Labels: Part C: Chinese New YearPart C : Chinese New Year
Myth
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the battle against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, harvests, and villagers, especially children. Therefore, villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year, so as to protect themselves. The people believed that if Nian was fed, it would not harass any more people. The people discovered that Nian feared red when they saw Nian fled from a little child wearing red. Hence, every time when the New Year was approaching, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, the Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu's mount.Interesting facts:
New clothes are usually worn to signify a new year. The colour red is abundantly used in all decorations. Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders.
Cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the prior year and makes their homes set for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-frames a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start.
New Year Eve:
The reunion dinner and preparation constitute Chinese New Year’s Eve. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the tables of Chinese families during reunion dinner. In northern China, it is customary to make dumpling after dinner and have it around midnight. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese tael. In the South, it is traditional to make a new year cake after dinner and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days of the new year. Niangao literally means increasingly prosperous year in year out. The New Year's Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish is included, but not finished, as the Chinese phrase "may there be surpluses every year" sounds the same as "may there be fish every year." Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. The money contained inside these packets are in numbers that reflect good luck and honorability. Many foods that are consumed are believed to be able to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.First day
The first day is for the convivial of the deities of the heavens and earth, formally beginning at midnight. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.Second day
The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents.
On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.Third and fourth days of the new year
The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives and friends due to the following schools of thought.1) It is known as "chì kou" (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead, but people may visit them on this day. Some people then conclude that it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead.
Fifth day of the new year
In northern China, people eat Jiaozi or dumplings on the morning of Po Wu (破五). This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth.Seventh day of the new year
The seventh day, traditionally known as renri, the common man's birthday, is the day when everyone grows one year older.
It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.
For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.Ninth day of the new year
The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jad Emperor of Heaven in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is customarily the birthday of the Jade Emperor. This day is especially important to Hokkiens. Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and paper gold are served as a customary procedure for paying respect to an honored person.Fifteenth day of the New Year
The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié, otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect. Rice dumplings Tangyuan, a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns.
This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.Food items
Buddha's delight(luóhàn zhāi)
An sophisticated vegetarian dish is served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. It contains a type of algae that look like black hair. Pronounced as "fat choy" in Cantonese, it is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like "prosperity". Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk and ngiong tiu fu.
Fish
Is generally eaten but can be displayed on Chinese New Year’s Eve as a ornamental item. The pronunciation of fish sound like "surpluses.
Jiaozi dumplings
It is served traditionally in northern China because the preparation of the dumpling is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling.When the dumpling is eaten later, luck is transferred to them.
Mandarin oranges
Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year – jin ju translation: golden tangerine/orange or kam. Also, the name "jīn jí" is a homophone of "golden luck" or "gold .
Nian gao
Its pronunciation is a homophone for "a more prosperous year". Known as Chinese New Year pudding, nian gao is made up of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. The colour of the sugar used determines the colour of the pudding (white or brown).Noodles
Uncut noodles, which represent longevity and long life, are served during Chinese New Year though this practice is not limited to the new year.
Bakkwa
Chinese salty-sweet dried meat, similar to jerky, which is trimmed of the fat, sliced, marinated and then smoked for later consumption or as a gift.
Yusheng
Raw fish salad. Eating this salad is said to bring good luck. This dish is usually eaten on the seventh day of the New Year, but may also be eaten throughout the period. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.Symbolism
During Chinese New Year, people will see superstitious or traditional cultural beliefs with meanings which can be baffling in the eyes of those who do not rejoice this occasion. There is a customary reason that explains why everything, not just limited to decorations, are centered on the colour red. Gold is the accompanying colour at times for reasons such as wealth and fortune. One best and common example is the red diamond-shaped posters with the character 福, or "auspiciousness" which are displayed around the house and on doors. This sign is usually seen hanging upside down, since the Chinese word 倒or "upside down", sounds similar as 到 or "arrive". Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity.FlowersPeach blossom symbolises luck.
Kumquat symbolises prosperity.
