Gong Xi Fa Cai - Finding the Perfect Chinese New Year Cards

In its way, Chinese New Year is no different from the New Year celebrated on January 1 by so much of the rest of the world. It is time of well wishes and love. People hope for good fortune, happiness, health, and wealth for the coming year. A lot of people offer these good wishes by sending their loved ones Chinese New Year cards.

This is a common practice no matter what your culture is or when your new year celebration takes place. You want the people you love to know you are thinking of them. You want them to know that you are wishing them well.

When choosing a card to send someone for the Chinese New Year you have a veritable wealth of fantastic cards from which to choose. It all depends on your relationship to the recipient. Sending New Years cards to friends and loved ones is a time honored tradition.

The same is true for those who celebrate Chinese New Year. Of course, with the advent of ecards and holiday greetings sent through the Internet, they are becoming immeasurably more possible. The only real difference here is the style and sentiment of the cards in question.

Many cards celebrating the Chinese New Year are decorated with the things you see during the two week celebrations associated with the holiday. For example, both paper cards and electronic cards often incorporate fireworks displays. These are common practice during Chinese New Year, which is why such cards are so popular.

Dragons, Chinese characters, and the symbolic foods popular during Chinese New Year also make for great greeting card designs. Basically, any type of design which is special to you and/or your family will provide just the right sentiment.

If all else fails, you should always feel free to design a card of your own. You can even include your own hand written fortunes and well wishes, which provide an extra, personal touch to the whole affair. This can be ideal, and it certainly presents you with a way to show your loved ones exactly how you feel.

Henry Fong

Feng Shui Consultant.

Feng Shui Absolutely

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Fong

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Chinese New Year Bingo Cards

Chinese New Year, also known as "Spring Festival", is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays. The holiday is widely celebrated in China itself, and throughout East Asia. Additionally, increasingly Chinese New Year is increasingly marked in the West, both within the Chinese community, and by people interested in Chinese culture and traditions.

The traditional Chinese calendar is lunisolar (incorporating both elements of lunar and solar cycles to calculate dates), consequently the date of Chinese New Year varies from year to year when translated into the Western Gregorian calendar. Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar, and continues until the 15th of that month, which is known as the "Lantern festival". In the Gregorian calendar, that equates to a 15 day period beginning sometime between January 21st and February 20th.

There are a variety of traditions associated with Chinese New Year. These include the wearing of new clothes, displaying decorations (especially red decorations), the giving of red envelopes (containing money) by elders to children and juniors, and visits to relatives and friends ("new-year visits"). Additionally, many overseas Chinese travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year's Eve.

With so many gatherings and families and friends, Chinese New Year is also an opportunity for performing group activities. Additionally, with the increasing prominence of Chinese New Year in the West, the occasion is also an excellent opportunity for teachers to introduce their students to Chinese culture through classroom activities. Whether with friends, family, or in the classroom, one such activity that is worth considering is Chinese New Year bingo.

Bingo is a fun game, that virtually everybody knows how to play. However, if somebody doesn't know how to play, there's no reason to worry - anybody can learn the game in just a few minutes. Of course, if you're playing bingo at Chinese New Year, it's more fun if you can get into the spirit of things by using bingo cards printed with items related to Chinese New Year, rather than using traditional numbered bingo cards. The easiest way to get such special bingo cards is to print them using your computer - you can download some bingo card maker software and print as many as you want. The coolest thing is that once you have the software, you can use it each year, or to print specially themed bingo cards for other events, occasions and holidays.

By S. Tanna. To create and print your own custom Bingo Cards, please go to http://www.bingocardprinter.com/ - bingo card maker software! Download a free trial to see for yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

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8 Chinese New Year Food Symbols for Happiness, Prosperity and Health

"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of
celebrating the Spring Festival.

Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to
have your New Year wishes come true!

And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and
health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and
friends?

Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New
Year.

Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New
Year

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood
and vegetables) is a must.

Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as huo3 in
hong2 huo3 红火 “prosperous and booming”.

2. Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance
in the new year.

Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese
New Year.

In Chinese fish has the same sound as “surplus” and
“abundance” 余.

A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year’s eve for the
reunion dinner.

Usually the fish is steamed.

