Chinese New Year Starts January 26th

Tomorrow marks the Chinese New Year. The lanterns, fireworks and festivities surround you, but how much about the holiday do you really know? Here’s some basic information to help you get started including traditions and festivities in the local area.

The Chinese New Year is one of the most important Chinese holidays. It is often referred to as the Lunar New Year and begins on the 1st day of the first Lunar month in the Chinese Calendar and ends on the 15th day.

The history of  the holiday goes back in time when a mythical beast “Nian” visited the towns. He’d eat up anything in sight including livestock, crops and even people. The villagers would do anything to keep him away. First, they’d set out food, believing that if he ate the food then he wouldn’t attack any people. Another time, the people saw that Nian saw a child dressed in red and was scared away. Therefore, the villagers started to hang red lanterns when Nian was about to come. In addition, firecrackers were believed to scare him away.

What to do before the holiday:

• Clean your entire home to get rid of the old things from the previous year
• Pay all of your debts
• Resolve all of your differences
• Put away brooms and dust pans so the good luck cannot be swept away
• Buy red money envelopes, paint your home red
• Purchase new clothes and shoes and get a new haircut symbolizing a fresh start

New Year’s Day:

• Offer sweets to the gods, bribing them to report good things about your family
• Open the windows and doors at midnight
• Get together with your extended family
• Invite a lion dance troupe to scare away the elicit spirits
• Decorate your home with fresh flowers. If they bloom, you will have a prosperous New Year.
• When planning your menu, remember to serve something whole (as in a chicken or fish) as this represents completeness.

Traditions to honor:

• Pass out red envelopes with money, but make sure the amount passed out is an even number as odd numbers are associated with funerals and the value should not add up to 4 as 4 represents death.
• Small gifts are exchanged
• Visit a new year market
• Enjoy fireworks
• Wear red clothing

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Florida:

• February 8th: Chinese New Year Celebration at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus - celebrating the new year, this festival will include 2 variety stage shows, Asian foods, arts and crafts and exhibits.
• January 26th – celebrate at the Mandarin Oriental with a traditional Lion Dance show at Cafe Sambal. In addition, a special a la carte menu will be offered including Peking duck lettuce wraps, orange and tangerine beef medallions, Sweet and Sour Snapper with shrimp and vegetable fried rice and more. Guest will receive a special red packet filled with wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year.
• January 26th – celebrate in style at China Grill in Fort Lauderdale with special Saaga Vodka Chinese Cocktails and a selection of hors d’oeuvres. Visit here for more information.

Photo Credit: mrmanc @ flickr