Narcissus symbolises prosperity.
Chrysanthemum symbolises longevity.
Sunflower symbolises a good year.Icons
Fish
Fish symbolizes surplus.
LanternsLanterns are red in colour and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns that are bright and colourful.
Decorations
Decorations express a New Year greeting. Chinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idioms. Other decorations include a New year picture, Chinese knots, and paper cutting and couplets.
Dragon dance and Lion dance
It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits.
Fortune gods
Symbolises fortune and wealth.Good luck
Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the New Year.Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.Consumers eat sweet to ensure a "sweet" year.It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year.Chinese people will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you. However, buying a pair of shoes is different as shown in the bad luck section.People bathe in pomelo leaves during New Year Eve’s night to ensure good health for the rest of the new year.Changing different things in the house such as blankets, clothes, mattress covers is also a well respected tradition in terms of cleaning the house in preparation for the new year.Bad luckBuying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The character for "shoe” is a homophone for the character 諧/谐, which means "rough" in Cantonese; in Mandarin it is also a homophone for the character for "evil" (邪).Getting a hair-cut in the first lunar month puts a curse on maternal uncles.Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck.
Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the New Year.Saying words like "finished" and "gone" is inauspicious on the New Year, so sometimes people would avoid these words by saying "I have completed eating my meal" rather than say "I have finished my meal."Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious.Buying books is bad luck because the character for "book" (书) is a homonym to the character for “loses" (输).Refrain from wearing clothes in inauspicious colours like black and white, as black is a sign of bad luck, and white is a traditional Chinese funeral colour.Foul language is inappropriate during the Chinese New Year.Offering anything in fours is not appropriate, as the number four (四), pronounced sì, sounds like "death”.People should never (are discouraged to) buy a clock for someone or for himself/herself because a clock holds the meaning in Chinese tradition as limiting one's life is or "the end”.People are to keep away from medicine and medicine related activities as it will bestow a bad luck on one's health and wellbeing and will lessen the luck one can obtain from New Years. Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the New Year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì píng'ān) immediately, which means everlasting peace year after year. 歲 (Suì, meaning "age") is homophonous with 碎 (meaning "shatter"), in demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (Niánnián yǒuyú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú to also refer to 魚 (meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts. (Edited from Wikipedia)Personal opinion:The Chinese New Year is initially a 15 days celebration. But in present day Singapore, do we celebrate the Chinese New Year for 15 days? All of us are busy working and studying each day. Even during the New Year, we are only given 2 days of public holiday (excluding weekends). Let us ponder on what we can do if we are granted 15 days worth of holidays during the Chinese New Year.
Part C : Winter Solstice Festival
As early as 2,500 years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice by looking at the movements of the sun with a sundial. It is the earliest of the 24 seasonal division points. The time will be each December 21 or 22, following the Gregorian calendar.
The Northern hemisphere on this day will experience the shortest daytime and longest nighttime. After the Winter Solstice, daytime will become longer and longer. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day. Thus, it should be celebrated, as good things were getting greater and greater each day after this day.
The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and thrived in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). The Han people regarded Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", so that officials would organize celebrating activities. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. The army was guarding, frontier fortresses was closed and business and traveling stopped. Relatives and friends give to each other delicious food.
In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer scarifies to Heaven and ancestors. Emperors would depart for suburbs to worship the Heaven while common people offered sacrifices to their departed parents and relatives. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) even had the record that "Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival," showing the great magnitude attached to this day.
People consume dumpling soup on this day in some parts of Northern China while residents of some other places eat dumplings, which, they accept as truth, will keep them from frost in the approaching winter. But in parts of South China, the whole family will get together to have a meal made of red-bean and glutinous rice to drive away ghosts and other evil things. In other places, people also eat tang Yuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour. The Winter Solstice rice dumplings could be used as sacrifices to ancestors, or gifts for friends and relatives. Taiwanese even keep the tradition of offering nine-layer cakes to their ancestors. They make cakes in the shape of chicken, duck, tortoise, pig, cow or sheep, which signify auspiciousness in Chinese tradition, with glutinous rice flour and steam them on different layers of a pot. People of the same family clan gather at their ancestral temples to worship their ancestors according to age. There is always a grand banquet after the sacrificial ceremony.
