Chinese New Year Crafts for Kids Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals dating back since time immemorial in the lives of the Chinese people. The fifteen day long festival has a healthy division of days with a lot of activities, and days where it has been found advisable to stay at home. The New Year celebration is predominantly a family centric celebration where everyone gathers together from various places to enjoy the festivities together. Thus, it is imperative that there is activity charted out for every member of the family. Every family and household will have some kids, so it is important that they too are involved and engaged meaningfully during this course of time. So in order to keep the children meaningfully occupied so that they do not feel left out, let us have a couple of art and craft ideas that can be used during this New Year period. Upside down Fu – this is easily the most popular art and craft item that can be made and are made, during the New Year. Fu in Chinese means happiness, luck and prosperity. Turned upside down, this same Fu means coming or arriving. Thus making a craft out of turning the Fu upside down would mean that happiness, luck and prosperity will be coming immediately or arriving shortly in our future. This is traditionally written on a red background in a diamond shaped paper. This Fu is generally pasted in the front door or on the walls of the living room. Dui Lian – Dui Lin is known as the antithetical couplets. It is normally a hand written poetry, written in red paper, as it is auspicious, and it is a pair of lines of poetry. The two lines are completely synchronised in their length and should have some correspondence of the meaning or tome. The ideal dui lian should have few lines but deeper meaning. That is the reason why, alike classical Chinese, they use one character per word. Lantern craft – the fifteenth and the final day of the New Year is all about lanterns. That day is the lantern festival. Traditionally people hang lanterns all around the house and children also carry lanterns to the temples. Thus making lantern is a very good crafty idea during the New Year. The usual lanterns are the ones made of red colour outer paper shell. Ions, lanterns have candles kept inside for light. Different types of lantern can be made for art and craft, such as decorating a paper lantern, creating mini Chinese lantern chain which looks spectacular or creating paper cup lanterns. Door God – being deeply religious and steeped in superstitions, the Chinese people put an extreme emphasis on welcoming luck, prosperity etc and driving away the evil spirits or warding them off. The Door Gods are Chinese art decorations placed on both sides of a door of an entry to a temple, home or business. The Chinese people firmly believe that it keeps away the evil from entering the premises. Paper cutting – Paper cutting is an art form which involves cutting red paper. The most popular subjects for this beautiful art form is flowers, human being, animals and so on and so forth. The character of “Xi”, meaning happiness is perhaps the most popular paper cutting subject. During the Chinese New Year these paper cuttings can be posted on windows and some are even placed on the front door or the walls. Year Paint – Year paint is a very big canvas in which a painting is done by hand. Generally the size of a year Paint is 3 feet by 3 feet. This takes the pride of place in the living room and is hung at the most prominent point of the room where it will be the object of attention. Being a large canvas, the subjects can be varied such as – Gods, long living Gods, Tigers, Mountains, Children etc. For the very young children, who would not want to feel left out and would want to take part in these kinds of art and craft activities; there can be the very interesting and varied forms of Dragon crafts that can be looked into. Let us quickly browse through a couple of Dragon art and craft ideas for the little cherubs during the New Year. The Dragon craft will be interesting keeping in mind the spectacular Dragon dance and the impact of these mythical characters in the children’s mind. Chinese Dragon Puppet can be created by using bright orange, pink and red craft foam to make the scales and by using some golden ribbon. A cute Cup and Ball Chinese dragon can come into being by using paper cup and polystyrene ball and some other craft stuff along with bright colors. The Dragon bookmark can be an excellent personalized gift made by the younger ones during this period, with a paper plate and a long piece of red cloth along with some golden ribbon. Other items which will be needed will be glue, buttons and other small decorative items. The Handprint Dragon is as colorful and spectacular as it gets when it comes to New Year crafts. Five handprints along with certain paper cut shapes, and then intertwined, make a glorious and colourful dragon, which can be a fantastic craft and gift idea for the New Year. The Wooden Spoon Chinese Dragon Puppet requires some adult supervision, but once made, it is going to remain a favorite amongst many. The magnificent Wooden Spoon Chinese dragon puppet would require two red wooden spoons and the dragon to be made out of ribbons and papers, strung on and then the visual result will be superb. Thus we can see that during the 15 day long New Year celebrations, there is no reason for the children to be left out if their activities are centered on interesting art and craft ideas. