Holidays: Chinese New Year
Photos by Jim Wright

The Chinese New Year is celebrated on a different day than January 1, the New Year in the United States. It is based on Chinese tradition. China has a very old culture that is rich and interesting.

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Here is a map that shows the countries where our holidays come from.

Here is China, up close.

Map of China

Now let's find out about Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year: Who, What and When

Who

People in the countries of China and Taiwan as well as all the Chinese communities around the world celebrate Chinese New Year. There are over 36 million Chinese who live outside of China!

In San Francisco, Honolulu and New York City, in the United States, the Chinese communities have big celebrations and a parade each year to start their New Year. Many other cities in the United States and Canada also have public celebrations. Neighbors and tourists also enjoy the parades and fireworks that are an important part of the celebration.

What

Celebrating the New Year is very important to the Chinese. They want to get ready for a successful new year. The Chinese want to "sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for the incoming good luck." We'd all like to do this!

Chinese New Year is a time for all family members to be together and to be thankful. An important part of the New Year celebration is to honor relatives who have died. Ancestors are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for the present day family.

China is a big country with many different people. How they celebrate New Year is different in different parts of the country. The same is true in the United States. But the spirit of the New Year is the same, a wish of peace and happiness for family members and friends.

A Fifteen-Day Celebration:

Before the Celebration Begins

Several days before the New Year, the families thoroughly clean their homes, pay their bills and buy new clothes. They want to start the New Year in the best way possible. They decorate their homes with flowers that symbolize the fruit that is to come -- wealth, and a successful career. Platters of oranges and tangerines are put out and are symbols for happiness.

Tangerines and oranges are given to friends to show that the friendship will continue.

A cutout of a sheep, the zodiac sign for 2003.

The families also put up paper cutouts with messages, "May you enjoy continuous good health" or "May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity (long life) shine on you."

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

May you have a prosperous New Year

On New Year's Eve, families come together for a special meal. They remember their ancestors, great grandparents and other relatives. At midnight they often celebrate with fireworks to drive away bad luck.

Early on New Year's day, children greet their parents and receive their New Year present. They get lucky red envelopes called lay see with money inside. This gives the children some spending money.

On this day people often visit family and friends.

Day 2

On the second day, the Chinese are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

Day 7

The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings!

Day 15, The Lantern Festival

A Chinese lantern and a lantern cut by a child in our third grade class.

The fifteenth day ends with the Lantern Festival. Each child is given a lantern and they have a parade. Households may put beautiful lanterns outside for all to see. Often these lanterns are red. Red is a lucky color.

Families eat sweet rice dumplings to celebrate the New Year.

The next day, work and school go on as usual.

Check out this site to find out more about the Lanterns and the Lantern Festival. http://www.index-china.com/index-english/Lantern.html

When - The Lunar New

The holiday lasts for 15 days and starts at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Today the Chinese use the same calendar as we do in the United States, but they still use the lunar calendar to decide when New Year will be celebrated. The lunar calendar is different than our calendar because it counts months based on the cycles of the moon, the 29 days it takes the moon to travel around the earth.

When we compare the lunar calendar with our calendar, the Chinese New Year can happen late in January through the middle of February. In 2005, the Lunar New Year was on February 9. In 2006, January 29 will be the beginning of the Lunar New Year.

The Zodiac

	Year of the horse, 2002
	Year of the sheep, 2003
	Year of the monkey, 2004

A long time ago the Chinese used another way to help them keep track of time. They named each year after an animal so they could remember when they were born. They chose twelve animals. After twelve years, they started with the first animal once more.

Check out the Chinese Zodiac to see the animals for the 12 - year cycle. Find the animal name for the year you were born!