This festival is called Winter Solstice Festival (in Chinese is called ‘dong zi’) today.
Personal Opinion:
I think this festival is not only about reunion by eating tang yuan and celebrating the Winter Solstice in the December 21 or 22 but also a day which we will mark the end of the year and also the good start ahead on the new year , thus this is a day which is very unique and memorable for all of us .( Edited from http://www.china.org.cn/ )
Part B : The dragon boat festival was certainly livelier than the celebration of Christmas for Jess in the bridge to Terabithia. During the dragon boat festival, food consumed were Zong Zi a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is also a tradition to race dragon boat as the name of the festival suggests. Another common practice is to hang up icons of Zhong Kui, a mythic guardian figure. Zhong kui was a vanquisher of ghost and evil beings. Hanging up mugwort and calamus are some other practices done during dragon boat festival.
Jess’ Christmas was indeed very different from the dragon boat festival mentioned above.
Firstly, the celebration of his Christmas is different. Foods usually consumed during Christmas were not eaten during Jess’ Christmas celebration, instead only gifts were exchanged. On the other hand, during the dragon boat festival, no gifts were exchanged but traditional foods like zong zi are consumed. No races were completed during Jess’ Christmas but racing dragon boats are a tradition.
Benson Quah
Part B :
There are definitely some difference and similarity between how I celebrated my Christmas with my family and how Jess celebrated his Christmas with his family.
Let us first compare about what I eat during Christmas and what Jess eat during Christmas. For me, like what I said in my previous post , I would have spaghetti and turkey for my dinner . Whereas Jess had ham and sweet potatoes for his dinner ( pg 75 ). One of the similarity is that both our dinner for Christmas is prepared by our most beloved person in the family – Our Mother .
Another similarity is that both of us exchange presents with people around us . For Jess , he gave Leslie a puppy , in return Leslie gave Jess a box of water colour with twenty-four tubes of colour and three brushes and a pad of heavy art paper . (pg 71 & 72). Whereas for me , I will exchange presents with my sister and friends . On top of that , Jess also got a racing car set from his dad ( pg 74).
Let us next compare about the kind of atmosphere that both of us celebrating Christmas . For Jess , he will be quarreling with his sisters , get scolded by his parents (pg 69 &75), but for me , my whole family will celebrate this special day in harmony and peace and would not scold or quarrel with anyone of us .
Lastly , both of us find Christmas is a very important and happy day and it is a must to celebrate . I believe that both of us love this special day – Christmas and had enjoyed a lot on this day with our friends and family .
Done By :
Soon Chee Yong
Part B :
I celebrated mid-autumn while Jess celebrates Christmas. There are some differences between the two festivals and I am going to tell you the differences.
Although these two are festivals, there are still differences and similarities due to the tradition of the mid-autumn festival. First, I will tell you about the differences.
The first difference is that when I celebrate mid-autumn festival, I eat mooncakes and pomelo while Jess eats ham and sweet potatoes for dinner during Christmas. These food are still very scrumptious.
The second difference is my family and I celebrate the mid-autumn festival with happiness and harmony, on the other hand, Jess celebrates Christmas with his family with arguments with each other and his father has nothing to say to him. The whole atmosphere of Jess’ family during Christmas is cold.
The third difference is during mid-autumn festival, my family and I do not exchange presents with anybody, however, when Jess celebrates Christmas, the family would exchange gifts, for example, Jess would give Leslie a dog while Leslie would give Jess a expensive set of art materials in return. Jess’ elder sisters would also think of items to give to their boyfriends and would expect them to give what kind of presents in return. His father would give a set of racing toy cars.
The forth difference is my siblings and I would play with firework, candles and lanterns, while Jess would play with his younger sister’s Barbie, ignoring his two elder sisters.