It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail
intact.

This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and
end in the new year.

Best served whole.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds
like someone laughing.

Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings.

These are shaped like gold ingots.

Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which
means the hour of transition into the New Year.

Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are
eaten on Chinese New Year’s eve to usher in good luck and
wealth in the New Year.

Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever
bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year.

When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they
mean “golden threads through gold ingots”.

In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and
Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold
ingots.

5. Oyster

Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means “good
things”.

In southern China, it is served with thin rice
noodles.

6. Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens.

Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 mea
ning “close/intimate”

7. Sticky rice cake

Nian2 gao1 年糕.

Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the
same as high gao1 高.

So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped
with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater
prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity
noodles".

A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity,
Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of
life.

Even more so during Chinese New Year!

For more auspicious Chinese food symbols and DIY Chinese recipes, visit www.living-chinese-symbols.com.

Want to discover the culture of Chinese symbols and characters and enhance your life? LIOW Kah Joon is your guide. Read his Chinese New Year Special and sign up for his free monthly Chinese Symbols ezine at Living Chinese Symbols.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kah_Joon_Liow

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Top 7 Superstitions Chinese People Believe Before New Year

Chinese have many traditions in their culture, and especially during the New Year days. Whether you are visiting China for pleasure or business, it is important to know. This article will take you through the week before Chinese New Year. Understand all the superstitions and taboos during those days.

A week before New Year, the Chinese people have a custom of bribing the Kitchen God with sweet foods before he goes back to heaven. People believe the Kitchen God goes back to heaven every year to give a report about the family deeds to the Jade Emperor.
In Chinese New Year customs, the people cannot sweep or clean the house on New Year's Day, so they use the week before to do so. When sweeping, you will only sweep inward and not out the front door (because you do not want luck to go out the front door). After you finish sweeping, you can take the trash out through the back door.
Chinese New Year is a happy time not only for the living. Each household will use this time to clean its family tombstones and altars.
Before New Year, you need to be free of debt. Also, nothing should be lent or borrowed at this time. If you are a lender, you should not ask people to pay back the money on New Year, but wait until the New Year is over.
Red is the main color for decoration. This color is meant to bring luck as well as good fortune.
To drive away evil spirits, there will be a line of poetry (calligraphy) written on a red paper and taped to each side of the door or gate. Red lanterns will also be hung for the same reason. People will write the word "spring" upside down on the calligraphy. They believe that doing so will help the luck stay inside the house.
On each wall, there will be pictures of children playing and of the God of Fortune. The children in these drawings will be fat. In China's culture, fat means healthy and lucky.

Hello there,
My name is Dat Nguyen. Thank you for taking your time off to read this article. The article comes from Chinese New Year Customs. The site is concentrate on helping people to communicate in different culture. All the articles will explain what is appropriate and what is not. Also, the site include extensive explanation of why thing the way it is.
Or you can visit me at this main page of Culture-4-travel.com. Hope to see you there.
Dat Nguyen

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8 Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year

What are the Chinese New Year activities for celebrating
this most important festival in the Chinese calendar?

Let's start at the beginning...

In China, Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival.
That’s because the first day of Chinese New Year falls on the start of spring.
The beginning of spring is a fresh start…
It's the start of a new year of sowing and reaping.
A wish for a good harvest in the year ahead.
(That's how the Chinese character for "year" nian2 年 came
about.)

A cause for celebration!
All around the world, Chinese families...
put up Chinese New Year scrolls on both sides of the door,set off firecrackers (It's illegal in many Chinese cities now, but people do it anyway)
and married adults give children red envelopes filled with
“lucky money”.

Chinese New Year activities begin 2-4 weeks before the "big
day".

Here's what you can do to celebrate Chinese New Year.

It's what Chinese families do all over the world.

1. Clean up the house

Select a day and together with the family, clean up the
house.

This ritual gets rid of bad luck in the ending year and
welcomes in good luck in the new year.

2. Send greeting cards

Send greeting cards with new year wishes to friends,
relatives and colleagues.

Remember to post your greeting cards early!

3. Go shopping

Go shopping to buy new clothes for the whole family, food
and sweets, and festive home decorations.

