How much do you know about Lunar New Year? 5 facts about the Spring Festival
Firecrackers, fireworks, a great traditional feast, red lanterns and pockets… do they remind you about a particular festival? In many East-Asian countries, Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is a significant event that is widely celebrated.
My name is Yung Wong (2nd year BA Journalism student), and I’m here to tell you all about the Spring Festival and answer any questions you might have!
Why are there different names for the celebration?
As well as the generic terms, ‘Spring Festival’ and ‘Year of the Dragon’, you might see the event referred to as ‘Chinese New Year’ by some, and ‘Lunar New Year’ by others. And although the celebration originated in China, it has spread to other East-Asian countries over time.
With many countries such as China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam all in the East-Asian cultural sphere, these countries often share mutual cultural traditions and have influenced one another in the past.
Chinese people usually call it the Spring Festival (the start of the Chinese 24 solar terms) or Chinese New Year, whilst other places call it the Lunar New Year as it follows the lunisolar calendar.
Why does Lunar New Year not happen at the same time as the general new year?
As the lunar calendar is based on the moon cycles, it has a different time of new year compared to the Gregorian calendar, which you might be more used to. Lunar New Year usually happens between the end of January and early February.
What are the zodiacs and why is it the Year of the Dragon?
In Chinese myths, there was once a race organised by the Jade Emperor, inviting all the animals in the world to participate in it. The animals included rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig — and this list is in winning order and the rat became the first zodiac of the cycle. This year is the turn of the dragon and thus is the Year of the Dragon.
“How would the rat become the winner? It is so tiny!” is common for a lot of people to say. In the story, it is said that the cunning rat persuaded the Ox to let it sit on its head, near the finishing line, it left the ox and ran to the destination, making it the winner of the competition!
The Chinese zodiacs are used most commonly in East-Asian countries, but there are some differences between countries. For example, Vietnam honours the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox.
Why are there firecrackers and red-coloured items everywhere during Lunar New Year?
In Chinese folklore, there was a beast called Nian (which means year in Mandarin) who attacked a village. They discovered that Nian was afraid of loud noises and the colour red. Therefore, they used firecrackers to produce noise and put Fai Chun, a traditionally handwritten Chinese decoration on red paper, outside of the doors. The colour red and red decorations now represent fighting off evil and bad luck, as well as good fortune and joy.
How do people celebrate the Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year represents a time for family and friends to meet, symbolising reunion, happiness, and blessings. Those celebrating will usually play games like Mah Jong, a tile-based game with variations in East-Asian countries and Chinese Chess and elders in the family will give youngsters red/white pockets, symbolising blessings to the descendants.
In all the countries celebrating the festival, having warm and hearty feasts on Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first few days of the New Year is a must! Osechi is a traditional Lunar New Year’s meal package in Japan. When the festival arrives in Vietnam, the residents celebrate by eating rice dumplings. One of the most popular traditional Korean new year’s dishes is tteokguk, or sliced rice cake soup, which is thought to bring luck in the next year.
If you want to celebrate the Year of the Dragon on campus, you can attend the Confucius Institute’s New Year celebration event, and take part in cultural activities while enjoying Chinese tea and snacks.