The fifth difference is that my family and I would go to events that would have special performances, such as lion dance and dragon dance, on the other hand, Jess go to the imaginary kingdom (Terabithia) with Leslie to play and to imagine about fantasy, which is very different with how I celebrated indeed.
The sixth difference is that my experience in mid-autumn festival is according to the tradition while Jess’ experience in Christmas has any way to celebrate it.
These are the difference between the spectacular experience of celebrating mid-autumn festival and Jess’ unforgettable experience of Christmas.
I will tell you about the similarities now.
The first similarity is that both families have come together to have dinner together.
The second similarity is that both festivals brought happiness to people around them.
In a nutshell, I think both experience with each individual’s festival is equally exciting and has brought livelihood and an atmosphere of festivity to the people around.
Done By :
Glenn Ang
Part B :
In chapter six, Jess and his family celebrated Christmas. His father bought presents for everyone and they would spend time together. Christmas and Winter Solstice are analogous, the only difference is that no presents are exchanged or given. For me, I contributed in the production of the glutinous rice ball and had some sort of reunion dinner with my paternal relatives. In Bridge to Terabithia, Ellie, Jess’s sister, helped her mother in the preparation of the dinner feast. In essence, both festivals, Christmas and Winter Solstice are time for family reunion and festivities.
Done By :
Pan Fei
Part B :
In chapter 8 where Jess and his family celebrated Easter, they would buy new clothes. This is something similar to what my family does. Before celebrating Chinese New Year, new clothes would be bought to signify a new start. When celebrating Easter, it is a must to go to the church for Jess’s family. It was an annually practice for the Aarons. The main difference between Easter and Chinese New Year (what I think) is that during Chinese New Year , we will visit our relatives and friends.
Done By :
Pan Zi
Part A : Winter Solstice Festival Done by : Pan Fei
For Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) last year, my family rejoiced it like any other Chinese. Firstly, we made glutinous rice, tangyuan, using coloured glutinous rice flour and sesame or peanut as the filling. My mother chopped the peanuts and mixed them with sugar while we added the right amount of water to the glutinous rice flour. Then, we knead the dough for a few minutes before adding colouring to it. Thereafter, we continued with the molding. Subsequently, we pinched off pieces of the dough and flattened them. We put a spoonful of the crushed peanuts on the flattened dough and rolled the amalgamation into a globe. Next, we dropped the spheres into boiling water and cooked them until they floated. We added brown sugar into the boiling water to make the savory broth. After approximately ten minutes, the ingredients had transformed into bright glutinous rice balls complemented with saccharine soup. The processes of making the festive food together have bonded our relationship and I have learnt to better understand and cooperate with my family. I have ascertained that much can be accomplished when we work together as a family.
We ate the glutinous rice for breakfast and searched for other forms of entertainment. My mother was left busy with the steaming of prosperity cake (fa gao), and preparation of the reunion dinner with my relatives from the paternal family. As Chinese prioritise the Winter Solstice festival more than Chinese New Year, we tend to spent more effort in it. Winter Solstice Festival is a time for reunion.
Part A : Dragon Boat Festival
Walking while watching in awe the number of people gathered around the Bedok reservoir. The normally nearly isolated reservoir (except for people who exercise in there) was crowded. People gather everywhere, opting for a spot to watch the race. As the other people , my family went to a vacant bench and sat down . Needless to say it , it was hard to even find an empty spot , let alone a bench , I was lucky.
Sitting on the warm concrete bench, my family and I looked onto the people rowing the flashy dragon boats, all the time while eating mouth-watering rice dumplings. The rice dumplings have a slight sweet scent. It definitely looked appetizing. It was a tradition to consume rice dumplings during dragon boat festival.
The rhythmic sounds of the drums coordinated the rowing action of the rowers. A team did not stay in the first place for long; competitors will overtake the winning team in a moment, without hesitation. The competition is intense, but one team managed to stay ahead of the others and won the race with hardly any seconds to spare.
