Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name "chun jie" (春节 chun jie). As the year 2012 passed Dragon, we welcome the arrival of the Chinese New Year of the Snake 2013, to be held on Sunday, February 9 and lasts for 7 days until the Lantern Festival on Sunday, February 15 The more important reason that the Chinese really value the festival is that the Spring Festival is a great time for families to be together. During that time, a reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve, when New Year food including dumplings and Chinese eat bacon.
history
20130129yearofsnake2Chinese Spring Festival, also called the Lunar New Year, has over 4,000 years of history. Actually, it is not clear when the exact start of the New Year celebration in China. Normally it is said to start from the religious ceremony in year-end the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC - 1122 BC). Some said they started from as early as the Emperor Yao and Shun (~ 2300 BC). At first, the date of celebration varies from mid-winter to early spring. With the maturity of solar-based calendar, Emperor Wu (157BC - 87BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) established the first day of the first month as the beginning of the year, where it remains.
Like other famous tranditional festivals, there are many legends about the spring festival in Chinese culture. Here is a story that is the most adopted: It is said that the custom of the Spring Festival started in when people offer sacrifices to ancestors in the last month of the lunar calendar. At that time, people prepared to make the sacrifice for a thorough cleaning, bathrooms and so on. Later, people began to worship different deities, so on that day. It is the time when almost all farm work was done and people have free time. Sacrificing time changes according to the calendar of agriculture and was not fixed until the Han Dynasty. The customs of worshiping gods and ancestors remains even though the ceremonies are not as great as before. It is also the time that spring is coming, so people all kinds of ceremonies held to welcome spring.
Symbolic Meaning of the Snake
20130129yearofsnake320130129yearofsnake3In the Chinese zodiac, snake is listed after the dragon, but its place and its importance as a symbol of worship is far less than that of the Dragon. carries the meanings of malevolence, malice and mystery and acumen, divination and the ability to distinguish herbs. But ancient Chinese wisdom also says a snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. This could be taken metaphorically to mean that a Snake could never have a problem with his family starving because he is such a great mediator, making him good at business.
But people would rather believe that the snake symbolizes good luck, good harvest and power. People categorize house snakes snakes snakes and wild. Snake is also a symbol of longevity and power, as it can live up to 500 years old. Another positive meaning of the snake is chasing love and happiness, embodied in the famous story of "The Legend of White Snake" in which the female incarnation of a white snake falling in love with a man named Xu Xian , marries him and kept Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou by a monk. Snake has many features in China as mysterious, insightful and intelligent.
Spring Festival Activities
Family Reunion Dinner
20130129yearofsnake4The family dinner meeting, also known as Nian Tuan (Tuan nián 团 年) or Wei Lu (Lu WEI 围炉) marks a meeting on the eve of the Lunar New Year family. For this food, the best food and dishes with a 'meaning' are served - and plenty of it too, as it is believed that the abundance of food for the family of great material wealth in the new year.
View CCTV New Year Gala
20130129yearofsnake5CCTV New Year Gala is a special program of Chinese New Year, produced by China Central Television. emission has an annual audience of more than 700 million viewers, making it one of television's premier events mainland. Is the TV show with the largest audience in the world. The show features various events, such as theater, dance, music and comedy.
Shou Sui (Sui shǒu 守岁)
20130129yearofsnake6Shou Sui means after dinner New Year's Eve, family members usually stay awake during the night. Some people just stay until mid-night, after the fireworks. According to tales and legends, there were a mythical beast called the "Year". On the night before New Year, the "Year" will to harm people, animals and property. People found out later that the "Year" is afraid of red, fire and loud sound. Thus, on the eve of New Year's Eve, people will throw fireworks, put some fire, and stay up all night to defend the "Year".
Chinese New Year Food
20130129yearofsnake7In Chinese New Year, the average food, dumplings usually served eaten on the eve of the Spring Festival. Because of its shape resembles the Chinese Yuanbao (sort of money used in ancient times), eating dumplings means wealth in the coming year. People can also prepare bacon, New Year Cake Tang Yuan and all means family reunion.
history
20130129yearofsnake2Chinese Spring Festival, also called the Lunar New Year, has over 4,000 years of history. Actually, it is not clear when the exact start of the New Year celebration in China. Normally it is said to start from the religious ceremony in year-end the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC - 1122 BC). Some said they started from as early as the Emperor Yao and Shun (~ 2300 BC). At first, the date of celebration varies from mid-winter to early spring. With the maturity of solar-based calendar, Emperor Wu (157BC - 87BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) established the first day of the first month as the beginning of the year, where it remains.
Like other famous tranditional festivals, there are many legends about the spring festival in Chinese culture. Here is a story that is the most adopted: It is said that the custom of the Spring Festival started in when people offer sacrifices to ancestors in the last month of the lunar calendar. At that time, people prepared to make the sacrifice for a thorough cleaning, bathrooms and so on. Later, people began to worship different deities, so on that day. It is the time when almost all farm work was done and people have free time. Sacrificing time changes according to the calendar of agriculture and was not fixed until the Han Dynasty. The customs of worshiping gods and ancestors remains even though the ceremonies are not as great as before. It is also the time that spring is coming, so people all kinds of ceremonies held to welcome spring.
Symbolic Meaning of the Snake
20130129yearofsnake320130129yearofsnake3In the Chinese zodiac, snake is listed after the dragon, but its place and its importance as a symbol of worship is far less than that of the Dragon. carries the meanings of malevolence, malice and mystery and acumen, divination and the ability to distinguish herbs. But ancient Chinese wisdom also says a snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. This could be taken metaphorically to mean that a Snake could never have a problem with his family starving because he is such a great mediator, making him good at business.
But people would rather believe that the snake symbolizes good luck, good harvest and power. People categorize house snakes snakes snakes and wild. Snake is also a symbol of longevity and power, as it can live up to 500 years old. Another positive meaning of the snake is chasing love and happiness, embodied in the famous story of "The Legend of White Snake" in which the female incarnation of a white snake falling in love with a man named Xu Xian , marries him and kept Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou by a monk. Snake has many features in China as mysterious, insightful and intelligent.
Spring Festival Activities
Family Reunion Dinner
20130129yearofsnake4The family dinner meeting, also known as Nian Tuan (Tuan nián 团 年) or Wei Lu (Lu WEI 围炉) marks a meeting on the eve of the Lunar New Year family. For this food, the best food and dishes with a 'meaning' are served - and plenty of it too, as it is believed that the abundance of food for the family of great material wealth in the new year.
View CCTV New Year Gala
20130129yearofsnake5CCTV New Year Gala is a special program of Chinese New Year, produced by China Central Television. emission has an annual audience of more than 700 million viewers, making it one of television's premier events mainland. Is the TV show with the largest audience in the world. The show features various events, such as theater, dance, music and comedy.
Shou Sui (Sui shǒu 守岁)
20130129yearofsnake6Shou Sui means after dinner New Year's Eve, family members usually stay awake during the night. Some people just stay until mid-night, after the fireworks. According to tales and legends, there were a mythical beast called the "Year". On the night before New Year, the "Year" will to harm people, animals and property. People found out later that the "Year" is afraid of red, fire and loud sound. Thus, on the eve of New Year's Eve, people will throw fireworks, put some fire, and stay up all night to defend the "Year".
Chinese New Year Food
20130129yearofsnake7In Chinese New Year, the average food, dumplings usually served eaten on the eve of the Spring Festival. Because of its shape resembles the Chinese Yuanbao (sort of money used in ancient times), eating dumplings means wealth in the coming year. People can also prepare bacon, New Year Cake Tang Yuan and all means family reunion.
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