When I was little, I always celebrated the new year twice. For a while, I didn’t understand why. But I knew only one of…
When I was little, I always celebrated the new year twice.
For a while, I didn’t understand why. But I knew only one of the celebrations involved receiving red envelopes filled with money from my mom. So, clearly I had a favorite.
As I grew older, I learned more about the significance of Chinese New Year, including why I got red envelopes filled with money, what the Chinese zodiac animals represent, and the symbolism of the food. And at the center of it was spending time with my family.
„It’s linked with the lunar calendar, which is a different way of counting time and also marking the threshold of seasonal changes,“ said Yiju Huang, assistant professor of Chinese and comparative literature at Fordham University in New York. „It’s very similar to the New Year on January 1… but it’s also called the Spring Festival, which marks the transition from barren coldness to when everything is thriving.“
Chinese New Year is one of several lunar new years celebrated in Asia. The date is determined by the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar and lands between mid-January to mid-February. This year it falls on Feb. 5.
In China, the holiday is a very big deal, starting with the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner, and then 15 days of activities. Many rituals are performed to signify a new start.
My mom told me that back in Taiwan, my grandmother would have her and her siblings start cleaning the house a week early. An organization similar to a homeowner association would come by and inspect the homes, and if it wasn’t clean enough, a sign would be posted out front. My mom’s childhood home was always perfect.
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„You sweep out all of the dirt and bad luck and bad things from the previous year to welcome the new year,“ said Jan Stuart, curator of Chinese art at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D. C.
In Chinese culture, the color red is used for joyous and celebratory events, Stuart said. Chinese New Year is no exception, with ubiquitous red lanterns, banners, signs and other decorations. Everyone wears new clothing with at least one thing that’s red
Scrolls with black or gold characters, traditionally written by a calligrapher, are hung on the front door. They feature poetry about spring, renewal, luck or success. .
Stuart said firecrackers are set off to ward off evil spirits, and the symbol of the circle is used frequently, which is why the final day of the holiday is on the night of a full moon.
„It goes full circle,“ Stuart said. „A circle is a sign of completeness and perfection.