Nothing last forever, the race eventually ended, my family and I took one last glance at the reservoir before making our way home.
Today was fun-filled, exhilarating and unforgettable. It will be etched in my mind, and that day is the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, also known as Dragon Boat Festival.
Done by :
Benson Quah
Part A : Christmas
I believe this is a very special day for lots of people . A day where people exchange presents and gifts . Yes that’s right !!! It is Christmas . Christmas is a very meaningful festival to me . It is a time where people comes together regardless of race , language or religion, to celebrate this very special day .
Let me tell you more about how I celebrate Christmas with my family . Most of the time my family and I would exchange gift with each other . Normally I would exchange with my sister . After that , we would have dinner at home , having some mouth watering food like turkey and my mum’s signature dish - spaghetti , ending off with a cup of red wine (although I am too young to have it ) , it is simply heavenly !
A more special Christmas was on 2008 when my family went Hokkaido to celebrate the special day . Looking at the pure white snow falling from the sky , forming layers of fluffy white snow bed with the kind of chilling air that you would never get in Singapore ..
Making snow man and having snow war with my family was a great time of my life , you would really wish time stops there . It is just simply beyond description . But eventually the snow would melt and turn into puddle of water but I am sure the next Christmas will arrive in a blink of an eye . I guess that is my most memorable Christmas I ever had with my family . I hope everyone will also love Christmas like I do .Done By :
Soon Chee Yong
Part A : Mid-Autumn Festival
The mid-autumn festival is celebrated on the fifthteen day of the eight-month in the lunar calendar. This year, it falls on October 3rd in year 2009. The moon is brightest on this day.
One week before the day, my family and I will go to buy some mooncakes that my family likes. We bought different kinds of mooncakes, green tea mooncakes and lotus paste mooncakes. We would also buy fireworks, candles and lanterns.
When the day comes, my family and I like to go out to attend events where there are special performances, such as lion dance, dragon dance and lucky draw, in parks. After that, my sister would light her lantern while my parents, my brother and I would light up all the candles that we bought, making a beautiful scene, adding to the atmosphere of festivity. We were filled with spontaneity at then. Then, my family and I would play with fireworks. We were totally engrossed in the spectacular view of being in the midst of sparkling lights. These fireworks made my family and I have a rare sense of light-hearted chirpiness.
Lastly, we would admire the full, bright moon as a family. We made our individual wishes. Our faces glowed in the shine, as we were all smiles.
We will then head home to eat our favourite mooncakes and chat with each other, with exuberant feelings.
Done By :
Glenn Ang
Part A : Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Eve, the day that my family and I ate the reunion diner .the dinner of this day was where we splurged the money on. Abalone, sharks’ fins, crab every good stuff came into the steamboat. Enjoying this great feast was one of the celebrations. The very next morning, my siblings and I greeted our parents and wished them a good year ahead. Upon wishing them, each of us would receive a red packet, also known as hongbao. All the festive cookies and goodies were all laid on the table. My father, who is a calligrapher and artists, would hang his works on the wall. Like every year, we took a family photograph before visiting my paternal grandparents.
We were greeted by the barking of Lucky, my grandfather’s pet dog. We greeted our relatives and said all kinds of wishes. In return, we received the red packets. We ate and chatted in the living room. After some time, we went out to the garden to take the big family photograph. I also used my hand phone to take a photograph of Lucky. Then, we waved our relatives goodbye and went to my maternal grandmother’s house.
My aunts, uncles and cousins were all inside the house when we reached there. Quickly, we rushed inside and greeted our elders, wishing them good luck at the same time. Later on , we went to the kitchen to eat the fabulous meal cooked by my grandmother ( she cooks the vegetable meal very well)
Over the next few days , we visited my aunties who lived in Tampinies as well. (My family lived in Tampinies) The “boys” of this big family( uncles, siblings, me and cousins ) hid in a room and played cards. 21 points.
With this, I wish every reader of this blog , a happy 牛year!
Done By :
Pan Zi
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