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The Chinese New Year has a great
history. In other traditions, by this time in the year, most
resolutions - made on December 31 - have been subtly forgotten
and placed in a cupboard marked "maybe next year." However,
all hope is not lost, as there's a second chance to start
afresh with the celebration of Chinese New Year in February.
The Chinese New Year is very similar to the Western one,
swathed in traditions and rituals. The origin of the Chinese
New Year is itself centuries old - in fact, too old to actually
be traced. It is popularly recognised as the Spring Festival
and celebrations last 15 days.
Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the
Chinese New Year (similar to a Western Christmas), when people
start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing.
A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year, when
Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away
any traces of bad luck, and doors and windowpanes are given
a new coat of paint, usually red. The doors and windows are
then decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes such
as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them.
The eve of the New Year is perhaps the most exciting part
of the event, as anticipation creeps in. Here, traditions
and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from
food to clothing. Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and
dumplings, signifying different good wishes. Delicacies include
prawns, for liveliness and happiness, dried oysters (or ho
xi), for all things good, raw fish salad or yu sheng to bring
good luck and prosperity, Fai-hai (Angel Hair), an edible
hair-like seaweed to bring prosperity, and dumplings boiled
in water (Jiaozi) signifying a long-lost good wish for a
family. It's usual to wear something red as this colour is
meant to ward off evil spirits - but black and white are
out, as these are associated with mourning. After dinner,
the family sit up for the night playing cards, board games
or watching TV programmes dedicated to the occasion. At midnight,
the sky is lit up by fireworks.
On the day itself, an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning
Red Packet, takes place. This involves married couples giving
children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then
the family begins to say greetings from door to door, first
to their relatives and then their neighbours. Like the Western
saying "let bygones be bygones," at Chinese New
Year, grudges are very easily cast aside.
The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns,
which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern
shows.
Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the
underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family
members and friends.
The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological
record in history, dating from 2600BC, when the Emperor Huang
Ti introduced the first cycle of the zodiac.
The Chinese Lunar Calendar is
a yearly one, with the start of the lunar year being based
on the cycles of the moon. Therefore, because of this cyclical
dating, the beginning of the year can fall anywhere between
late January and the middle of February. A complete cycle
takes 60 years and is made up of five cycles of 12 years
each.
The Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years
after an animal. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned
all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth.
Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named
a year after each one in the order they arrived. The Chinese
believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born
has a profound influence on personality, saying: "This
is the animal that hides in your heart."
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Year
of the Rat |
Rats are said to be imaginative, charming
and very generous to those they love - although they
do have a tendency to be quick-tempered and over-critical.
They are supposed to make good writers, critics and
publicists.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Rat:
Ron Moody, Marlon Brando, Burt Reynolds, Ursula
Andress, Englebert
Humperdinck |
|
Year
of the Ox |
Oxen are born leaders, inspiring confidence
in everyone they come into contact with. However, they
can be too demanding. Methodical and good with their
hands, they make fine surgeons and hairdressers.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Ox:
Jack Lemmon, Tony
Benn, Charlie Drake, Shirley
Bassey, Jack Nicholson |
|
Year
of the Tiger |
Tigers are said to be bold and adventurous,
and are bestowed with initiative and charm. However,
they have a tendency to be risk takers, making them
act before they think about the consequences. They
tend to make good bosses, explorers or racing drivers.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Tiger:
David Bailey, Michael
Ball, Stanley Baxter, Chuck Berry, Richard Branson,
Mel Brooks, Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Elliot Gould, Harriet
Harman, Timothy Mo, Bruce Oldfield, Lord David
Owen, Jonathan Porrit, Oliver Reed, John Schlesinger,
Pam Shriver, Pamela Stephenson. |
|
Year
of the Rabbit |
Rabbits are affectionate, co-operative
and pleasant, with lots of friends. But they can get
too sentimental and seem superficial. Ideal careers
areas include law, diplomacy or the stage.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Rabbit:
Germaine Greer, Neil
Sedaka, Francis Ford Coppola, Nanette Newman |
|
Year
of the Dragon |
Dragons tend to be popular individuals
who are always full of life and enthusiasm, with a
reputation for being fun-loving. They make good priests,
artists and politicians.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Dragon:
Vidal Sassoon, Fats Domino, Bob
Monkhouse, Jimmy Tarbuck, Al Pacino |
|
Year
of the Snake |
People born in the year of the Snake
are romantic and deep-thinking, wise and charming,
although they tend to dismiss others too quickly and
are a bit stingy with money. Ideal jobs include teaching
or psychiatry.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Snake:
Jean Simmons, Val Doonican, Sir Roger Banister, Burt
Bacharach, Neil
Diamond, Paddy Ashdown, Vivienne Westwood, Bob
Dylan |
|
Year
of the Horse |
If you are born in the Year of the Horse
then you are amazingly hard working and very independent.
Although you are intelligent and friendly, you can
sometimes be a bit selfish. Careerwise you would make
a good scientist or poet.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Horse:
Ian Cuthbertson, Robert Wagner, Rolf
Harris, Helmit Kohl, Clint Eastwood, Barbara
Streisand, John Thaw, Aretha Franklin |
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Year of the
Sheep |
Those born in the Year of the Sheep are said to
be charming, elegant and artistic, who like material
comforts. A bit of a worrier they also have a tendency
to complain about things. Jobs as actors, gardeners
or beachcombers would suit.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Sheep:
Gene Hackman, Mikhail Gorbachev, Leonard Nimoy, Prunella
Scales, John Major, George Harrison |
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Year of the
Monkey |
If you are born in the Year of the
Monkey, you are very intelligent, well-liked by everyone,
and will have success in any field you choose. Lucky
old you!
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Monkey:
Sacha Distel, Elizabeth Taylor, Omar Sherif, Jimmy
Page, Roger Daltrey, George Lucas |
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Year of the
Rooster |
The sign of the Rooster indicates a person who is
hard-working and definite about their decisions. Roosters
are not afraid to speak their minds and can therefore
sometimes come across as boastful. They make good restaurant
owners and world travellers.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Rooster:
Michael Aspel, Yoko Ono, Rod Stewart, Mia Farrow,
Eric Clapton |
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Year of the
Dog |
Dogs are honest and faithful to those they love
but they tend to worry too much and find fault with
others. They make ideal secret agents or business people.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Dog:
Shirley MacLain, Henry Cooper, Slyvia Sims, Dolly
Parton, Liza Minelli Jane
Asher |
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Year of the
Boar |
People born in the Year of the Boar are honest and
tolerant and make good friends, but tend to expect
the same from everyone else, and more often than not
they end up disappointed. They thrive in the arts as
entertainers.
Famous people born in the
Year Of The Boar:
Bamber Gascoigne, Dudley Moore, David Bowie, Elton
John, Gerry Rafferty |
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