Looking for Chinese New Year activities for kids? Go to
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-
activities.html

4. Get ready some red packets.

You'll need them later.

5. Decorate the house

Hang Chinese New Year scrolls called spring couplets on both
sides of the door to usher in good wishes for the new year.

Paste paper cuts of upside down good fotune "fu" characters,
happy children and tangerine oranges on the wall.

Make sure you have vases of flowers in the house during
Chinese New Year.

They do more than just add a new year atmosphere to the
home.

Living plants symbolize growth and flowers represent wealth
and prosperity.

Pum blossoms can be arranged together with bamboo and pine.

They stand for endurance, nobility and longevity.

Other favorite flowers are pussy willow, azalea, peony and
water lily or narcissus.

6. Prepare the reunion dinner

Gather your family together for this most important and
sumptuous meal of the year on Chinese New Year’s eve.

Prepare a meal with auspicious dishes like chicken, fish,
oysters, dumplings, green vegetables and noodles.

They have meanings of prosperity, longevity and abundance.

I've put together some Chinese New Year recipes and a list
of what different foods symbolize at http://www.living-
chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-activities.html

7. Pass the year

After a hearty meal, stay up late to “pass the year” guo4
nian2 过年, an ancient tradition.

You can watch TV, play card games, or chat.

After midnight (or on the morning of Chinese New Year's
day), give your children the red envelopes filled with money
(called “lucky money”).

Put the red packets under the pillow of children. This is
said to ward off evil.

8. Send New Year greetings

Call up friends or SMS them on the morning of Chinese New
Year and wish them Happy New Year, Good Health and
Prosperity.

Visit the homes of friends and relatives with two big
tangerines.

Bring red packets to give to the children at the homes
you're visiting.

These are eight ways to have a roaring Chinese New Year
celebration with family and friends!

Eight is the most auspicious number for Chinese people.

It means wealthy and properous.

Here's to your good health and prosperity in the New Year!

Want to discover the culture of Chinese symbols and characters and enhance your life? LIOW Kah Joon is your guide. Read his Chinese New Year Special and sign up for his free monthly Chinese Symbols ezine at Living Chinese Symbols

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kah_Joon_Liow

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Chinese New Year Parties-Some Useful Tips

For 2009, the 15 day celebrations will begin on January 26th. 2009 is the year of the bull which is also known as Ding Hai.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. With a lunar cycle of around 29.5 days the misalignment to the solar cycle is compensated for by adding a month every few years. Within a period of nineteen years, there are months added on seven occasions. This can be considered as being similar to adding days during a leap year.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated with family and a banquet, in honour of departed ancestors is held on New Year's Eve. It is a belief that the spirits of departed relatives will attend the living in-order to celebrate the New Year's arrival together. The feast has the name 'weilu' or 'surrounding the stove'.

In advance of the New Year Chinese tradition is to complete all unfinished business from the previous year. Homes are completely cleaned and the principles of fung shei are applied to ensure that there is room for good energy and good luck top enter the home. On the stroke of midnight as the years change, all doors and windows are opened to let the old year depart. New Year's eve is traditionally celebrated by the letting off of firecrackers as a welcome to the New Year.

A Chinese family home would be decorated with vases of pretty flowers to symbolize the reawakening of nature and you would also expect to see oranges and tangerines (symbolizing happiness) and a tray of candy. If you visit a Chinese family during the celebrations it would be expected that you would bring a bag of tangerines or oranges. If they have leaves attached this will assure that the relationship will remain secure.

The tray of candy has great importance and consists of eight different types. Each type symbolises good fortune of a different type. Traditionally you would find; lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, cumquat, lychee, red melon seeds and candied melon. The arrangement overall is called 'the tray of togetherness'

Other decorations around a Chinese family home would include wall decorations which typically would be good wishes for the New Year. The common theme would be that they would be on red paper. Red is a happy colour and one that will bring good fortune and consequently it is used extensively in decoration and clothing. Superstition dictates that the appearance and attitude of a person on New Year's Day will impact them throughout the new year, hence the choice of a happy and bright colour.

