A new year is here! The Chinese New Year, that is.
The Chinese New Year represents the lunar calendar. The Chinese New Year also goes by several other names, including the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival.
The date of the Chinese New Year changes every year according to the lunar cycle, and it is celebrated for 15 days.
"[The Chinese New Year] is the most important holiday in China," Yi Jiang, visiting instructor of Chinese at Ball State, said. Jiang is from Harbin of the Heilongjiang province in northeastern China.
In addition to celebrating a New Year, the Chinese New Year is also a celebration of the harvest and a time to "give thanks to God," Jiang said.
In China, it is typical for a family to host a dinner with other family members.
David Deng, a sophomore photography major, plans to go home and have dinner with his family to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It is also a tradition in Deng's family to receive money in red envelopes from parents and other family members. These envelopes, known as lai sze, or lai see, are a sign of hope for prosperity.
The most important part of the Chinese New Year in Deng's mind is getting to spend time with family.
"It's almost like Thanksgiving in the United States," Deng said.
In Jiang's family, the dinner was usually held at her grandparents' house.
Before the dinner, the house is cleaned thoroughly to welcome guests and symbolize a fresh start for the new year. Families also clean the tombs of ancestors to wish them a happy new year as well.
"We hope they also have a happy new year in that world," Jiang said.
Decorations
Decorations are put around the door to help bring good luck and fortune to the family. Two spring couplets are written in ink on red paper and posted on both sides of the door. The couplets vary depending on the family's desires. Some will promote good health, while others may promote prosperity. Another saying offering prosperity is posted at the top of the door frame.
In some houses, a pair of door gods is placed in the center of the door. Jiang's family puts a fu in the middle of the door. A fu is a calligraphic writing of Chinese characters symbolizing spring, wealth or blessing. It is also combined with an image representing the same thing. In Jiang's family, the fu is placed upside-down to show that good fortune is coming to the household.
Dinner
The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner consists of fish and dumplings. In the northern regions of China, jiaozi dumplings are traditionally served. In the southern regions, yuan'xiao dumplings are the tradition.
The fish and dumplings are supposed to ward away the mythical nian monster, which can bring harm to the family and its animals. The Chinese also traditionally set off fireworks and wear red to ward off the nian.
It is especially important to wear red in the years of your Chinese Zodiac sign, according to Jiang.
"For example, last year was [the year of the] tiger, and I'm [a] tiger. So on that day I must wear red clothes. But some other people may not wear red," Jiang said.
Traditions
At midnight, like on the calendar New Year, family members wish each other a happy new year. It is especially important for younger generations to wish their elders a happy new year out of respect and to wish for their health. In return, the eldest family members will often give children lai sze.
Traditions can vary in different regions of China. The Chinese New Year is during the winter break of Chinese schools, so some families use the time to travel to other parts of China, Jiang said.
Jiang's experience has been that the Chinese New Year is celebrated more traditionally in villages rather than in larger cities. In cities, more people eat at restaurants on the Chinese New Year's Eve rather than at a relative's house. Jiang also said that older generations tend to celebrate more traditionally than younger generations.
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