Chinese have no set date for their New Year. In spite of such a tradition you can not overlook it as many ancient customs are revived at this time of the year. In fact the nation becomes active with traditional activities which are there for centuries and there is a festive spirit in the air. All the activities done during this time of the year makes New Year an important festival in China and any outsider can make out that Chinese New Year has arrived.

The Chinese New Year is a symbol of hope and prosperity and it reflects in every part of the society as they let the past year go by. With the traditional custom they usher in the New Year with great interest and leave the past year behind.

They give their homes a renovation that often includes a paint job and pending repair work. The family members get themselves a hair cut and gear themselves up to take on the blessings of the New Year to come.

After the house has been thoroughly cleaned the Chinese have a custom of painting their doors and windows with red paint for the New Year. The red color symbolizes good luck and is also taken as an omen to ward off evil.

The tradition of the house cleaning in New Year is rounded off by painting the doors and windows in red color. This is done because Chinese believe that red color is a sign of good luck and it holds off the evil.

During the Chinese New Year you will come across a lot of doorways with spring couplets hanging on them. These paper made curls and squares are engraved upon with certain meanings. Keeping with the auspicious spirit the couplets have blessings engraved for the coming year or showering of good fortune or a good spring time etc.

There are some symbols which have a direct link with the New Year festivities. For instance hanging paper lanterns is a must. Also as a part of the ancient custom you must display the animal of that year in different areas of the house. Doing flower arrangements are familiar this time as it is believed that flowers like narcissus and quince branches bring in good health and abundance.




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