These themes should be integrated into your own Chinese New Year's party. Your home should be clean and anything no longer used or valued should be discarded. If your party is on New Year's Eve, don't forget firecrackers and to throw your windows and doors open at midnight. Decorate using a red, red/gold theme.

http://www.karnival-house.co.uk/acatalog/ offers a complete range of fancy dress costumes; make-up and fancy dress accessories for Chinese and Around the World parties at http://www.karnival-house.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Around_the_World.html feel free to browse our site to find a wide costumes for your party. Karnival-House holds huge stocks of fancy dress costumes and accessories all available for immediate dispatch. New party lines, including Chinese party accessories arriving all the time.

Article submitted by: KV Sinclair. Keith Sinclair has over 35 years of business experience and in addition to being a part time University Lecturer on Business Studies, he is CEO of Cavalcade; a group of companies operating in the party sector. Cavalcade operates Karnival-House http//:http://www.karnival-house.co.uk one of the UK's leading internet Fancy Dress Retailers. With massive stocks for immediate dispatch and an ever expanding range, Karnival-House continues to strive simply to offer outstanding service combined with outstanding value.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Sinclair

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Chinese New Year - Get Chinese New Year Eve Celebration Around the World

The Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration that falls on a different date each year as it is a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually falls in the month of January or February. This year marks the 'Year of the Horse'.

The Chinese New Year's date varies every year and falls on second new moon after the winter solstice. The date for the occasion is decided according to the calendar which is a combination of the solar and the lunar calendar. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar are the animals that are considered to be auspicious. Each person as is believed in the Chinese calendar resembles an animal and this reflects their traits.

The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival as it is also known is the most revered holiday of the year. This is the time when family and friends gather and offer prayers to their ancestors and deities followed by a lavish dinner to usher in the New Year. During this time, families clean their homes while feng shui believers decorate their homes accordingly. On Chinese New Year Eve, members of a family stay up late as legend goes that long ago; the gods in heaven would give gold to each family so they would keep awake, active and ready to accept the gold gift.

Families decorate their homes with pretty vases and colorful flowers symbolizing that nature has reawakened. Oranges and tangerines are placed in the house as a sign of happiness and prosperity. A tray of candies made of eight different types of candies are placed along with these. The candies are made of lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, cumquat, red melon seeds, candied melon, etc.

The traditional food that is a significant part of the Chinese New Year party includes Jai, Fish and chicken, noodles and desserts. The dinner has a symbolic meaning in which the Chinese dumplings imply wealth as they are in the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Jiu is the traditional hard liquor in China symbolizes longevity as also Daikon, a white radish. Red chilies symbolize good luck while rice ensures harmony.

Chinese people are usually out on the roads, especially kids who wear Chinese dragon masks and go for the Chinese New Year Dragon parade. Dragon dances are a vital part of the Chinese New Year. One man who has a 'Pearl Of Wisdom' on a pole entices the dragon to follow him to the drum beats as though searching for wisdom and knowledge. The lion dance is an equally important ritual in the consecration of any auspicious time in China. The Lantern Festival is an amazing visual display of multicolored paper lanterns created by craftsmen in designs of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies and other insects or animals. The Dragon Boat Festival marks the day of a certain Chinese scholar who threw himself into the river over a political protest.

Chinese New Year is not just a festival of fun and part, but also a time to welcome the new season, pray for prosperity and well being and cleanse away the any thing evil.

Kundan writes many Chinese new year related articles. 123chinesenewyear.com provide ideas about Chinese new year eve, Chinese New Year animal, and Chinese New Year 2009 activity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kundansingh_Khati

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Fun And Creative Chinese New Year Crafts That You Can Do For Your Holiday Celebrations

The Chinese New Year is a very important time of year for Chinese people all over the world. One great way to celebrate this special time is to make fun and easy crafts with your family. There are so many crafts that you can do to help you have more fun as you celebrate, plus these crafts will make good decorations for your home as you celebrate.

This Chinese New Year craft will be one that your whole family will enjoy doing together. It is the Dancing Lion or Dragon Toy. Draw the head and tail onto paper. Then cut the head and tail out. You want to decorate with bright colors, glitter or feathers. You want to take a piece of paper and fold it in half the long way. Then cut on the fold line so that you end up with two long rectangles. Then take the paper and fold it so that it looks like an accordion. Then glue or tape the pieces together. This will form the animal's body. You want to glue or tape the head to one end of the body and the tail to the other end. Then use straws and attach them to the back of the head and tail. This will allow you to make your animal dance for your Chinese New Year.

