Convivial Company - Chinese New Year Celebrations

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Summary

The 15 days of the Chinese New Year are celebrated with much joy and feasting by billions of people in China and around the world. The most important aspect of the celebrations is getting together with family and friends to welcome a new year.

Content

Loudly and enthusiastically wishing each other prosperity, setting off fireworks and feasting with family and friends is the way the Chinese commence New Year's Day. Also called the Spring Festival, the New Year commences with the arrival of the new moon on the first day of the year based on the solar calendar and ends fifteen days later with the Lantern Festival. No exact date is available as the Chinese New Year falls on different days each year. Celebrated by several billion people in China and around the world, each year is named after an animal and 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

This tradition laden event is very much a family oriented celebration. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are for the family to get together and all Chinese families make the effort to be with their families on this their most important holiday. Traditionally the highlight of the celebrations was religious ceremonies dedicated to Heaven and Earth, household gods and ancestors. Ancestors were remembered with a special feast on New Year's Eve where the departed spirits and the living celebrated the approaching year together.

Each day during the New Year is marked with a special activity. On the initial day the gods of earth and heaven are welcomed, on the second prayers are offered to gods and ancestors; on the subsequent days parents-in-law are honoured by their sons-in-law. On the day of Po Woo people remain at home to honour the gods of wealth. It is considered bad luck to go anywhere. From the 6th to the 10th day family visits are exchanged and temples are visited to pray for health and good fortune. On the seventh day farmers show off their produce and noodles and uncooked fish are eaten to facilitate longevity and success. On the 8th day people in Fujian have another family dinner and at the stroke of midnight pray to the god of the heavens. Offerings to the Jade Emperor are made on the 9th day. From the 10th to the 12th day relatives and friends feast together and take it easy on the 13th day. People make preparations for the vibrant Lantern Festival on the 14th day and on the 15th day the festivities end with lantern parades at midnight to guide wandering spirits back home.

One of the most impressive features of the Chinese New Year is the mounds of traditional food that are prepared days ahead for friends and family. On New Year's day a vegetarian dish called Jai is made with root vegetables to which various auspicious properties are attributed. Other foods eaten during this period include fish for togetherness, a whole complete chicken for prosperity and uncut noodles for longevity. The large amount of food prepared and consumed during this period indicates abundance and the wealth of the household.

In the days prior to the New Year, Chinese families clear out their houses, paint them and arrange platters of oranges and tangerines symbolizing abundance, eight varieties of sweet dried fruits symbolizing togetherness, as well as flowers symbolizing reawakening, in their living rooms. Good wishes written on red paper are put up everywhere.

There are even traditions for cleaning house and disposing of rubbish during the New Year. While houses are cleaned prior to the New Year with all cleaning implements being put away afterwards, during the New Year period no dirt is swept over the threshold. It is collected and disposed of to prevent family members being carried away. The noisy firecrackers are very much a part of the New Year celebrations, considered to send out the old year and welcome the new. At midnight in the old year all doors and windows are opened to allow the old year to depart.

Other traditions include the settling of all debts, no foul language and no crying for whatever reason. Everyone wears red to bring good luck and the younger members of the family, unmarried friends and close relatives receive red envelopes with new money for good fortune. Although many of these traditions may not be adhered to today, it is still important for families to get together and give thanks for their good fortune in the previous year and pray for the same in the coming year.

Convenience of location is a big advantage to the Millennium Hongqiao Hotel Shanghai, with shopping, entertainment, dining and travel hubs just a block away and key attractions and the city centre about a 15 minute metro ride away. This Shanghai city hotel offers well furnished comfortable accommodations and a range of facilities and amenities extending to dining options that serve a selection of delectable international cuisines. Up to date leisure facilities and guest services designed to provide a relaxing and comfortable base for business and leisure visitors are available. Specials and packages on offer at this Shanghai hotel add great value to celebratory events, business travel and leisure breaks.

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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