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Learn about the festive traditions of Chinese New Year, including cleaning rituals, zodiac animals, and celebration activities spanning over two weeks.
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The Year of the Horse By Amélia Lambert
Chinese New Year is a holiday celebrating the beginning of a New Year. It starts on Jan 31st & lasts for more than 2 weeks.
When is Chinese New Year? • Chinese New Year starts somewhere between late January and Early February. • The date changes from year to year because it follows an ancient farmer calendar.
Be Prepared! Before the first day of Chinese New Year, families clean their homes from top to bottom to clear out any bad luck from the last year and to get the house ready for good luck in the new year.
But be careful All the cleaning has to be finished before New Year's Day so there's no chance of accidentally throwing out the good fortune of the New Year.
What sign are you? A rat, a tiger, or an ox?
Chinese New Year Animals Rat Tiger You have a hot temper, but a lot of charm. You always finish what you set out to do. You are brave and have a strong will. You are loving, but can get a bit angry. Rabbit Ox You are lucky, but deserve it because you are patient and not greedy. You are shy and a bit moody sometimes. You are quiet, calm and can keep a secret. You like doing things on your own.
Chinese New Year Animals Horse Dragon You are independent, clever and people admire you. You are cheerful and like talking! You like to be the leader – you talk a lot and sometimes ask a bit too much of other people. You can be sensitive. Ram Snake You are artistic, calm and caring. You also know how to use your talents well. But you can’t always make up your mind! You are wise and attractive, but sometimes you boast. You can also be a bit mean.
Chinese New Year Animals Dog You are very hardworking and loyal. Justice is important to you. But you have rather a strong will. Monkey You have a lot of good in you. You are creative and successful but can be troublesome! Pig Rooster You have a strong character – in a quiet sort of way. You like to learn – but only about the things that interest you. You are clever and hardworking. Sometimes you like to be alone, dreaming of great things. You are usually modest – but not always.
New Year’s Eve • Not many people go to sleep on New Year’s Eve. • Temples are full of worshippers. • Families gather together for a special meal. • Some families still follow old traditions. They stay in the house and shut the doors and windows tight to stop evil spirits getting in. • Tree branches are burnt and fire crackers are set off to drive the evil spirits away.
New Year’s Day • Shout “Happy New Year!” and hope for wealth for everyone. • Children get little red envelopes with lucky money inside them. • Families get together and everyone wears their new clothes.
The Second Day • People visit family and friends. • Some people go gambling. • New Year is the only time when gambling is not frowned upon.
The Third Day • Instead of visiting friends, people go to the temple. • They take fortune sticks to the temple. • The way the sticks fall shows the kind of luck the person will have.
The Fourth Day • Nowadays most people start returning to normal. • Teams of dancers dress up and dance in the street.
From the Fifth to the Fifteen Day • You can clean the house and get back to work, or go to the sales and look for bargains. • All of the gods in Heaven gather together on the eighth day. • On the ninth day people burn incense for the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the king of the gods. • Between the tenth and fifteenth days people buy lanterns with good luck wishes on them.
Outside they play really loud music and let off firecrackers (a kind of firework) that make a really loud noise. Eve Batten 7.2.08
The Lantern Festival • The lantern festival is a bright and happy way to end the celebrations. • People celebrate the end of winter and the sun getting stronger as spring gets closer. • More than 2000 years ago people lit lanterns under the full moon in celebration of the Sun God, known as the Lord of the East.
