Eva Herczyk, Freshman
In America, about 4 million people celebrate Chinese New Year. This celebration is to get rid of the old and bad things from the previous year and move into the new year with new and good intentions. When bringing in the new year, people hang up decorations, hold large parties and dinners, go to parades, and more. A more traditional part of this celebration is offering things like food to ancestors.
Since Covid-19 started, parties have been smaller, and the usual parades held were postponed and/or canceled. As we make our way out of the pandemic, hopefully, this year the traditional large gatherings will be able to come back.
This year, the Chinese New Year starts on February 1st. The reason their new year is later than America’s is because it follows the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar marks the start of a new moon, so the Chinese New Year is the first new moon of the year.
Chinese New Year is a very old celebration and has been going on since around the year 1046 BC. There is no exact date of the very first Chinese New Year, but many believe it originated in the Shang Dynasty. The celebration started off with a famous legend: the Legend of Nian. According to the story, there was a monster named Nian, which means “year”. He would attack villagers at the beginning of every lunar year. Nian was scared of the color red, bright lights, and loud noises. To keep Nian away, the villagers would hold celebrations with things like fireworks in order to keep Nian away.
In the modern-day, people continue to celebrate and bring in the new year with fireworks, red clothes and decorations, and firecrackers. They also remember and celebrate their ancestors. Traditional food is also eaten to celebrate this holiday. These foods consist of spring rolls, dumplings, chicken, fish, rice, and more. Another tradition is giving oranges. Oranges, kumquats, tangerines, and other fruits like that are believed to bring good luck. Many of the traditions practiced on Chinese New Year are meant to get rid of bad things and bring in good things and good luck.
For the Chinese New Year, there is the Chinese animal calendar. There are twelve animals and each year has a different animal. This year, 2022, is the year of the tiger. Since it is the year of the tiger, there will be many tiger decorations available in stores, and that will be the main animal in the celebrations this year. Each animal has a meaning, and the tiger represents being courageous and always ready for a challenge. The year of the tiger is known to bring “confident and authoritative energy to all” this year.
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