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Lion Dance New Year is the time to usher in the best of things and to ward off all evil spirits that has plagued one in the last year. Thus the Chinese New Year celebration in its traditional aspect has a number of customs which talk about all these. Lion dance is an integral part of the Chinese New year and is performed with great fervor. This dance is performed donning the lion costume, amidst the heady music of beating drums, clashing cymbals and resounding gongs; this dance requires extreme martial arts capability and artistic sense. Origin of Lion Dance Since time immemorial tradition in China has been to wear masks resembling animals or mythical beasts and perform. Scriptures from the Han dynasty shows records of mime people performing as fish, dragons and phoenixes. However as Lion was not native to China, it came from Persia and detailed description of the Lion Dance can be found in the literary work of the Tang ( 618-907) dynasty and was one of the court dances. Lion dance kept on gaining popularity as a dance form to pray for good luck. The Lion Costume The Lion Dance is conducted like a pantomime horse. It is performed by two dancers. One becomes the head and the front limb, while the other makes up the rear and the hind limb. The lions costumes are mostly made of the auspicious color of red and gold symbolizing good luck and abundance, and the performers’ legs too are dressed in the same color. Sometimes the costumes even extend to the shoes and shape of the Lion’s claws. Different colors are used to indicate age and characters of the lion. For example lion with the white fur is the oldest, golden yellow fur is the middle, the black is the youngest; whose movements must also coordinate with the color theme and age group. The specific colors may also signify the characteristics of the lions. For example the golden lion represents liveliness, the green lion friendship and the red lion courage. Styles of Lion Dance The lion Dance can be broadly segregated in to two main genres – The Southern Lion Dance and the Northern Lion Dance. Southern Lion Dance The Southern Lion Dance originated from Guangdong. It has a single horn and is associated with a mythical monster called Nian. It is based on the study of the lion’s behavior, emphasizing actions like shaking of the body, scratching and licking of fur. The performances are vivid and highly skilful. Northern Lion Dance The Northern Lion Dance bears more resemblance and relevance to martial arts or Fo Shan. A single person conducts the performance of a young lion whereas two people perform the adult lion. The costumes here are more robust and aligned to the dancers’ body to create more space and scope for the movement. These dances are more robust requiring greater physical agility as it requires lot of jumping, leaping, wrestling, climbing etc. Best Places to see the Lion Dance The best place to see the Southern lion is Hong Kong, Macau and not to forget the New Years’ Celebration in Hong Kong. The Red theatre in Beijing or the Shaolin theatres are two places where the Northern Lion Dance can be seen. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in Perth Perth is the beautiful capital of Western Australia. Boasting of sandy beaches, Kings’ Park; Perth is where the Swan River meets the southwest coast. It is a melting pot of different races and creeds and amongst them one of the major number of people residing there are Chinese expatriates. Chinese in Western Australia numbers up to 140,000. Thus it is of little wonder that the Chinese New Year, which is also known as the spring festival and celebrated with much fanfare wherever there are people of Chinese origin; be celebrated in Perth too! The Chinese association in Perth, the Chung Wah association was formed way back in 1909; and from then has worked tirelessly and seamlessly to take the expatriates in its fold. It is the largest and the most well known organization amongst the entire Western Australia. The Perth Chinese New Year fair is a free, interesting annual community event providing entertainment, activities, excitement and enjoyment to people and families of all age group. It first took place in January of 2012 and drew an excited and animated crowd of more than 80,000 in the year 2019. Celebrations galore! This year happens to be the year of monkey according to the Chinese calendar and is one of the most important events in the Chinese calendar. Organized by the Chung Wah association the Chinese New Year may see a footfall of about sixty thousand people and more. The aim for this gala celebration is to showcase the different and huge variety of cultural extravaganza and offer some finger licking good food. It is also the best possible way to showcase the rich cultural heritage of China and that they carry the traditional fabric when abroad too. The Traditional Dragon Dance and the Lion Dance will be some of the main attractions of the fair ground. These traditional dances are generally performed at New Year only, so what better time to have a glimpse at them once again. And it is always an awesome sight to see the acrobatic performances. These performances will keep on happening at an interval of every half an hour. There would be plenty of stalls put up in the