Hello my lovely friends I am again here on steemit platform with a new post my this post will be about Chinese New Year.
The Muslims follow the Hijri calendar. The first month is Muharram, which begins on the sighting of the moon. However, there comes a difference of ten days each year because the moon completes its revolution round the earth in shorter time. The Hindus celebrate the seasons and their festivals are connected with
asons of the year like spring, harvest time or the beginning of the rains.The Christian calendar (Gregorian Calendar) always starts on the 1 of January and ends on the 31 of December each year. Although the Chinese follow the English calendar as do all other people in the
world. But according to the old Chinese traditions they have a cycle of twelve years
which is followed in the Chinese society only
Each year is given the name of one of these animals: rat, ox, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and tortoise. This
completed in twelve years and then starts again.
For example, if 1988 was the dragon
year, the next year, that is, 1989 would be the snake year and so on cycle Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon so that the full moon comes on the fifteenth day of the month. There are 29 or 30 days in each lunar
month. They also have 12 months in a year and the new year always starts January, the twenty first, and February, the twentieth.
Before the New Year Day, some traditional Chinese families clean out their houses
very carefully. The female family members make many kinds
of cakes and other sweet dishes.
Everybody buys new clothes for the family feast on the New Year's Day. The Chinese people believe and hope that the sweet sticky juice cake will keep their kitchens stored with a lot of bread, rice and other food cereals. The religious Chinese go to the temples to burn incense and other fragrant
ticks and make offerings to their gods. Inside the house, bright red banners are stuck
on the walls, saying, "May the whole family live in peace!" and also, "May the rice jars
be filled to the top with rice!
Red is a favourite colour with the Chinese. They believe that red colour is for life, strength and valour. On the New Year's Eve, there is a big family dinner. All the family members
invited to this dinner and are supposed to be present there for the great meal
Even if they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents, the Chinese
o have the meal with their older generation.
Old quarrels and petty disputes are forgotten. Everybody tries to be the first.
one to forget quarrels and welcome the members of the opponent family.
Soon, all the differences are forgotten. The Chinese believe that all debts must be paid
After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year. Some
New Year. The lights switched on the Ne Year's Eve remain on for threeto four days
The New Year celebrations last for fifteen days from the new moon to the full
on the last day of the year people think that the parents will live longer if their children keep awake to greet the as a good omen moon. On the first day, the children and unmarried people go to visit their elders, and greet them with wishes for a happy, prosperous life. Often they give a cup of tea their elders and receive red packets containing money. The first meal on the New Year must nor contain any meat. After the meal is over, people go to the temples to pray for peace, good health and give thanks for the
happiness of the past year. Parents do not scold their children on the first day of the
new year, and avoid quarrels so that the new year may be a happy one.
The Chinese people believe that the whole year will be as good or as bad as New Year's Day and the harsh or rude words on this day will bring a bad year for
them.The house must not be swept out on this day, otherwise all the good luck will
swept away be On the second day of the year there is a lot of fun and friends' visits. Shops an
opened on the second or the fourth day but remain closed on the third day and people
stay at home. They think that opening of shops on the third day will bring bad luck.
There is a great feast on the seventh day. The Chinese believe that the
man
came into the world on the seventh day, so this is a birthday for everybody. People
serve raw fish with vinegar and spices on the seventh day. In the fifteenth day or the day of the full moon, fire crackers are lit to frighter
away evil spirits. In the evening young girls throw oranges into the sea or river. As they
do this they say a silent prayer that will help them find a good husband.The young men throw dried carrots into the river and pray that they find a good wife. The full moon shines on the land of the Chinese where the celebrations come to an end at midnight.
@onlyhope