3…2…1 Happy (Chinese) New Year!
The Chinese New Year

– 15 days of Festivities
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By Angela Chiu  | Published Jan 2008

People around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31st of the Gregorian calendar. However, some Asian-Americans welcome in the new year twice, once on the last day of the year of the Gregorian calendar like everyone else and once on the last day of the year on the lunisolar calendar.

The Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival. It falls on a different day each year, unlike the Gregorian calendar and unlike the Western New Year, celebrations continue for 15 days after New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Eve, my family cooks a rather large dinner. Other than the every-day food items such as rice and other side dishes, we have with plenty of green vegetables because it symbolizes good health. We also have fish because the word “fish” in Chinese is a homophone for the word “surplus” in Chinese. Sometimes we have dumplings symbolizes “good fortune” and “wealth” because they represent yuanbaos (gold ingots). For desserts, we may have rice cakes sometimes because “rice” is another homophone for “wealth” or “income”, fried nian gao (New Years cake). We also eat candy so that the next year will be “sweet”. We also leave candy for the “kitchen god” because on New Year’s Eve, the “kitchen god” reports our family news to the other
gods in the heavens.

Before New Year’s Eve, my family puts up decorations around the house. Some have Chinese idioms and others have words of good luck and fortune. On New Year’s Eve, some other traditions our family has include wearing red for good luck and for keeping bad fortune away. Gold is another color good luck color to wear during the New Year because it represents wealth. Children are usually given gifts of money in a red envelope from parents and grandparents as well. Another common tradition is lighting fireworks. When I was in Taiwan, on New Year’s Eve, we would also light bottle rockets off the roof of our apartment complex and light strings of firecrackers. Unfortunately, now we do not light off any fireworks because the neighbors may complain. However, we still turn on all the lights in the house because it serves the same purpose, to scare away the bad spirits that still linger. Everyone also stays up until after midnight to “see in” the new year because it is a charm for longevity. People also play mahjong and gamble, hoping to get luck and prosperity because it is believed that what happens near the beginning of the year will reflect what happens for the rest of the year.

During the next 15 days of the New Year, there are different activities associated with each day. Some of the paramount days include the following:

The first day of the New Year is usually used to welcome the deities of the heavens and of the earth. Families utilize this day to extend our New Year’s wishes to my grandparents and the elderly members of our extended family. We call back to Taiwan to greet our friends that still live there.

The second day of the New Year is when married daughters will take their new family to visit her parents. The parents would then cook a dinner for their daughter’s family and the day would usually be spent at their house. Usually, my grandmother from my mother’s side spends half of the year at our house and the other half in Taiwan. This year, she will be in Taiwan during the New Year; but, because of school, my family can not visit her so we will phone her our good wishes instead. The second day is also the day that the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to the gods
and deities.

On the third and fourth day, people generally do not visit relatives because the day is reserved for families to grave-visit. It is also known as an inauspicious day to visit others because it is said that on the third and fourth day of the new year, there may be more arguments between people.

On the fifth day of the year, many businesses in Taiwan traditionally re-open from their holiday closures. However, some stores and shops will open on certain days that they believe will bring their businesses good luck.

On the fifteenth and last day of the New Year’s celebration, my family cooks sweet rice balls brewed in soup. My favorite ones are the balls that are filled with black sesame paste and red bean curds. This day is also when the Lantern Festival is celebrated; when paper lanterns are lit outside one’s house to guide wandering spirits and families will take a stroll down streets with lighted lanterns. When I was very young, I remember I participated in a children’s lantern parade with a battery powered, plastic lantern because it was safer for younger kids. It was a really fun experience that I enjoyed greatly.

This year’s New Year officially starts February 7, 2008 so spend it with your family and loved ones. Asia Trend would love to hear about your special Chinese New Year traditions. Happy New Year everyone!