Many Asians consider the upcoming New Year’s holiday (according to the lunar calendar) to be the most important in the year. We on the NSC board therefore wish all members and friends (Oriental or not) a most happy and prosperous New Year of the hare (except in Vietnam, where it is the year of the cat).
For some who may not know much about this holiday, I compiled a few interesting (at least to me) facts. Some implementations (which may vary from place to place in the Far East). Please help me if I say anything wrong!
The Chinese name for the holiday is actually “Spring Festival”. It begins on the night before the first day of the first month on the 15th day of the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival 15 days later. There are too many facets to mention , but here are some events that occur on some important days of New Year.
Before New Year’s begins: It is a tradition just before the New Year period to clean out the house of all ill fortune of the last year and decorate with red (because a demon was once scared away by a child wearing red). By the first day of New Year however, the broom and dustpan should be put away so that good luck will not be swept away by them. The New Year actual change takes place between 3 and 5AM the next morning.
Festivities usually start on New Year’s eve with a reunion dinner at, or near the most senior member of the family, with as many members as possible. The meal should at least involve fish and (and in the North) dumplings (since they are shaped like an ancient Chinese gold ingot). The traditional Cantonese (South) greeting of “Gung Hay Fat Choy” not only refers to “prosperity”, but sounds like a type of black hair-like algae used in an elaborate vegetarian dish sometimes served at this time in the South. Red envelopes are frequently given to children with money in even (not odd) denominations. (Odd denominations are usually given in at times of death). Curiously, even or odd is determined by the first digit, not the last. 8 is considered particularly lucky since it sounds like the word for wealth.
First Day: The deities are welcomed to the new year. Food must be cooked the day before since using knives and fire at this time are considered bad luck.
Third Day (literally “Red Mouth”): This is not a good day to socialize or visit relatives or friends.
Fifth Day: The birthday of the god of wealth. Businesses typically open on the next day, accompanied by firecrackers.
Seventh Day: The “common man’s” birthday when everyone becomes a day older (no matter when they were born). Tossed raw fish salad, but not meat are eaten on this day.
Eighth Day: Another dinner to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor. Everyone should be back to work.
Ninth Day: Offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven. Offerings include sugarcane since that protected the Hokkiens from extermination in olden days.
Tenth Day: A day to celebrate the Jade Emperor’s birthday.
Thirteenth Day: People should eat vegetarian food only, to cleanse out the stomach from too much holiday food.
Fifteenth Day: The Lantern Festival when sweetened rice balls in a soup are sometimes eaten and candles are lit on the way to the houses to guide wayward spirits home.
New Year’s Days in various cultures: Most cultures celebrate the new year, but the times of these events can be in March, April, June, July or September. Many of these dates have been changed over time or may be different every year. Days can be designated by a combination of astrological or political conditions. Some cultures like the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate it twice – once as a civil holiday and once as a religious holiday. The year may also be different. The Jewish year is now 5771. Check the net for more interesting facts.
Condensed from Wikipedia and other sources by Hoyt Nelson
