If traditional Ukrainian holidays weren’t enough for you, then New Year We can meet you again! By Chinese calendar. By the way, we will be celebrating not 2019, but 4717. What is different about the celebration and how to prepare to unforgettably celebrate the Year of the Yellow Earth Pig - read on.
When to celebrate
Of course, let's start with when this Chinese New Year is celebrated. The current celebration will begin February 5th and will continue until February 20th. New Year's Eve eastern calendar will come February 5 at 23:03 Kyiv time or 5:03 Beijing time. This time will be considered the beginning of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar. Previously, the celebration lasted a whole month (and they also say that Ukrainians rest a lot), but in modern world A month off is too much, so the holidays have been shortened somewhat. This year the festivities will last 15 days.
Chinese New Year 2019
Chinese New Year has a variable date as it depends on the lunar calendar. Therefore, the holiday falls on one of the days between January 21 and February 21.
What does the holiday mean for the Chinese?
Like our ancestors, for the Chinese the New Year is associated with the beginning of spring. With the awakening of nature and the start of sowing. It is believed that on Chinese New Year, winter meets spring and a new countdown begins. Reminds us of our Candlemas, doesn’t it?
For the Asian world, New Year is family celebration. Family members come from different corners peace to celebrate the beginning of the new year together. It is believed that at this time even the spirits of deceased relatives join the family circle.
During these two weeks, people visit and have lavish feasts. There is also enough time for fairs, masquerades, and open-air folk festivals!
There are many shows and masquerades held in China.
During Chinese New Year celebrations, people exchange gifts. What to give if you decide to celebrate? Traditionally, the Chinese exchange red envelopes containing money, coin beads and tangerines. But anything that symbolizes wealth will do. With this gift you wish the person well-being and prosperity next year.
How to celebrate
The celebration of the aromas of the East and fireworks begins! For what? It's very simple to scare away evil spirits from the harvest. Of course, in the modern world this is only a tradition, but the Chinese carefully observe it.
So don't forget to buy sparklers and incense sticks for the celebration. Or an aromatic lamp, if you’ve been dreaming about it for a long time - here’s a great opportunity. Choose aromatic oils that you like and enjoy the scent all evening. But we advise you to avoid firecrackers and fireworks. They are dangerous for you personally and have a very negative impact on people who have been in a combat zone. Sparklers are a great alternative!
Sparklers: cheap, beautiful and safe
On the last day, the Chinese traditionally light red lanterns. You can also launch a lantern into the sky in Ukraine. It is on this day that people put on a necklace of tangerines and have a family feast. All this can be repeated with us without any problems.
Festive lanterns for Chinese New Year
Prepare a necklace, invite family and friends, and to avoid standing at the stove, you can order food from a Chinese restaurant. There are now enough of them in all major cities of Ukraine. Just be careful with the exotic: don’t try everything at once, otherwise the digestive system may not be able to cope and the holiday will be ruined.
Chinese food is very tasty
There should be plenty on the table, since the Pig loves to eat well. You can prepare a variety of salads. Give preference to plant foods, fruits and vegetables; you can also serve baked goods and fish dishes.
What to wear
If you can “go crazy” with holiday dishes, then we advise you to take a responsible approach to your choice of clothes. The Chinese use clothing to appease the patron animal of the year.
Considering that this is the Year of the Yellow Earth Pig, wear yellow, green or brown clothes and accessories. A natural palette will be suitable, which will bring you closer to harmony with nature. Moreover, nude tones are in trend! But bright, overly sophisticated things are best left for another occasion.
The pig will appreciate your efforts
The table should be decorated in the same colors as the clothes: pastel colors, yellow, mustard.
You need to carefully prepare for the celebration of Chinese New Year
But most importantly - good mood and positive thoughts! We wish you a happy celebration.
On the eighth day of the last month according to the lunar calendar, many homes prepare aromatic porridge - "labazhou", which includes 8 types of products: glutinous rice, chumiza, grains of willow's tears (bead), dates, lotus seeds, red beans, longyan fruits ", ginkgo seed.
The twenty-third day of the last month according to the lunar calendar is popularly called “xiaonian” (i.e. “small New Year”). People who strictly follow traditions make sacrifices to the deity of the hearth.
