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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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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