Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

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New Year http://www.inchina.co/images/Untitled-1.png

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival is the most important holiday in China, originally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar. It’s a time to bring family together for feasting.

The Chinese calendar was very complex. It’s based on the lunar phases as well as the solar solstices and equinoxes, they’re related to Chinese zodiac which has a cycle of twelve “signs” and each New Year is marked by the characteristics of one of the 12 zodiacal animals: the rat, fox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. For example, a year of the rat can mean fortune or the arrival of a new baby.

During this time, business life almost stops. Home and family are the most important thing. In preparation for the holiday, homes are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of bad spirits from the old year.

Long time ago the most important thing was the feasting, family joined around the table for a meal. In the first five days of the New Year, people ate long noodles to symbolize long life. On the 15th and final day of the New Year, round dumplings were shared as a sign of the family unit and perfection. Some people continue with these traditions and some others do different things, like spent time watching the televised Spring Festival, hanging out with friends, eating new things, etc.

For some younger people the holiday has evolved from an opportunity to renew family ties and a chance for relaxing from work.

Héctor Uziel Lozano http://previews.123rf.com/images/sahua/sahua1409/sahua140900007/31658124-Goat-papercut-of-2015-Lunar-year-symbol-Stock-Vector-year-new-chinese.jpg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Travel/Pix/pictures/2012/1/20/1327069231618/Ditan-Park-Temple-Fair-Be-007.jpg http://www.kidspot.co.nz/admin/images/contentarticles/3982.jpg