Another great one to do is the fireworks craft. You will need old newspapers that you can spread out to work over. Get some dark construction paper and spread glue in geometric shapes. You can also use a straw and blow on the glue so that it spreads out in different shapes if you want to. Then you just sprinkle glitter onto the glue. Make sure that you put the excess glitter that is on the paper back into the glitter container. You can do this craft with just one color or a lot of colors. These two crafts are great decorations for your Chinese New Year celebration.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Chinese New Year party supplies and fun Chinese New Year party games She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Chinese New Year Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

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Gong Xi Fa Cai - Finding the Perfect Chinese New Year Cards

In its way, Chinese New Year is no different from the New Year celebrated on January 1 by so much of the rest of the world. It is time of well wishes and love. People hope for good fortune, happiness, health, and wealth for the coming year. A lot of people offer these good wishes by sending their loved ones Chinese New Year cards.

This is a common practice no matter what your culture is or when your new year celebration takes place. You want the people you love to know you are thinking of them. You want them to know that you are wishing them well.

When choosing a card to send someone for the Chinese New Year you have a veritable wealth of fantastic cards from which to choose. It all depends on your relationship to the recipient. Sending New Years cards to friends and loved ones is a time honored tradition.

The same is true for those who celebrate Chinese New Year. Of course, with the advent of ecards and holiday greetings sent through the Internet, they are becoming immeasurably more possible. The only real difference here is the style and sentiment of the cards in question.

Many cards celebrating the Chinese New Year are decorated with the things you see during the two week celebrations associated with the holiday. For example, both paper cards and electronic cards often incorporate fireworks displays. These are common practice during Chinese New Year, which is why such cards are so popular.

Dragons, Chinese characters, and the symbolic foods popular during Chinese New Year also make for great greeting card designs. Basically, any type of design which is special to you and/or your family will provide just the right sentiment.

If all else fails, you should always feel free to design a card of your own. You can even include your own hand written fortunes and well wishes, which provide an extra, personal touch to the whole affair. This can be ideal, and it certainly presents you with a way to show your loved ones exactly how you feel.

Henry Fong

Feng Shui Consultant.

Feng Shui Absolutely

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Fong

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Chinese New Year Decorations

Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper. These messages sound better than the typical fortune cookie messages. For instance, "May you enjoy continuous good health" and "May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity shine on you" are especially positive couplets.

Plants and Flowers

Every traditional Chinese household should also have live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth. Flowers are believed to be symbolic of wealth and high positions in one's career. Lucky is the home with a plant that blooms on New Year's Day, for that foretells a year of prosperity. In more elaborate settings, plum blossoms just starting to bloom are arranged with bamboo and pine sprigs, the grouping symbolizing friends &endash; the plum blossom also signifies reliability and perseverance; the bamboo is known for its compatibility, its utility and its flexible stems for furniture and other articles;the evergreen pine evokes longevity and steadiness. Other highly prized flowers are the pussy willow,azalea, peony and water lily or narcissus.

The Chinese firmly believe that without flowers, there would be no formation of any fruits. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to have flowers and floral decorations.

They are the emblems of reawakening of nature, they are also intimately connected with superstition and with the wish for happiness during the ensuing year.

Oranges and Tangerines

Etiquette dictates that you must bring a bag of oranges and tangerines and enclose a lai see when visiting family or friends anytime during the two-week long Chinese New Year celebration. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one's relationship with the other remains secure. For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children. Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.

Candy Tray

The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness" and has a dazzling array of candy to start the New Year sweetly. After taking several pieces of candy from the tray, adults places a red envelope (lai see) on the center compartment of the tray. Each item represents some kind of good fortune.

* Candied melon - growth and good health

* Red melon seed - dyed red to symbolize joy,happiness, truth and sincerity

* Lychee nut - strong family relationships

* Cumquat - prosperity (gold)

* Coconut - togetherness

* Peanuts - long life

* Longnan - many good sons

* Lotus seed - many children

from educ.uvic.ca

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Chinese New Year Lion Dance Performance

Lion dance (simplified Chinese: 舞狮; traditional Chinese: 舞獅; pinyin: wǔshī) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume.

