Interesting Chinese New Year Facts

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Here are some interesting Chinese New Year Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

This new year celebration is also called Lunar New Year and celebrated also as Spring Festival. It is celebrated in January or February in many countries around the world.

Next year, the first month of the new lunar year will start according to the Chinese calendar on 12 February 2021.

Happy Chinese New Year – 2019 – Year of the Rat

Many countries celebrate the new year according to the Chinese Calendar and not only to our calendar which is the Gregorian calendar starting on the 1st of January.

Lunar New Year is an important public holiday for many countries including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In many other countries, Chinese communities celebrate in the city’s ‘Chinatown’ districts.

What is Chinese New Year?

This important date on the Chinese calendar has been celebrated for many centuries. During the festivities ancestors are honoured and traditional ceremonies are held where people get together and welcome the new year with customs that shall bring good luck, good fortune, wealth, prosperity and happiness.

The spring festival festivities for the new year take 15 days in most countries. The new year is often celebrated with dragon dances, lion dances, gift exchanging and fireworks. It ends typically with lantern festivals on the 15th day of the first calendar month. See below an image from the Pingxi Sky Festival which is celebrated in Taiwan every year to end the new year’s festivities.

Cultural Celebrations: A Guide to Celebrating Lunar (Chinese) New Year for Schools

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Lunar New Year, also regionally known as the Chinese New Year, is one of the world’s most prominent and celebrated holidays. It is the most important annual event for many countries in Asia and the cause of the largest annual human migration in the world. The holiday usually occurs sometime in January or February each year depending on the lunar calendar. This year the festival starts on February 12th, 2021. Many cities with a sizeable Asian population from Shanghai to Boston usually host a large celebration in their predominantly East Asian or Chinese neighborhoods.

This year ushers in the Year of the Ox, one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs often associated with hard work, intelligence, humbleness, and reliability.

By implementing some of the tips and activities we recommend, you can show your international students that you appreciate their culture and that they add value to the community. It is easy for international students to get homesick during this time as they see their peers and family celebrating together at home. These small measures to celebrate your students’ culture can help ease their homesickness.

How long does the Lunar New Year celebration go on?

Unlike in the United States, where New Year’s celebration consists of two days (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day), Lunar New Year features a massive celebration lasting anywhere from a week to 15 days. While the official public holiday period is seven days long, some parts of China, particularly in more rural areas, will be closed for the entire 15-day period.

The 15th day of the new year is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, signaling that the New Year celebration is complete.

Do I need to do anything special to prepare for the Lunar New Year?

Chinese families clean their homes fastidiously to get rid of any “bad luck” that has accumulated throughout the year. However, cleaning during New Years is strictly forbidden as that would entail sweeping away the “good luck” one has received from the coming of the New Year.

Do you celebrate with friends, family, or both?

Whereas in America, New Year celebrations usually happen outside the home and with friends, Lunar New Year celebrations at home with family. Typically, this entails a feast that can last up to 7 hours and feature up to 18 dishes.

Tell me more about this feast.

It’s important to understand that it is by far the biggest and most important meal of the entire year.

For this feast, family members, including extended family, sit around the dinner table in order of their ages. Moreover, if a member of your family cannot attend the dinner for some reason, it is tradition to leave an empty seat at the table to recognize absent family members.

Depending on the size of the family, 8, 16, or 18 dishes will be served, because these numbers are considered lucky. For example, a large family will feature 18 dishes consisting of four cold appetizers, four hot appetizers, eight main entrees, and two soups. If you’re looking for an authentic Lunar New Year recipe, see our fun and easy-to-do dumpling recipe.

Dinner typically starts during the late afternoon and proceeds past midnight. This tradition of staying up until the New Year has begun is called “shou sui.”

Is there a Lunar New Year equivalent to watching the ball drop in Times Square?

In China, many families watch the Chinese Gala, a special variety show broadcasted on Lunar New Year’s Eve that features musical performances, drama, comedy, dances, and more with famous Chinese celebrity appearances. This show lasts for several hours and is incredibly popular.

 

Are there any unique decorations I can use to spruce up my home or school?

