| The Days in the Chinese New Year |
The Chinese Year is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month and lasts for 15 days. The Chinese New Year is the major Chinese holiday and is also celebrated throughout Asia, not only in China. There are two cycles that coincide with the Chinese New Year the twelve-year animal zodiac and the ten-year heavenly stems.
The myth of how the Chinese New Year began is thought to originate from villagers protecting themselves from the monster Nian, or Year. On the first day of the New Year, Nian would come to eat what ever and whom ever it could. Villagers would leave food out hoping to satiate its hunger. Nian was also scared by the color red so red lanterns were hung to frighten it away. The current New Year stems from the celebration of the banishment of this beast.
The period around the Chinese New Year is known as the largest migration time in China as the New Year is a time to visit friends and relatives and many individuals travel to return home and visit with family. The day before the Chinese New Year the home will be cleaned from top to bottom to sweep away the bad luck from the preceding year and welcome in good luck. Other traditions like wearing new clothes and getting a haircut are also included in having a new start.
The first day of the New Year is when families visit the most senior members of their family as well as pray to the deities of heaven and earth. No cooing is done as the use of knives and fire can bring in bad luck. On the second day and married daughters will visit her birth parents. Traditionally she was not able to visit them much so this ensured some time with her parents.
The third and fourth day are prone to arguments so no traveling is done. Traveling stops also to respect those loved ones that may have died over the past few years. The fifth day celebrated the Chinese god of wealth by eating dumplings, a symbol of wealth.
Everyone turns a year older on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year as it is the common man's birthday. The Jade Emperor of Heaven's birthday is on the ninth day and offerings of sugarcane are made. The last day entails the lanterns and candles will be lit to guide spirits back home.
Henry Fong
Feng Shui Consultant
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http://www.absolutelyfengshui.com
Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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