Added: 11/16/2006 |
The Lunar New Year In ChinaIn the Western world, creating just the right ambiance for the neighborhood contest for "Home With The Best Christmas Decorations," is almost as important as the sentiment of the season. While Santa Claus, Jack Frost, and Rudolph and that big shiny nose of his are some of the most common holiday decorations in America, even for non-Christians, the Lunar New Year in China has a number of attractive common decorations of it's own...
Get ready to learn a little bit more about everything that you've ever wanted to know about the Lunar New Year in China. First thing's first, the Chinese Lunar New Year actually goes by a few different names; the Spring Festival and the Chinese New Year just to name a couple. The Lunar New Year in China is one of the most cherished Chinese holidays-and it's pretty traditional, too. And although there's no better place to celebrate Lunar New Year than right at home in China, celebrations are held annual all around the world.
So, just what is Lunar New Year? The Lunar New Year in China marks the first day of the year in accordance with the Chinese calendar, thus giving the Chinese New Year the distinction of being slightly different than the fireworks and festivities that take place all over the globe on each thirty-first of December. Spring Festival 2007 is slated to take place on February eighteenth and the brisk Chinese winter will be mixed in with traditional celebrations of the Lunar New Year, which include the exchanging of gifts, spending time with family, engaging in group prayer, and breaking bread together. Sound familiar? Hey, perhaps the Chinese New Year isn't so different after all.
Chinese New Year Customs
The first day of Lunar New Year gives everyone in the family an excuse to go out and buy new clothing. It's true, Chinese New Year custom calls for the donning of new clothing on the first day of the festival. Red clothing and the Spring Festival go hand and hand, so make sure those new threads are red. If you've ever wanted to see what China would look like if it were suddenly invaded by Lower Manhattan's Garment District, the Lunar New Year in China may just give you your first peek. Open air markets for vending are notorious around this Asia nation during the Spring Festival, and items related to the New Year are totally what's in fashion. In addition to decorative Lunar New Year accessories for the home, these open air markets also offer floral arrangements, toys for tots, and clothing. No Christian can call themselves a Christmas lover without investing in the most stellar Christmas fur on the Christmas tree lot, and Chinese New Year just isn't Chinese New Year without the most perfect plum tree.
Over the years, firecrackers have found themselves banned in Chinese countries like Singapore and Malaysia. But in the countries where the snap, crackle, and pop of firecrackers continues to roar on, the explosive little poppers are believed to keep bad spirits away.
Lunar New Year Decorations
In the Western world, creating just the right ambiance for the neighborhood contest for "Home With The Best Christmas Decorations," is almost as important as the sentiment of the season. While Santa Claus, Jack Frost, and Rudolph and that big shiny nose of his are some of the most common holiday decorations in America, even for non-Christians, the Lunar New Year in China has a number of attractive common decorations of it's own. And unlike Christmas decorations, which feature a reindeer with a shockingly neon bright nose, none of the Chinese New Year decorations will lead to temporary blindness-they're only flowers. Some of the most popular Lunar New Year decorations in China are:
•Bamboo
•Peach Blossoms
•Kumquat Plants
•and Chrysanthemum
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