Before the holiday, the country literally blooms with red. There are posters everywhere with the hieroglyphs “fu” (happiness) and “si” (joy) gracefully written on them, garlands of lanterns and other decorations, and all of them are exclusively red, meaning prosperity, luck and prosperity.
Before the holiday, the house must be thoroughly cleaned, all clothes and blankets washed and cleaned. After the house is cleaned, all brooms, dustpans, and rags are put away in a place where no one can see them during the holiday. The reason for this strange behavior lies in the legend: during the New Year celebrations, the gods fly around the houses of the Chinese and give them dust, which symbolizes happiness. Therefore, if you tidy up during the New Year, you may accidentally sweep all the happy moments of the future out of your home along with the dust.
Homes that are cleaned to a shine become festive look. Paired calligraphic inscriptions made in black ink on red paper are pasted onto all door frames. The content of paired inscriptions comes down to expressing the life ideals of the owner of the house or good wishes for the new year. Images of guardian spirits and the deity of wealth are pasted on the doors in the hope that they will bring happiness and prosperity to the house.
Two large red lanterns are hung in front of the entrance to the house, and the windows are decorated with paper patterns. The walls of the rooms are decorated with bright New Year's paintings, which symbolize the wishes of happiness and wealth.
The night of Chinese New Year is also called “the night of meeting after separation.” For the Chinese this is the most important point. The whole family gets together festive table for New Year's dinner, which is distinguished not only by the abundance and variety of dishes, but also by numerous traditions. For example, New Year's dinner is not complete without dishes made from chicken, fish and "doufu" - soybean curd, called "tofu" in Russia, because in Chinese the names of these products are consonant with words meaning "happiness" and "prosperity."
According to tradition in New Year's Eve people do not sleep and stay awake until the morning so as not to miss their happiness. If someone does lie down to rest on New Year's Eve, they should get up early. There is a popular belief: “If you get up early on New Year’s Day, you will also get rich early.”
With the onset of New Year's morning, people put on elegant clothes. The young congratulate the elderly on the holiday and wish them longevity. It is customary to give children red envelopes containing pocket money. This money is supposed to bring them happiness in the new year. In ancient times, money was given not in envelopes, but in the form of necklaces, which were made up of one hundred coins. This was a kind of congratulation, wishing a person to live to be a hundred years old. Hundred coin necklaces are still very popular in China today.
In the north of China, it is customary to eat dumplings for the New Year, and in the south - “niangao” (slices made from glutinous rice). Northerners prefer dumplings because, firstly, in Chinese the word is “jiaozi”, i.e. “dumplings” is consonant with the words “seeing off the old and welcoming the new”; secondly, dumplings resemble traditional gold and silver bars in their shape and symbolize the desire for wealth. For the same reason, southerners eat "niangao", symbolizing the improvement of life every year.
A joyful festive atmosphere fills not only every home, but also reigns on every street of every city and village. On the Spring Festival, noisy folk festivals and fairs are held for several days in a row, where lion and dragon dances are performed.
The lion dance, according to legend, traces its history back to the events of the era of the Southern and Northern dynasties, when in a decisive battle one of the sides disguised itself as lions (which were never found in China) and won the battle because the enemy’s war elephants were frightened by the terrible masks and ran, throwing off their riders. Since then, Chinese soldiers have performed the lion dance on special occasions. In the 14th-16th centuries, this dance spread throughout China and began to be performed during the Chunjie festival. It is designed to scare away all the evil forces that can bring misfortune in the coming year.
The dance of dragons also has a long history. It was included in festive rituals back in the 12th century and expressed people’s admiration for the dragon and requests for it to tame the wind and shed rain to obtain a good harvest. The dragon, made of paper, wire and willow twigs, can reach 8-10 meters. His body is flexible and consists of a different, but always odd number of parts (9, 11, 13). Each part is controlled by one dancer using a pole; the undulating, writhing movements of the dragon require great coordination among the participants.
The first five days of the new year are meant for meetings. Relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues visit and congratulate each other on the New Year and give gifts.
