The Devoted Traditions of Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year also called as The Spring Festival is the most colorful and important festival of all the Chinese festivals. Based on the combination of solar and lunar movements, the date on which the Chinese New Year falls, is selected. The traditions of the Chinese New Year are followed ardently. This is the festival where they congratulate each other and celebrate to welcome the New Year.

The Lion and the Dragon dances are performed on the streets to greet everyone. To bring good luck and to chase away the bad spirits and to bring the good spirits, the Lion Dance is performed which is one the most spectacular event of the Chinese New Year traditions. The dance is performed by two skilled dancers with one dancer at the head and the other one at the tail of the lion. It is believed that the evil is afraid of loud noises. Hence the Lion Dance is performed with loud music being played on large drums, cymbals and gongs.

The Dragon Dance also called as “Dragon Lantern Dance” originated from Han Dynasty. The dance is performed in almost all Chinese festivals to please the ancestors and to plead for rain for the crops in drought seasons. During the Chinese New Year, it is the tradition to place the Door Gods on the external doors of the houses. The Chinese people believe that the Door Gods protect their houses.

Before the midnight of Chinese New Year Eve, the Chinese people set up offering tables to invite the “Money God” for his support. Once the clock struck midnight, fire-crackers are blasted everywhere which indicates the arrival of the “Money God” and “New Year”.

It is believed that the “Kitchen God” returns to heaven to give a yearly report of family’s activities to the Jade Emperor, who is the ruler of the heaven. So the “Kitchen God” is worshipped to please him to give a favorable report to the Jade Emperor. It is the Chinese tradition to burn the “Kitchen God” image to indicate that he departs to heaven. Some of them brush the lips of the “Kitchen God” with honey or sugar before they burn the image as they think that only sweet things about them will be told by the “Kitchen God” to the Jade emperor.

During the night of the Chinese New Year Eve, children stay awake and pray for the good health of their parents. Red is the most auspicious color for Chinese. Children get red packets at Chinese New Year. Parents put some money inside red envelopes. The red envelopes are decorated with Chinese characters and lucky symbols called as “Lishi” or “HungBao”.

Once the clock struck midnight on the New Year’s Day, parents give the red packets to their children. Children hide their red packets below their pillows and then sleep. It is one of the Chinese New Year traditions to give red packets as a form of blessing. One of the Chinese New Year tradition is to display couplets which are pairs of banners in red color. Lucky wordings like “Get Rich”, “Satisfactory Marriage with more Children”, “Wealth”, “The Universe and Human Get Older Yearly” etc., are written in vertical format on the couplets.

Ingredients which have good meanings are selected to make special cuisines during the Chinese New Year. The most important meal during the Chinese New Year is the “New Year Eve family reunion meal” where the meal is prepared with selected meaningful Chinese New Year ingredients like Lettuce which means 'making money', Lettuce roll which means 'Definitely having a baby soon' for newly-weds, Seaweed which means 'Get Rich', Bamboo shoot which indicates 'New Start' and also means 'Advancing in Career', Fish which is a must in every New Year meal as it means 'Having leftovers of Money', Prawns which means 'Happiness', Abalone which indicates 'Definite Good Fortune', Lotus seeds which means 'Getting Many Siblings', Walnut which means 'Happiness of the Entire Family', Cashew Nuts which symbolizes the ancient 'Gold Bar', Mandarin orange which sounds like sounds like 'Gold' etc. The meal is prepared by all the adult female members of the family.

During Chinese New Year, it is a tradition to make beautiful paper arts. The paper arts which are made by cutting the red color papers are then displayed and are also used as decoration for their homes. On the New Year Eve dinner, they place a small red paper art on the rice and pray for continuous supply of food.
These are some of the prevailing customs and traditions of Chinese New Year, which are followed with great devotion.