Asiatic lions found in nearby India are the ones depicted in the Chinese culture.

History
The lion dance originated in India or China. The lion is traditionally regarded as a guardian creature. It is featured in Buddhist lore, being the mount of Manjusri. There are different variations of the lion dance in other Asian cultures including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore, with each region possessing their own styles.

Chinese lion dances can be broadly categorised into two styles, Northern (北獅) and Southern (南獅). Northern dance was used as entertainment for the imperial court. The northern lion is usually red, orange, and yellow (sometimes with green fur for the female lion), shaggy in appearance, with a golden head. The northern dance is acrobatic and is mainly performed as entertainment. Sometimes, they perform dangerous stunts.

Southern dance is more symbolic. It is usually performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune. The southern lion exhibits a wide variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head. The lion dance also symbolises the myth of the Chinese new year

The Lion dance is often confused with the Chinese Dragon Dance, which features a team of around ten or more dancers. The Lion Dance usually consists of two people.

from Wikipedia

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Chinese New Year Dragon Dance Performance

Dragon dance (simplified Chinese: 龙舞; traditional Chinese: 龍舞; pinyin: wǔ lóng) is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance it is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many Chinese people often mistakenly use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" (龍的傳人 or 龙的传人, lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of sesame chicken popularised by a 1970s popular song, however the true derivation is from (農的傳人) i.e. the descendants of Shennong, the legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine the foundations of civilisation.

In the dance, a team of people carry the dragon — which is an image of the Chinese dragon — on poles. The dance team does mimic the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolise historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.

Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which is reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority.


History

The head of dragon dance costume
A dragon dance is performed alongside a lion dance during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay in San Francisco in AprilThe Dragon Dance itself originated during the Han Dynasty and was started by the Chinese who had shown great belief and respect towards the dragon. It is believed to have begun as part of the farming and harvest culture, also with origins as a method of healing and preventing sickness. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty where it had become a folk activity and like the lion dance, was most often seen in festive celebrations.[1]

From its origins in combining stylized depictions of natural animals, the Chinese dragon evolved to become a mythical creature revered in Chinese culture. Its physical form is a combination of many animals, including the horns of a stag, ears of a bull, eyes of a rabbit, claws of a tiger and the scales of a fish, all on a long serpent’s body. With these traits, it was believed that dragons were amphibious with the ability to move on land, fly through the air and swim in the sea, bestowing them roles as governors of cloud and rain in weather.

As the dragon gives people a feeling of great respect, it is often called the Sacred Dragon. The emperors of ancient China considered themselves as the dragon. The Dragon is also the emblem of Imperial Authority. It symbolizes supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity.

The dragon dance was started by the Chinese who had shown great belief and respect towards the dragon. It is an important item of the Chinese Culture and tradition. Dragon Dance has spread throughout China and to the whole world. It becomes a special performance of arts in the Chinese physical activities. It symbolizes the bringing of good luck and prosperity in the year to come for all the human beings on earth. According to ancient history, during the period of Chun Chiu, the learning of Chinese Martial Arts was very popular and in the spare time, dragon dance was also being taught to students to provide more encouragement.

In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance team of the province of Foochow had been invited to perform in Peking and had been greatly praised and admired by the Qing Emperor, which earned great fame for the team.

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Chinese Gold Ingot

A sycee was a type of silver or gold ingot currency used in China until the 20th century. The name derives from the Cantonese words meaning "fine silk"[1] (presumably, Chinese: 細絲; pinyin: xìsī; Cantonese Yale: saisì). In North China, the word yuanbao (simplified Chinese: 元宝; pinyin: yuánbǎo; traditional Chinese: 元寶), rendered by 19th-century English writers as yamboo or yambu, was also used for similar ingots.

A boat-shaped syceeSycees were not denominated or made by a central mint and their value was determined by their weight in taels. They were made by individual silversmiths for local exchange, and as such the shape and amount of extra detail on each ingot were highly variable; square and oval shapes were common but "boat", flower, tortoise and others are known. Sycee can also refer to gold ingots minted in similar shapes.