New Year's festivities end after the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiaojie or Dengjie), on the fifteenth day of the first month. Lunar calendar. Today, lantern exhibitions and competitions organized in large city parks are very popular in the capital. Lantern exhibitions last for several days and form an integral part of the New Year's holiday.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
New Year is a big event, but in some countries it is not just a holiday, but a reason to change your life and show respect to all family members with your visit and attention.
Eastern culture differs radically from the culture of other countries and parts of the world. It was in the east that traditions of naming each year after animals developed. This holiday dates back to ancient times BC. Around the same time, the teaching of Feng Shui was born. In East Asia, the 2018 Year of the Yellow Earth Dog will not begin on January 1, but more than a month later.
When is New Year 2018 celebrated in the east?
In China and other eastern countries, the New Year comes every different days. This is primarily due to the fact that the eastern calendar is tied to the lunar calendar. You also need to take into account the fact that the date is counted from December 21st. As you know, this is the day of the winter solstice. In many cultures, it is a key date because on this day the Earth crosses the line dividing its winter and spring positions relative to the Sun. This is where the Chinese name “Spring Festival” comes from.
These are not just new calendar numbers and a new cycle. This is a time of love and kindness in the east. Spring is a time of special energy. This is the flowering of the soul, the flowering of strength for every person and for every family.
So, after December 21, two New Moons must pass. The cherished transition is scheduled for the second New Moon. This time the second New Moon after the solstice will be on Friday, February 16th. It is on this day that the East will begin to celebrate the New Year.
The meaning of the holiday
The point is to unite all close people at one table, under one roof. The abundance of red is a tribute to the basics of Feng Shui. Red color is the most terrible enemy for evil spirits. Chi energy is capable of destroying fears, negativity and all bad undertakings in a person.
Exploding firecrackers and setting off fireworks is a tradition that came to us precisely from China and the east. In this way, people scare away evil spirits from their home and family. Noisy celebrations are the norm, and the holiday in the east will last until March 2.
As for Russia, on February 16 we will have a chance to celebrate the New Year for the second time. They say that on this day you can make a wish, and it will come true. In terms of its energy, this day will be simply unimaginably strong. You can try to follow Eastern traditions by meeting with distant relatives at the same table. Invite them to your place if possible.
On February 16, Eastern New Year, one can hope for a real miracle. Transform your inner world, your home and yourself. Put things in order wherever possible. Change your attitude to change your future. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
05.01.2018 01:47
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Coming Chinese New 2017 Year of the Rooster, differs from ours, if only in that for the Chinese, any event in life is permeated with a spirit - evil or good, but always alive. This means that he should either be appeased or driven away if he came with bad intentions, or treated and honored if his arrival will bring good to the family.
The Chinese live according to the lunisolar (Chinese) calendar, so their chronology does not coincide with what we are used to. For example, in 2016, residents of the Celestial Empire celebrated the advent of the 4714 New Year of the Monkey, which took place on February 8.
In 2017, Chinese New Year begins on January 28th.
It is not for nothing that this event is otherwise called the Spring Festival, because for the Chinese this date symbolizes the beginning of sowing work (often in the buttonhole outerwear insert a few ears of rice as a symbol of the abundance of the harvest). In honor of such an event, all Chinese gather at their hearth - in their parents' house. If someone is away, they definitely try to make it to the family table - this is the most persistent tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Celebrating New Year according to the Chinese calendar
Gifts are not common in China. However, after the first day of the Chinese New Year arrives, parents always give their children money in a red envelope with the hope of their material well-being. Greeting Cards also hard to find in China. But the color red hits the eyes from all possible places - red is the main color of the New Year. After all, he is so afraid of the evil spirit, whom the Chinese call New Year. It should also be driven away by the noise of fireworks and loud laughter. Houses are decorated with many red lanterns and scrolls with good wishes for one's family, protecting the home from evil spirits. 
In honor of the New, the people of China will change old clothes new, they will clean the house (so that the favorable energy of the house circulates freely in it and does not stagnate), and prepare treats. Their favorite dish is dumplings, whose shape resembles a gold bar - a symbol of prosperity. Often houses are decorated with tangerines, always eight of them - a number symbolizing infinity.
When does Chinese New Year 2017 end?
