Winter 2007/2008 - Lotus Connections

Celebrating the Lunar New Year, by Theresa Hundley

Celebrating the New Year across Asia, not only includes fireworks, traditional dragon and lion parades and a week-long holiday, it also includes particular traditions, superstitions, celebrations and cuisines.

Superstitions and Traditions

Before the New Year, the entire house should be clean. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, dusters, and other cleaning equipment are put away. On New Year's Day, cleaning is strictly forbidden as it will sweep away the good luck; however, cleaning may resume the next day with guidelines:

• You must clean from the door and corners inwards to the center of the house
• You must then you must place the dirt in the corners until the 5th day
• The dirt in the corner must remain untouched
• When you sweep, you must never sweep out the door for fear of sweeping the family's luck away
• It is said that when you sweep over the threshold, you will be sweeping a family member away
• Picking up the dirt and depositing it outside yourself is okay to do

At the stroke of midnight, all doors and windows must be open to let the old year out.

All debt must be paid prior to New Years Day. You must not lend money on New Year's Day or you will be lending money all year round.

Everyone should reframe from using negative, unlucky or foul language on New Year's Day. Death, dying and ghost stories are never mentions; as well as, any words that are similar sounding to death.

You must not mention previous years or the past year as everything must be turned towards the New Year and beginnings.

If you cry on the New Year, it is believed that you will cry all year long. This is the very reason that parents will not punish or reprimand their children on this date, even with the children's bad behavior.

You should not wash your hair as you will wash away the good luck.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom, so even the ill will get dressed and sit in the living room with family members.

It is good fortune to hear song birds or a red-colored bird.

The first person that you meet and the first words mentioned are significant to what the year will bring you.

You must not purchase shoes during the holiday period because shoes in Cantonese are a homonym for "rough".

Book stores will be closes as the word book is a homonym for "lose".

Sharp objects and cutting utensils are not used during the holiday as it will cut your luck away.

Different New Year Celebrations across Asia

Guangzhou Flower Fair: for the entire week of the holiday, the streets open up and line themselves with fresh, fragrant and colorful flowers, fruit and plants. Traditional plants such as Tangerine Trees or "Money Trees" are given as gifts to families as they represent good luck and wealth; Chrysanthemums represent longevity; Peach Blossoms are life, growth and prosperity; Peonies are considered the "flower of riches and honor" as they are the emblem of love and affection; and Kumquat or "jin qian ju" Trees are a literal meaning of its name, "jin" rhymes with the Chinese word for gold, "qian" is the literal word for money and "ju" rhymes with the Chinese word for luck. The Chinese word "lu" means green, rhymes with the Chinese word for wealth, so the tiny green leaves found on the Kumquats are considered good omens.

Beijing Temple Fair: as the streets open up to avid shoppers during the week-long celebration, families entertain themselves by viewing or participating in folk performances, stilt walking, drum performances, martial arts, acrobatics, horse riding, folk art, Chinese opera, fashion shows (for the more younger, modern generations), as well as traditional dragon and lion dances.

Spring Festival in Shaanxi: in the countryside of northern China, villages and traditional entertainers will celebrate the spring festival by performing a traditional folk dance called "Yangge". The collection of music and dance rituals includes manipulations of silk handkerchiefs and movements of the feet. This long-established rejoice is in honor of rice-planting, farming and sacrifices to the "God of the Farm".

Celebrating Tet: along with the Chinese New Year, families in Vietnam welcome the New Year by celebrating "Tet". Although the traditional name is different, Tet shares many of the same customs and traditions as China's New Year. During subsequent days, people visit relatives, friends. The second day of Tet is usually reserved for friends. The third day is for teachers who command respect in Vietnam. Local Buddhist temples are popular spots as people like to give donations and to get their fortunes told during Tet. Fortune-telling is also popular. Children are free to spend their new money on toys or on gambling games which can be found in the streets. Prosperous families can pay for dragon dancers to perform at their house. There are also public performances for everyone to watch. Traditionally, each family displays a New Year Tree consisting of a bamboo pole 5 to 6 m long. The top end is usually decorated with many objects, depending on the locality, including good luck charms, origami fish, cactus branches, etc. In some cities, a kumquat tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tet. Its many fruits symbolize the fertility and fruitfulness that the family hopes will come in the coming year. Vietnamese people also decorate their homes with bonsai and flower trees that mean great age. They also hang up Dong Ho Paintings and calligraphy pictures.

Customary Cuisine

Different foods are served throughout the holiday that represent positive wishes towards the families and coming year. Along with the celebrations, traditions and superstitions, customary foods play an important part in welcoming the New Year and family unity.

• Sticky Rice Cake: its sweetness is a good omen for a rich, sweet life while it's layers represent rising abundance and it's round shape embodies family union
• Fish, or in Chinese "Yue", symbolizes wish and abundance. This traditional dish is served whole, with head and tail intact, representing a good beginning and end to the coming year.
• Pomelo, which is a fruit similar to a grapefruit, means "to have".
• Tangerines and Oranges are often given as gifts to friends and relatives as they represent luck and wealth respectively.
• The Cantonese word for lettuce, "sang choi", sounds similar to rising fortune so this is often prepared during the New Year
• Dumplings, or "Jiaozi", is representative for wealth and prosperity as well as it's crescent shape symbolizes ancient Chinese money
• Noodles are always served during the holiday as it represents a long life; however, you must not cut your noodle as it is bad luck
• Both Clams and Spring rolls symbolize wealth
• Serving a whole chicken is tradition as it signifies family togetherness