History
Sycees were first used as a medium for exchange as early as the Qin Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, a standard bi-metallic system of silver and copper coinage was codified with 10 silver coins equal to 1,000 copper cash coins. Paper money and bonds were introduced in the 9th century. However, due to monetary problems such as inflation, and political uncertainty with changing regimes, metal coins remained the currency of choice. The tael was still the basis of the silver currency and sycees remained in use until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Common weights were 50 taels, 10 taels, and 5 down to 1 tael.

When foreign silver coins began to circulate in China in the later 16th century, they were initially thought of as a type of "quasi-sycee" and imprinted with chops just as sycees were.[2]

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Chinese New Year Greetings

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (Jíxiánghùa) , or loosely translated as auspicious words or phrases. Some of the most common examples may include:

Happy New Year
simplified Chinese: 新年快乐; traditional Chinese: 新年快樂; pinyin: Xīnnián kuàilè; Hokkien POJ: Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k; Cantonese: Sun nin faai lowk. A more contemporary greeting reflective of western influences, it literally translates from the greeting "Happy new year" more common in the west. But in northern parts of China, traditionally people say simplified Chinese: 过年好; traditional Chinese: 過年好; pinyin: guònian hǎo instead of simplified Chinese: 新年快乐, to differentiate it from the international new year. And 過年好 can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese new year.


Congratulations and be prosperous

Kung Hei Fat Choi at Lee Theatre Plaza, Hong Kongsimplified Chinese: 恭喜发财; traditional Chinese: 恭喜發財; pinyin: Gōngxǐ fācái; Hokkien: Keong hee huat chye (POJ: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); Cantonese: Kung Hei Fat Choi; Hakka: Gong hei fat choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous". Often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with "Happy new year", its usage dates back several centuries. While the first two words of this phrase had a much longer historical significance (legend has it that the congratulatory messages were traded for surviving the ravaging beast of Nian, although in practical terms it may also involve surviving the harsh winter conditions), the last two words were added later as ideas of capitalism and consumerism became more significant in Chinese societies around the world. The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including overseas Chinese communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from Greater China, and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).

Other greetings
Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì píng'ān) immediately, which means everlasting peace year after year. 歲 (Suì, meaning "age") is homophonous with 碎 (meaning "shatter"), in demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (Niánnián yǒuyú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú to also refer to 魚 (meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts.

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

Irreverent children may jokingly use the phrase (Traditional Chinese:恭喜發財,紅包拿來, Simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财，红包拿来) (Mandarin PinYin: Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo nálái) ( Cantonese: 恭喜發財,利是逗來 ), roughly translated as "Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope."

Back in the 1970s, children in Hong Kong used the saying: 恭喜發財,利是逗來,伍毫嫌少,壹蚊唔愛 (Cantonese), roughly translated as, "Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope, fifty cents is too little, don't want a dollar either." It basically meant that they disliked small change – coins which were called "hard substance" (Cantonese: 硬嘢). Instead, they wanted "soft substance" (Cantonese: 軟嘢), which was either a ten dollar or a twenty dollar bill.

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Superstitions during the Chinese New Year period

Good luck

- Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.
Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
- Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
- It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)
- Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
- Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
- The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.

Bad luck
- Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese, or "evil" in Mandarin.
- Getting a hair-cut in the first lunar month puts a curse on maternal uncles. Therefore, people get a hair-cut before the New Year's Eve.
- Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although modern hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)
- Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
- Saying words like "finished" and "gone" is inauspicious on the New Year, so sometimes people would avoid these words by saying "I have eaten my meal so that it disappeared" rather than say "I have finished my meal."
- Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious.
- Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose".
Avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional Chinese funeral colour.
- Foul language is inappropriate during the Chinese New Year.
- Offering anything in fours, as the number four (四), pronounced sì, can sound like "death" in Chinese.

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Chinese New Year Red packets

Red packets for sale in a Taipei, Taiwan market before the Year of the RatTraditionally, Red envelopes or red packets (Cantonese: lai shi or lai see) (利是, 利市 or 利事); (Mandarin: 'hóng bāo' (紅包); Hokkien: 'ang pow' (POJ: âng-pau); Hakka: 'fung bao'; are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 壓歲錢/压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian, which was evolved from 壓祟錢/压祟钱, literally, the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit ) during this period.

Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金 : Bai Jin). Since the number 4 is considered bad luck, because the word for four is a homophone for death, money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky (for its homophone for "wealth"), and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes. Sometimes chocolate coins are found in the red packets.

Odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last. Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. However, it is common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note – with ten or fifty yuan bills used frequently.

The act of requesting for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 討紅包, 要利是. (Cantonese):逗利是. A married person would not turn down such request as it would mean that he or she would be "out of luck" in the new year (無利是). While this practice is common in South China, in the North people just give cash without any cover to their sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, and children of their relatives and friends. Unlike the South, it is common for people give ¥50, ¥100 or even more, odd or even numbers are not taken into consideration anymore.


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Days after the Chinese new year

Second day of the new year

Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual.The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.

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

Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. The prayer is done to pray that they will be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year.


Third and fourth days of the new year
The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives and friends due to the following schools of thought. People may subscribe to one or both thoughts.

1) It is known as "chì kǒu" (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.[citation needed]

2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead, but people may visit them on this day. Some people then conclude that it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead.


Fifth day of the new year
In northern China, people eat Jiǎozi (simplified Chinese: 饺子; traditional Chinese: 餃子) (dumplings) on the morning of Po Wu (破五). This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.


Seventh day of the new year
The seventh day, traditionally known as renri 人日, the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older.

It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. This is a custom primarily among the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.


Chinese New Year's celebrations, on the eighth day, in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
Ninth day of the new year
The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天公) in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is traditionally the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

This day is especially important to Hokkiens and Teochews (Min Nan speakers). Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.


Fifteenth day of the new year
The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié (元宵节), otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect. Rice dumplingsTangyuan (simplified Chinese: 汤圆; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: tāngyuán), a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns.

This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

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First day of the Chinese new year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth, officially beginning at midnight. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises. Members of the family who are married also give red packets containing cash to junior members of the family, mostly children and teenagers.

While fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally very popular, some regions have banned them due to concerns over fire hazards, which have resulted in increased number of fires around New Years and challenged municipal fire departments' work capacity. For this reason, various city governments (e.g., Hong Kong, and Beijing, for a number of years) issued bans over fireworks and firecrackers in certain premises of the city. As a substitute, large-scale fireworks have been launched by governments in cities like Hong Kong to offer citizens the experience.

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Days before the Chinese new year

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying "Wash away the dirt on ninyabaat" (年廿八，洗邋遢), but the practice is not usually restricted on nin'ya'baat (年廿八, the 28th day of month 12). It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-frames a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start .

In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is prevalent, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and altars that were adorned with decorations from the previous year are also taken down and burned a week before the new year starts, and replaced with new decorations. Taoists will also 送神 (Sending the god home) where in certain practices, a paper effigy of the Kitchen God, the recorder of family functions, is also burned in order to report to the Jade Emperor of the family household's transgressions and good deeds.

The biggest event of any Chinese New Year's Eve is the dinner every family will have. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the tables of Chinese families. It is for display for the New Year's Eve dinner. This meal is comparable to Christmas dinner in the West. In northern China, it is customary to make dumplings (jiaozi 饺子) after dinner and have it around midnight. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese tael. By contrast, in the South, it is customary to make a new year cake (Niangao, 年糕) after dinner and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days of the new year. Niangao literally means increasingly prosperous year in year out. After the dinner, some families go to local temples, hours before the new year begins to pray for a prosperous new year; however in modern practice, many households hold parties and even hold a countdown to the new lunar year. Beginning in the 1980s, the CCTV New Year's Gala was broadcast minutes before the start of the New Year.

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Chinese New year cuisine-Reunion dinner

A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve where members of the family, near and far away, get together for the celebration. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year's Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish (simplified Chinese: 鱼; traditional Chinese: 魚; pinyin: yú) is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase "may there be surpluses every year" (traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; simplified Chinese: 年年有余; pinyin: nián nián yǒu yú) sounds the same as "may there be fish every year."

In mainland China, many families will banter whilst watching the CCTV New Year's Gala in the hours before midnight.

Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.

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