Chinese or Oriental New Year is a grandiose event that lasted a whole month in the old days, but now with the modern busy lifestyle, Chinese residents cannot afford so many days off, and the holiday ends on the fifteenth day (in 2017 this date falls on February 11) with the huge Chinese Lantern Festival.
Asian countries celebrate the New Year differently than we do, but both cultures have something in common. By observing the traditions of celebrating the New Year according to the eastern calendar, you can attract happiness, wealth and good luck into your life.
Every year more and more people ask the question: when will the New Year begin according to the eastern calendar? The reason for the interest lies in traditions that are in many ways similar to ours, but at the same time have some extremely interesting differences. Knowing how it is customary to celebrate this holiday among residents of Asian countries, you can better understand the roots of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar.
When is the New Year according to the Eastern calendar?
In eastern Asian countries there is no fixed date for celebrating the New Year: the holiday is celebrated on the first New Moon after the winter Solstice. The vacation lasts on average 15 days.
The general leitmotif of the New Year according to the eastern calendar is the obligatory presence of red, fireworks, firecrackers and loud laughter: it is believed that with their help you can drive out evil spirits that bring troubles in the coming year.
Red color is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, so it is present not only in the decoration of streets and houses, but also in gift wrapping, clothing and interior design. People everywhere give money in red envelopes: it is believed that the color of the packaging will increase the wealth of the recipient. But white and blue colors are strictly prohibited and can be perceived as extremely inappropriate, because these two colors are mourning colors in Asian countries.
New Year celebration traditions
Each of the 15 holidays has its own unique schedule, which allows you to cover all areas of life at the very beginning of the year and not waste this time. Residents of Asian countries treat this holiday the same way as we do: it is considered a family holiday, and even distant relatives come to the common hearth to celebrate the New Year together.
Day 1: The New Year is celebrated with family, symbolically burning bamboo chopsticks. Afterwards there is a long family dinner filled with laughter and fun, fireworks, firecrackers and mass celebrations. On this day, it is customary to come to the cemetery and honor the memory of deceased relatives.
Day 2: On the morning of the second day, the whole family gets up for a common prayer, in which they ask for prosperity for the whole year, prudence, wisdom and health. After this, a visit to loved ones begins with the obligatory delivery cash gift in a red envelope. Also on this day it is customary to welcome the poor and give alms.
Days 3 and 4: This period of celebrating the New Year according to the eastern calendar is dedicated to friends and acquaintances: communication among friends strengthens connections and contributes to the continuation of communication in the New Year. Not coming to visit someone if invited is considered a refusal to further friendship.
Days 5 and 6: At this time, business organizations begin to resume their work, but the day always begins with fireworks. According to energy, the 5th and 6th days of the New Year are considered a time of wealth and material values, so many people perform traditional rituals for prosperity and money.
Day 7: The morning of the seventh day also begins with prayer, but unlike the second day it is often spent alone. Prayer for the well-being of relatives, the health of older relatives and the right path for children is considered an obligatory beginning holiday: This time is dedicated to the soul.
Days 8, 9 and 10: As a rule, by this time all people have already returned to work, but they definitely spend three evenings having a family dinner with their family. This is the time for traditional New Year's cuisine, intimate conversations and plans for the coming year.
Day 11: This day is dedicated family ties between father-in-law and son-in-law. Each father-in-law gives his son-in-law a personal celebration and spends time with his daughter's husband, paying tribute to him.
Days 12, 13 and 14: The holidays are approaching their finale - the Lantern Festival. At this time, people buy paraphernalia, try not to eat meat and prepare for the most beautiful spectacle of the year - the transition to a new round of time.
Day 15: The end of the celebration. Traditions of celebrating the New Year according to the eastern calendar include a large-scale lantern festival - an unusually beautiful and stunning spectacle. Cities host a ton of fun events, fireworks displays and an incredible amount of lanterns of all shapes, colors and sizes. This day marks the end of the holidays and a return to normal work rhythm.
During the celebration, great importance is attached to the symbol of the New Year: it is believed that it determines how the period until the next holiday will pass, and can bestow good luck and happiness on anyone. Each year, one of the animals of the eastern calendar is patronized. Knowing more about its features, you can attract wealth, luck and health into your life. We wish you a happy year and good luck in all your endeavors. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
