The Most Important Holiday On Chinese Calendars
- on 09.02.10
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The traditional New Year’s celebration on the Chinese calendars begins during the middle of the twelfth month continuing until the middle of the first month of the year. This time also coincides with the waxing (increasing) moon for that month. The Chinese use a lunar calendar meaning their months are determined by the cycles of the moon.
For centuries, the Chinese New Year celebration has been the most important festival on the Chinese calendar. It’s such an important event that some Chinese families take off of work for weeks to prepare for the festival.
One popular belief surrounding this holiday is that the Gods will come to Earth from heaven and conduct inspections on family’s houses and homes. As a way to appease the Gods, families will carefully purify their homes in preparation for the festival.
Another interesting custom during this festival is to wake the sleeping dragon with firecrackers, once he has awakened he will fly through the air, bringing with him the greatly desired spring rains. Without the spring rains, the crops wouldn’t grow and families would have a hard time having a prosperous new year. Firecrackers are also used to help keep the dragon dancers awake during the Dragon Parade. To achieve this, people will throw firecrackers at the feet of the dancers.
Many activities are started this time of year as a way of welcoming the coming year with open arms. Activities like painting doors red, purchasing a new wardrobe or car, receiving a new haircut, and paying outstanding bills all can be ways of happily greeting the next year. People are also know to leave small messages of good luck and prosperity on their neighborhood gates and doors.
The huge feasts prepared and eaten by families are very central to this festival. The foods that are cooked and eaten are symbols of long life and success in the coming year. Each and every food prepared can be traced back to the old Chinese ways of life. This festival provides a vital connection to remembering the old ways. At the beginning of the celebration lengthy noodles are consumed to help remember the long year that lies ahead.
Everything from fish to chicken, spring rolls to dumplings have a special connection and reason for being served during the Chinese New Year. As an example large, round dumplings are served as a reminder of the full moon on the final evening of the festival.