*Happy Chinese/Vietnamese New Year!*

*Gung Hey Fat Choi / Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!*

So, today is the 23rd January, which means it's Chinese/Vietnamese New Year..The most important date in a Chinese calendar. I created this thread to hopefully provide you with a better insight to the celebrations!

A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. Therefore, the Chinese New Year is a celebration of change. - Out with the old & in with the new!

Normally the translations can vary a bit between different Asian cultures, when it comes to defining character straits, or other traditional celebrations..But it's all mostly the same thing

~About Chinese New Year~



The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar & solar movements, so therefore usually occurs in January or February.
In the Far East this is also the end of winter & the beginning of spring. Farmers take this opportunity to welcome spring as they plant for the new harvest. Thus, the Lunar New Year is also called the Spring Festival.

The events that occurred during New Year’s Day may impact your life for the rest of the year.
Be careful in your actions. Be selective with what you eat. Greet people who will bring you joy. To ensure a prosperous and healthy year, you should enhance & stimulate positive energy flow at home, at your business & at work..

Everything associated with the New Year's Day should represent good fortune. To single people, good fortune may mean love and romance. Good fortune may mean good grades to students, children for families, jobs for the unemployed & health for the sick..

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

Wikipedia - Chinese New Year

Red is a very prominent colour on this day, as it symbolises the colour of Luck.
During Chinese New Year, red is considered an auspicious colour. Red symbolises fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck.

~Celebrations & Practices~



Chinese New Year is quite a long celebration which usually lasts for a few days, so several traditions are normally put in place, such as:

- Cleaning the entire home to get rid of all the things associated with the old year [very few modern families
follow all the "cleaning" traditions]
- Pay all your debts
- Resolve differences with family members/friends/neighbours/business associates
- Put money into red packet envelopes
- Decorating your home with symbols of good fortune
- Flowers [if flowers bloom on New Year’s Day, it will be a prosperous year]
- Red banners or couplets with New Year wishes & symbols of good fortune in gold
- Buying a new set of clothes for younger children, preferably something red or orange
- Fireworks!

~Food~



Normally, dinners are held with close family, which can anything from small gatherings to big banquets & feasts.

People will also be coming over so food & snacks should be out. Things such as:

- Fruit: Oranges, tangerines & persimmons
Oranges represent good health & long life. Tangerines with leaves intact represent long lasting relationships;
fruitful and multiply when having children. Persimmons represent happiness and wealth.
- Circular Chinese candy tray [circular representing togetherness]
- Jai. A combination of food that represents good fortune [comprises of ginkgo nut, black moss, dried bean curd,
bamboo shoots, vermicelli & scallion - My mum is cookin' it right now ]
- Fish and chicken represent prosperity. The fish and chicken is always presented as a whole & Do aren't cut in
pieces. This is because the head, tail and feet [of the chicken] must be presented to symbolize completeness.
- Desserts include Chinese New Year cake [Niángāo] & prosperous cakes [look like golden nuggets].

Contd...

*2012 - The Year of The Dragon*

The dragon has been the symbol for royal families of China over thousands of years, as it was believed that the Dragon could protect their thrones & families with it's mystical magical powers, strength & abilities.

The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend and is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness.

Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast!

Health - Considering their hard-working nature, Dragons are healthy overall. They do get stressed and suffer from periodic tension/headaches, likely because they take so many risks. Dragons could benefit from incorporating mild activity into their lives. Yoga or walking would be good as these activities can work both their minds and their bodies.

Career - Dragons prefer leading to being led. Jobs that allow them to express their creativity are good choices. Some good careers include: inventor, manager, computer analyst, lawyer, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person.

Relationships - Dragons will give into love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful tempers, their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life.

www.chinesezodiac.com...

In Asian culture, those born under the years of the Dragon & Tiger are generally the most desirable born years of people, since the two creatures are believed to bring luck, strength, nobility, wisdom & a promising future.

The Year of the Dragon is said to be the best year for a child to be born (especially boys). This derived from the ancient, traditional Chinese beliefs that Dragons do exist & that they live among the skies - the nearest place on Earth to "Heaven".

Therefore, 2012 is hoped to bring good fortune for people - promotion, wealth, health, property, good marriage & children.

~Personality Traits~

People born under the Year of the Dragon appear to have "magical" traits; they are strong, full of energy & forever on the go.
Some of their more negative traits include: eccentricity, a tendency towards being arrogant & very trying.

However they do have many fans & expect the same level of excellence from others that they expect from themselves.

Other traits include: being very proud, failing to practice what they preach, over-confident, having a tendency to intimidate others, feeling themselves to be above the law, can be illogical, domineering & obstinate.

In many cases they fail to identify their foes. Although energetic they are liable to become obsessive.

On the plus side they seldom hold grudges and are generally quick to forgive.

Dragons are said to be able to accomplish great things & those born in this year are also said to represent the horns of destiny. Needing a cause for which to fight, Dragons will never merely stand back & accept their fate or what life brings!

~ ~ ~

If you're interested in finding which animal you fall under in the Chinese Zodiac, then you can use this Chinese Zodiac Sign Calendar to find out your sign's personality straits!

[I was once told a story of how the Chinese Zodiac is based on a race between the 12 animals represented, when I was a kid..

The "race" was to see which animal could get from one point of the Earth to the next, first.
Therefore if the Dragon came fifth, then which animal won the race?

I'll leave that one to you to work out. ]

~ ~ ~

So to everybody here on ATS :

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới tất cả mọi người. Chúc các bạn một năm may mắn và hạnh phúc!

Translation :

"Happy New Year to everyone. I wish one & all a year of peace & joy!"

XIN NIAN HAO

I'm not Asian, so am I still allowed to celebrate?

Would I get a day off work?

Just kidding, happy New Year!

reply to post by Mikehawk


Haha! Sadly, I had to book my days off work..But it's a good excuse to miss work & party!

& Happy New Year to you too!

Gong xi fai chai right back at ya.

May your day be full of good food and heavy Ang pow and your year be prosperous

Most of my friends here in Malaysia are Chinese and I have quite a busy few days of open houses to look forward to.

Its 2 am here at the moment and Im overdue for bed, look forward to reading your post in full tomorrow

2012 YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!

Dragons are the free spirits of the Zodiac. Conforming is a Dragon's curse. Rules and regulations are made for other people. Restrictions blow out the creative spark that is ready to flame into life.

Dragons must be free and uninhibited. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. An extroverted bundle of energy, gifted and utterly irrepressible, everything Dragons do is on a grand scale - big ideas, ornate gestures, extreme ambitions.

However, this behavior is natural and isn't meant for show. Because they are confident, fearless in the face of challenge, they are almost inevitably successful. Dragons usually make it to the top.

DRAGON 2012

Happy New Year...

Lets hope this year is a more productive and peaceful one than what last year was.