By Iliana Pagano, Year 12
Each year around the end of January or mid – February Chinese New Year (CNY) is celebrated around the world.
The vivid colour red is widely spread and used as a symbol of this colorful holiday. Streets around mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and all the Chinese communities around the world are beautifully decorated. Red lanterns are hung, paper banners are created and kumquat trees and blooming flowers are all over.
But when did this tradition arise? And what is the significance behind all this red?
Origins of Chinese New Year:
Well, Chinese New Year has a history of about 3 500 years old. The exact date is unknown but it is mostly believed to have originated from the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) .
One of the most popular legends regarding the Lunar New Year involves a mythical beast called Nian (Year). It was said that this beast would go about ravaging villages, eating all the inhabitants and their crops, on the eve of new year.
Out of fear villagers would start putting food on their doorstep as offerings to the beast.
One day an old wise man was said to have discovered that the beast was scared of loud noises and the colour red. The people thereafter started covering their doors and windows with red scrolls to stop the Nian from coming inside and lit crackling bamboo, to scare the Nian away.
The actual Chinese “year” was only set up during the Zhou dynasty where it had now become a custom to offer gifts to ancestors or gods and to worship mother nature in hopes of obtaining a good harvest the following year.
The official time frame of the new year, that is the second full moon after the Winter solstice on December 21 was set during the Han dynasty.
Lastly during the Wei and Jin dynasties, new customs that are still widely practiced by many families during this time period, like gathering up as a family, cleaning the house and staying up late on New Year’s arose.
It was only in 1912 that China adopted the Gregorian calendar used by the West (where the new year begins on the first of January).
How it is currently celebrated across the world:
Prior to the start of the one week long holiday, Chinese households are thoroughly cleaned to evacuate all the bad luck accumulated throughout the previous year and to welcome good luck into the house.
Two days before the celebrations start, communities start decorating with red: repainting doors, hanging lanterns and red paper cut outs symbolising luck.
Each celebrating country has their own speciality that locals indulge in once a year. For example it is very common for Chinese communities in Singapore to eat a prosperity salad called “Yee Sang”, where family members use chopsticks to throw the salad in the air as high as possible. It is believed that the higher the toss, the more prosperous the upcoming year will be.
Some of the most common celebrations include big dinner festivities, where the entire family gathers together, firecrackers are lit and the famous Lion dances are performed. Dances which are meant to scare off the evil spirits. Younger family members often receive money from older members in red and gold envelopes.
However, unlike the first two bright and celebratory days of Chinese new year, the third day is often considered a lot more somber. On this day deceased family members are commemorated and it is considered bad luck to visit others on this day.
The one week long celebration finally comes to an end by the beautiful Lantern festival, where bright lit lanterns light the way for lion dances and parades. It is said that each lantern guides a lost soul back home.