Many Chinese families will decorate their homes with objects that are red. Red symbolizes good luck in Chinese culture but more so because red is said to scare away Nian, a mythical beast that is believed to come out of hiding to attack people (particularly children) around the time of the New Year. The traditional Chinese Lion Dance is also associated with driving the Nian away.

Are there any other traditional celebratory activities?

There are many other ways in which you can celebrate. For instance, you can:

Light small firecrackers, as the noise is said to drive away Nian.

Give “hong bao” to young children; “hong bao” is the name for the red envelopes that are filled with money or treats and typically given to children. Again, these are red as the color is said to bring luck.

Visit a parade, which can be found in many Chinatowns in your nearest city during New Years. These parades often include dragon dancers, vendors selling sweets, and music.

Is there anything I should avoid during Chinese New Year?

Great question! Just as there are traditional ways to celebrate Chinese New Year, there are some practices to help maintain the good luck brought by the New Year.

Here are a few examples:

  • You shouldn’t clean or sweep your home during New Year’s as you may accidentally sweep away the good luck that comes with a new year.
  • You should not get a haircut during or right after the new year (it’s the same idea as cleaning, don’t cut all the good luck away).
  • You should avoid doing any knitting or needlework during New Year’s as this type of work is said to encourage a year’s worth of arguments with friends and loved ones.
  • Finally, you should avoid any unhappy thoughts, words, or situations as the New Year is a time to celebrate the good things in one’s life rather than to dwell on the negatives.

We hope that this brief guide helps you celebrate the Lunar New Year with your friends, family, and students. Don’t forget to tag us or send your pictures and videos of your celebration to your school’s Program Manager.

Acclaimed International Exhibition ‘Lanterns Of The Terracotta Warriors’ Confirms Manchester As Next Uk Location

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Art installation to illuminate Manchester as part of city’s 2017 Chinese New Year celebrations 

Acclaimed international art exhibition ‘Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors’ is heading to Manchester.

Secured by Manchester’s business improvement district, the Heart of Manchester BID, the stunning installation comprising 40 lantern warriors will illuminate the city’s Exchange Square as part of Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations in January 2017.

Commissioned for the Beijing Olympics Games in 2008, the acclaimed exhibition has subsequently appeared in iconic locations across the globe including Dawes Point, Sydney Harbour (in front of Sydney Opera House), Zagreb Central Square and Prague’s Hradcany Castle. Manchester will be its next stop and the first time it has ever been on display in the North West.

Inspired by the the famous ‘terracotta army’ accidently uncovered in 1974 in the tomb of China’s First Emperor and widely regarded as the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World, artist Xia Nan’s brightly coloured lanterns, which stand at more than two metres tall, bring together two key features of Chinese art and culture  – the compelling story of the Terracotta Army alongside the 2000 year old tradition of lantern-making. ‘The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors’ are accurate replicas of the original 8,000-strong army of clay warriors, with the addition of women and children to represent inheritance and future.

Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations, organised by the Heart of Manchester BID on behalf of Manchester city centre retailers, alongside FCAM (Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester), Manchester City Council and Confucius Institute, are the largest in the UK outside of London. In 2016, event sponsors included Hainan Airlines, Manchester Airport Group, Manchester City Football Club and Tsing Tao. Chinese New Year celebrations in 2017 are set to be the biggest the city has seen to date offering brands the opportunity to align with both a world class exhibition and high profile, internationally recognised celebrations.

Manchester city centre will see in the Year of the Rooster with a four day programme (26th – 29th January 2017) celebrating the very best of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. More than 6,000 traditional red lanterns will adorn the city’s streets alongside a giant 50ft Golden Dragon spectacle, stunning light shows and firework displays, Chinese and Asian food villages, live music and traditional performances and a host of city wide family events.

Jane Sharrocks, Heart of Manchester Business Improvement District Chair, said: “Securing this world class exhibition is a major coup for both Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations and the city itself. The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors are breathtaking and visitors can walk amongst them offering a truly immersive experience.

“Each year our celebrations get bigger and our events programme bolder, making Manchester one of the best places in Europe to spend Chinese New Year. And as Manchester’s partnership with China grows and takes to the global stage, it’s only fitting that the BID, alongside FCAM, Manchester City Council and the city’s retailers deliver the most innovative and spectacular Chinese New Year festival to date.”