Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Just three days before the Chinese New Year festivities begin, millions of people are getting ready to celebrate the arrival of the Metal Ox, the animal that will rule until January 2022 -according to the Chinese horoscope- and where, according to tradition, order, effort, discipline and work will rule.
This year, to celebrate the close of the new year we will be celebrating big in Redwood City. Saturday, February 20th at 5 PM at the link: www.peninsula360press.com/lunarnewyear2021
In some cities like San Francisco, there is a Chinatown, which is just hours away from dressing up. But how do the Chinese celebrate this long-awaited day in China?
Here are 10 facts about how the New Year is celebrated in China:
1. The preparations begin earlier to say goodbye to the past year and prepare to receive the coming year with special enthusiasm. So from the 4th of February they dedicate themselves to cleaning the house.
It is a thorough cleaning. This preparation takes the name of "sweeping away the dust" and represents a desire to put away old things and to get ready to receive new ones.
The Chinese do not clean their house on the first two days of the new year - February 12 and 13 - because it is believed that this would eliminate the incoming good luck.
2. They do pre-shopping.
February 11 is New Year's Eve and is dedicated to buying food, snacks, decorations and clothes for the New Year. That is why one day before the Chinese New Year, the Asian country experiences a very important commercial boom.
They don't skimp on their most important celebrations. It is very common for the Chinese to buy new clothes for the festival, as it is a good omen to wear and carry new things as the year begins.
3. New Year's Eve is also full of rituals.
On February 11th, in China, people place images of gods on their doors, an important custom during the Spring Festival, as a prayer for blessings, health, longevity and peace to come to their homes.
It is common for the gods that are placed on the doors to carry weapons, as they will be the ones who fight against demons and evil spirits, so that they cannot enter the home.
New Year sayings are also placed on the door frames, they are typical phrases of 7 Chinese characters each, written on red paper and with black ink, phrases with four or five characters are pasted on the top of the door. They are also a call for good fortune and against evil spirits.
It is traditional that during New Year's Eve a dinner is held with all the members of the family, which means that many people travel to the Asian country to be reunited with their families.
This year, travel will be postponed or complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, in 2019 it was recorded that 415 million people travelled for the festivities, which was a world record.
On that day, Chinese people eat, among other things, traditional dishes of the holiday such as the jiaozi [Chinese ravioli, made with wheat flour and stuffed with meat, and niangao [a cake made of rice flour.
Money Calls MoneyThe saying goes, and for the Chinese it is important because every year, it is a tradition to give each other red envelopes with money inside.
Parents give their children red envelopes in the afternoon, with good wishes for their children to continue to grow financially in the coming year.
Red envelopes always have money in them. And they are wrapped in that color because it is believed to bring good luck.
For the closing of the eve, nothing like the sound of a bell, traditional symbol of the Chinese New Year. Temples, houses and squares ring their bells at midnight, as they believe that the sound keeps bad luck away and brings fortune closer.
4. New Year's Eve! To celebrate.
As the Chinese New Year begins, it's all color, noise and joy. Pyrotechnical fireworks are booming in the skies of millions of villages in China.
In major cities, lighting and firecrackers are among the most important customs of the Chinese New Year celebration, but because of the danger and noise disturbance they cause, the government has banned the practice in many large cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
However, fireworks and rockets that explode in the air are still allowed in most parts of the country.
5. Brand new.
On the first day of the New Year, Chinese people put on new clothes and say "gongxi" [??] which literally means "respectful joy", which could be translated as "best wishes", wishing each other good luck and happiness.
6. The Dragon and Lion Dances.
Lion dances and Dragon dances can also be seen on the day during the New Year. These dances used to be very popular in China, but are rare nowadays.
However, in Chinese neighborhoods of different latitudes it is very expected to see these dances that are performed by dozens of young people who rehearse for days the choreography, as they must carry on their bodies giant puppets in the shape of dragon or lion, to the rhythm of drums that call for good fortune.
7. Public New Year Celebrations.
New Year celebrations held in parks and temples in China are common. An example of this are the temple fairs in Beijing, where traditional activities are held throughout the day and until the last day of the celebration, when the Lantern Festival is held.
8. Offerings and sacrifices to ancestors.
Making offerings and sacrifices to ancestors is a popular custom in China since ancient times, its forms vary from one area to another: from the sweeping of tombs, to ancestor worship in ancient halls or temples.
Many people - especially in rural areas - offer sacrifices to their ancestors in the main living room of the house, where they place an altar in memory of the ancestor, and then family members kneel and bow in front of the chapel mounted on the wall, the whole family participating in the tradition.
The Chinese consider this act a sign of respect and piety, as well as a deep belief that the ancestors will protect their own descendants and that they will be prosperous for them.
9. It's not over yet.
Day two of the Chinese New Year. Unlike in the West, the Chinese celebrate big and for several days, and on the second day it is common for married women to visit their parents' house, bring gifts and red envelopes.
In addition, people offer sacrifices to the god of wealth, to whom they ask for abundance, prosperity and fortune.
From the 3rd to the 6th of the New Year - February 14th to 17th this year - people visit family and friends, some people visit family graves, and others stay at home, as it is believed that these are the days when demons roam the streets.
These days the cleaning starts again. In no way is it done before, even if there are red papers on the floor, firecrackers or other wrappings of presents that were given during the New Year's celebration, because they are a symbol of good luck.
On the seventh day of the New Year, February 18, the festivities end in most parts of the country, everyone goes back to work, and government agencies and businesses return to their daily routine.
10. New Year, Lantern Festival.
On the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival [????] (Yuánxi?o Jié /ywen-sshyaou jyeah/) is celebrated. It is the traditional end of the Spring Festival celebrations.
People send many bright lanterns into the sky while others allow the lanterns to go to sea, into rivers, or set adrift in lakes. Some go alone, others with messages calling for peace, love, and prosperity.
But this year, to celebrate the close of the new year we will be celebrating big in Redwood City. Saturday, February 20th at 5 PM at the link: www.peninsula360press.com/lunarnewyear2021
Don't miss it!
