Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese traditional
Festivals. In China it is also known as the Spring Festival but in traditional
Chinese it is pronounced Chūnjié.
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the
New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the New Year
is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern
everywhere, and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
The Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year by fireworks and the
traditional Street parades with Chinese dragons. Most Chinese families have
gatherings and have big family meals. The streets are lit up with lanterns at
night. Chinese New Year is one of the longest Chinese festivals, Unlike in
Australia where you have New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year
started with a fight against a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock,
crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the
villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year.
During Chinese New Year lots of people waste all their money on
decorations and presents. In China New Year’s Eve is a place where all the
Chinese people thank each other by giving them presents. It is also a happy
celebration because everything that has happened in that past year can be
forgotten.
Charlotte Ritter
Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the traditional
Chinese holidays. The celebration lasts fifteen days, starting with the new moon
on the first day and the full moon on the last.
Red bags are given out during Chinese New Year (normally at the
reunion dinner), traditionally from the eldest to the youngest. They most
commonly contain money, ranging from a couple to a few hundred dollars, but can
also contain chocolate coins.
Small gifts are also sometimes received from friends and relatives. These often consist of fruit or a small
presents.
Each year in China is the year of a specific animal. There are
twelve Chinese Zodiac animals which work in a cycle, one each year for twelve
years before each starts again. The animals determine how lucky a person will be
and their characteristics, depending on the year they were
born.
On New Year’s Eve the family reunion dinner is held, traditionally
at the eldest person’s house or close to it. The food normally eaten is fish,
pork, chicken and a hot pot which is supposed to signify the family coming
together.
Many people on Chinese New Year’s Eve are bought new clothes. The
clothes are then worn on the first day of the New Year to symbolise a new
beginning. The colour red is typically worn because it is believed to scare away
bad spirits and the evil.
In conclusion Chinese New Year is the most important festival in
China. It is a celebration that the Chinese look forward to very much, and has a
lot of traditions about it which are all shown during this festive time. It is
also a time of reunion and thanksgiving which brings family and friends together.
Cleo Castle
Festivals. In China it is also known as the Spring Festival but in traditional
Chinese it is pronounced Chūnjié.
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the
New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the New Year
is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern
everywhere, and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
The Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year by fireworks and the
traditional Street parades with Chinese dragons. Most Chinese families have
gatherings and have big family meals. The streets are lit up with lanterns at
night. Chinese New Year is one of the longest Chinese festivals, Unlike in
Australia where you have New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year
started with a fight against a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock,
crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the
villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year.
During Chinese New Year lots of people waste all their money on
decorations and presents. In China New Year’s Eve is a place where all the
Chinese people thank each other by giving them presents. It is also a happy
celebration because everything that has happened in that past year can be
forgotten.
Charlotte Ritter
Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the traditional
Chinese holidays. The celebration lasts fifteen days, starting with the new moon
on the first day and the full moon on the last.
Red bags are given out during Chinese New Year (normally at the
reunion dinner), traditionally from the eldest to the youngest. They most
commonly contain money, ranging from a couple to a few hundred dollars, but can
also contain chocolate coins.
Small gifts are also sometimes received from friends and relatives. These often consist of fruit or a small
presents.
Each year in China is the year of a specific animal. There are
twelve Chinese Zodiac animals which work in a cycle, one each year for twelve
years before each starts again. The animals determine how lucky a person will be
and their characteristics, depending on the year they were
born.
On New Year’s Eve the family reunion dinner is held, traditionally
at the eldest person’s house or close to it. The food normally eaten is fish,
pork, chicken and a hot pot which is supposed to signify the family coming
together.
Many people on Chinese New Year’s Eve are bought new clothes. The
clothes are then worn on the first day of the New Year to symbolise a new
beginning. The colour red is typically worn because it is believed to scare away
bad spirits and the evil.
In conclusion Chinese New Year is the most important festival in
China. It is a celebration that the Chinese look forward to very much, and has a
lot of traditions about it which are all shown during this festive time. It is
also a time of reunion and thanksgiving which brings family and friends together.
Cleo Castle