Being half-Chinese, Chinese New Year is something that has always been a part of my life. Since I was a child, I knew that it meant shiny red and gold envelopes with a bit of money inside, and as I grew older I learned about the lucky foods, fireworks and other things associated with the celebration.
What a lot of people don't know, but are learning, is how important this holiday is in China. It is not simply a single day (and eve) like the calendar New Year, but a whole series of smaller days known as the Spring Festival: the 15 days it takes to navigate from the New Moon on New Year's day to the Full Moon of the Lantern Festival. It sort of reminds me of the 12 days of Yuletide. While there are many variations in how the different days are celebrated, there are themes to each of the days, and often certain activities are encouraged (or discouraged).
Before we even get to the New Year's Eve, we find ourselves at the end of the lunar cycle before. Referred to as "Little Year", it is often seen as the beginning of the Spring Festival celebration. Little Year is typically observed on the 23rd or 24th day of the previous lunar cycle, and is dedicated to honoring the Kitchen God and cleaning house. It is a way of saying goodbye to the old year, of sweeping away the bad luck that might have accumulated and making your home ready for the good luck of the coming year (it is considered unlucky to clean at the start of the New Year, as you might sweep away that year's good luck).
The most important dinner of the year occurs on New Year's Eve and is known as the Reunion dinner. It is a time for family members to gather together and celebrate. Favorite foods are prepared, alongside foods that are considered auspicious or lucky. There are many foods that are looked upon favorably, often because their name has significant meaning. For example, whole steamed fish is a very common dish, the word for fish also symbolizes surplus, so eating fish is thought to be a symbol of always having more than you wished for. It is eaten whole to ensure a good start and finish. Homophones (words that sound alike) are also seen as signs, so since the word for chicken is a homophone for good luck, chicken is seen as a dish to bring good luck. But shape can also come into play. Dumplings are shaped like gold ingots, and so are eaten to usher in wealth and prosperity. Reunion dinner is also when the red envelopes are given to children and elders. Firecrackers are lit to scare away evil spirits.
The first day of the Spring Festival is the actual Chinese New Year day. It is the day of Heaven and Earth, and is thought to be a representation of the coming year. Historically, it was a time to look to the heavens (the weather, the stars and moon) and predict the fortunes of the year. It is also a time to honor your elders, and visit (or call) your parents, grand-parents and other senior members of your family.
The second day is a day of visiting family, traditionally when married daughters would visit their birth family and friends (especially in times when travel was less frequent and it might be the only time of the year they could 'return home'). The daughter would bring her husband and children to her parent's home, with small gifts which where a symbol of missing her hometown. Today, it might be a day to visit with friends and family, and small gifts would be exchanged between the guests and the hosts.
The third day was considered an unlucky day for socializing, because the risk of disagreements was higher, and so was a day to stay home. There is also some connections with folklore that indicates this was the day that rats would marry, so people would leave small offerings to the rats and try not to disturb their 'weddings', and in return the rats would not disturb them throughout the rest of the year.
On the fourth day, it is thought that gods and spirits (like the Kitchen God or the God of Wealth) will visit earth, and so a big feast and offerings are made to these deities to help ensure a prosperous year. According to Chinese mythology, when the world was created, it was on the fourth day that sheep were made, and so it is forbidden to slaughter sheep on this day. And if the weather is nice, it is seen as a sign that the sheep will be healthy and this will lead to a bountiful harvest.
The fifth day is the God of Wealth's birthday, and it marks the day when many of the New Year's taboos (such as the avoidance of sweeping) may be broken. Many businesses will reopen on this day, though some people feel you should stay in, just in case the God of Wealth comes a calling.
The sixth day is horse's day (when horse was created), and is the day on which you drive away the Ghost of Poverty. All the garbage from the festival is thrown out, along with any old clothing. Another belief is that the God of Bathrooms will visit this day, so it is best to make sure everything is clean for his arrival.
The seventh day marks the creation of humans, and can be viewed as a collective birthday (the day when we all grow one year older). This is a good day to eat healthy foods or foods symbolizing prosperity and long life. Long noodles are seen as a symbol of long life, the longer the noodle the better!
The eighth day is the birthday of millet or rice, and as such it is a day to honor agriculture. Some families visit farms and take this day as a time to teach children to appreciate the farmer's hard work and to become more aware of the environment and our impact upon it.
The ninth day is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, who is considered to be the ruler of the heavens. Offerings may be laid out, and it is considered quite important to bathe first, as a sign of respect. One interesting offering is sugar cane. Legend tells that people hid from pirates in a sugarcane plantation on the Jade Emperor's birthday, and because the word for sugarcane is similar to the word for 'thank you' it is seen as an offering of gratitude.
The tenth day celebrates the God of Stone (the word ten and the word for rock share a pronunciation). Because of this, you should avoid moving any stones, like stone rollers, mills or mortars on this day. It is also not a day to build a house with rocks or cut into a mountain (basically avoid doing things that would hurt rock!)
The eleventh day is a day when father's traditionally invite their daughter and son-in-law to eat a meal. As there are always lots of leftovers from the Jade Emperor's birthday celebrations, leftovers are eaten on this day.
The next couple of days are general feasting days and used to prepare for the Lantern Festival. They are spent visiting with friends and family, getting ready for the culmination of the Spring Festival, and just filled with general merriment. The thirteenth day may be a day of lighter fare, where vegetarian dishes are favored to help sooth digestive systems and give them a break after all the heavy and rich foods eaten previously.
Finally, on the fifteenth day, the Lantern Festival is held. Candles might be lit to help guide wayward spirits home. Riddles might be written on lanterns, and whoever figures out the answer will be granted a prize by the owner of the lantern. Because the word for lantern sounds like the word for 'add children', it is a time to ask for blessings of childbirth. It also holds many similarities to Valentine's day, as a day when unmarried people could meet or seek a romantic partner.
As you can see, there is a lot going on during these festivals! But Chinese New Year also ushers in a new zodiac animal. In the Chinese zodiac, instead of each month having a sign, each year does. 2021 is the year of the ox, and more specifically the year of the metal ox (each year is given an elemental association alongside it's zodiac animal).
Ox is said to rank second among the zodiac animals. According to legend, the Jade Emperor was going to order the zodiac animals based on what order they arrived in. Ox decided to be kind and give Rat a ride, but when they were arriving, Rat jumped ahead, and so took the first place in the order, putting Ox second.
Ox represents honesty, strength, dependability and determination. They are patient and will keep working towards their goal, often having a detailed plan. They aren't much influenced by others or the world around them, though they can also be quite stubborn. With the addition of the metal influence, we can expect early struggles, but a comfortable financial state later on. This is an interesting forecast for the coming year, and I think a lot of people will look forward to this slow, but steady progress and stability.
Chinese New Year is a fascinating time, and I hope you enjoyed this little peek into what it means. There is a lot more to discover, and if you find it interesting I hope you will learn more and explore the many different facets of this festival and it's associated meanings.
very cool!
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