Chinese New Year: Traditional Celebration and Customs

1. 中 国 Zhōng guó 春 节Chūn jié CHINESE NEW YEAR

2. CHINESE NEW YEAR Traditional Celebration of the Chinese New Year Common expressions heard at this time are: GUONIAN: to have made it through the old year BAINIAN :to congratulate the new year

3. Turning Over a New Leaf The Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21st to as late as February 19th. Chinese New Year, as the Western new Year, signified turning over a new leaf. Socially, it was a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stressed the importance of family ties. The Chinese New year's Eve dinner gathering was among the most important family occasions of the year

4. What is Chinese Lunar Calendar? The Chinese calendar will often show the dates of both the Gregorian (Western) calendar and the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The Gregorian dates are printed in Arabic numerals, and the Chinese dates in Chinese numerals. Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar.

5. Customs of Chinese New Year 1.Sweeping the Dust 扫尘 2.Pasting Spring Couplet 贴春联 3.Pasting Paper-cuts & Up-sided Fu 贴窗花和“福”字 4.Pasting New Year Prints贴年画 5.Staying Up Late on New Year’s Eve守岁 6.The CCTV New Year’s Gala 春节联欢晚会 7.Setting off Firecrackers 放鞭炮 8.New Year’s Visit &. Luck Money拜年 和 压岁钱 9. Eating Jiao zi吃饺子 10.Festival Greetings / Festival Greetings via Text Massage 新年祝福/短信祝福

6. Festival Greetings 新年祝福语 恭贺新禧(gōnghé xīnxǐ) Happy New Yew 吉祥如意(jíxiáng rúyì) Everything Goes Well 恭喜发财(gōngxǐ fācái) Wish You Prosperity 年年有余(niánnián yǒuyú) Surplus Year After Year 岁岁平安(suìsuì píng’ an) Pearce All Year Round 新春大吉(xīnchūn dàjí) Good Luck in the New Year

8. Chinese Zodiac & the 12 animals

9. Lantern Festivalthe 15th day of Chinese New Year

10. Lantern festival

11. Lantern festival & dumplings

12. Chinese New Year Decorations

13. Oranges &tangerines

14. ania Candy tray Red melon seeds Candy Candy melon

15. Lotus seeds coconut peanut

16. Decorative Flowers

17. Poetic couplets

18. Chinese posters The boy with the fish Wishes come true & Wish you good fortune

19. Lucky Symbols fu福 Fortune 福 lu禄 prosperity 禄 shou 寿 longevity 寿 xi喜 happiness 喜 cai财 wealth 财

20. Chinese New Year’sTraditional foods

21. Round Table Togetherness Happiness

22. Dumplings

23. Typical New Year’s Eve Banquet • Cold and hot appetizers • Soup • Fried food • Dishes sweetened with honey or suger • Preserved foods • Meat • Seafood • Fresh fruit

24. Lotus seed 莲子- signify having many children. Traditional New Year Food Ginkgo nut 银杏- represents silver ingot.

25. Traditional New Year Food 海带- Black moss seaweed- is a homonym for exceeding wealth. 豆腐干- Dried bean curd-Is another homonym for wealth and happiness. 竹笋- Bamboo shoots- is a term that sounds like “wishing that everything would be well.

26. 饺子 Dumplings- are a New Year’s tradition that fosters togetherness and cooperation of spirit. Traditional New Year Food 元宝 Boiled Dumplings- which also foster togetherness and cooperation of spirit. 年糕 New Year Cake- the favorite and most typical dish that also foster togetherness and cooperation of spirit.

27. Traditional New Year Food 斋- Vegetarian banquet- is the most significant New Year’s dish, because everyone of its ingredients promises to deliver good fortune, prosperity, and longevity.

28. Chinese New YearCustoms & Traditions

29. Firecrackers 鞭炮 bian pao • promote change in energy • deliver new beginnings • Provideprotection from harm/bad luck: • It is believed that ear-deafening bangs scare • mortals and animals alike so the year would • be of good health, prosperity, and happiness. New Year Customs & Traditions

30. Kitchen God The Kitchen God is represented by a paper image and is hung throughout the year near the family’s stove. Families sit down to feast on foods of good fortune. On the 23rd or 24th day of the 12th lunar month the Kitchen God is transported to the Jade Emperor to report on the family’s behavior from the previous year.

31. Traditional customs • Old debts and past quarrels are resolved for a new start • Serious spring-cleaning of the home and the minds • “Lucky papers” for good wishes • a brand new outfit with some red in it • Chinese New Year’s eve is a night to instill harmony • Everyone stay up after midnight to welcome the New Year • Red candles are lit so bad luck can’t wander into the houses

32. Red Envelopes Lucky Money 红包 hong bao Red envelopes are part of the Chinese New Year tradition. Red is a sign of good luck because it is associated with fire, life energy, and the lifeblood that demons fear most. Red envelopes are given to young or unmarried children by elders. . The money is inside the envelopes usually in even numbers except four because the Chinese word for four is associated with death.

33. New Year Greetings 新 年 快 乐 xin nian kuai le 恭 喜 发 财 wish you good fortune

34. Chinese New YearTaboos & Superstitions

35. Taboos and Superstitions A taboo is something you can not do or say. A superstition is a belief of what may happen if you obey or disobey the taboos.

36. Do’s and Don’ts No borrowing or lending money in the New Year No saying foul or unlucky words No talking about death All debts must be paid before the New Year

37. 谢 谢！THANK YOU!