James Street area, and visitors can keep browsing through them. An exciting activity area will be set up in the lake street area, where everybody from any age group can take part. Some of the interesting activities are like Clown Play port, Cups and Saucer rides, Laughing Clown Games, the Simulator rides, Pluck a Duck game etc. Nicks Lane also remains closed to set up stalls where there is a plethora of interactive things lined up for the visitors to take part in. A street Carnival will be held in James Street, between William and Lake Street, and again in Lake street between James street and Frances Street. The Northbridge Piazza will be colorfully and gaily converted into a bustling Kida Zone and will boast of a number of superbly interesting activities for the kids. One of the main attractions is the Giant Water Slide installation which is going to make the little ones super happy! Activity stalls with tattoo, face painting, clowns, balloons and numerous other things are going to keep the children super happy. There will be a spectacular Chinese ethnic costume parade performed by numerous of the expatriates, the melodious and rhythmic Western Australian Police Pipe Band parade and an absorbing stage show from 12 PM to 6 PM at the front yard of the Chinatown in Roe Street. The event will lead to a fitting climax with an absolutely riveting multicultural concert from 7 PM to 9 Pm at the Northbridge Piazza. The Chung Wah President Mr Sammy Yap very rightfully opined that these kinds of activities were a great opportunity to showcase the rich, traditional and diversified Chinese culture. For the Expatriates Chinese people, though it will not be the same as celebrating the New Year in some Asian countries, would still give them an opportunity to feel what their tradition and history is all about. Though the temperature tends to soar to a higher degree, still the prospect of a fulfilled traditional day with interactive games and traditional, colorful and spectacular dragon and lion dances saw a surge in the number of visitors. It is an absolute right approach that these traditional joys should be shared with the Perth people who are the Chinese community’s friends. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Cookies Chinese New Year is the biggest festival for Chinese spread all across the world. In the festival spread over for fifteen days, traditionalism, legends and history jostle for a space against each other. The Chinese New year calls for arrangements for the ensuing fifteen days prior to the advent of the New Year and a high point in the Chinese New year is the reunion dinner. Sweets and fruits during the Reunion dinner is served in what is known as a Tray of togetherness, and in numbers of eight, as eight is believed to be a lucky and a number which symbolizes fortune. In most of the food served and prepared during this time, symbolism plays a huge part. The Chinese people firmly believed that preparing and serving desserts, heralds in a beautiful and sweetened life in the coming New Year. Gong himself wrote, that a Chinese cookie pockets which are called Gok Jai which were a childhood favorite. This Gok jai were made of sesame seeds, grated coconuts and peanuts. Cookies are nothing but sweetened biscuits, sometimes prepared with nuts, almonds and other ingredients. Sugared fruits were used in the cookies as it was firmly believed that they will sweeten the coming year. There are lots of meanings and symbolism attached to various fruits too, like dried apricot signifies gold or wealth, apples signify wisdom or peace, cashew nuts or yāoguǒ symbolize gold or money, because the Cashew nuts shape was similar to the gold bars of ancient times. Then Peanuts, known as huāshēng , represented health, long life, birth of prosperity, continuous growth, a multiplication in wealth and good fortune etc. it was also considered to be a good omen if one ate a turnip cake. Let us then take a look at what are the particularly interesting cookie options made especially for the Chinese New Year. The recipes about to be shared are easy ones, made to please everyone, and will not require difficult typically Chinese cooking procedures. Chinese Almond Cookies – This is a simple cookie liked by most , especially during the Chinese New year. For sixty to eighty cookies, It requires plain flour, butter softened at room temperature, castor sugar, ground almond or almond meal, potatoes starches, mung bean flour (can be substitute with potatoes starches), egg yolk . it is made of almond and some people also sprinkle almond flakes on top of the cookies. The shape of the cookie is mostly that of snowflakes, but one can choose any shape that one so desires. The easy almond cookies recipe is as follows-. Preheat oven. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Now, beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and white and brown sugar. Now add the almond extract. Beat the butter or margarine, the shortening, and the white and the brown sugar. Now add the eggs and almonds extracts, and keep on beating till well blended. Stir in the flour mixture and mix well. Now roll the dough and scour with a burnt log and cut it into small pieces and refrigerate overnight for better consistency. Dip the cookies in an egg batter before baking them in the pre heated oven. Sprinkle almond flakes before putting them in the oven. Sesame cookies – This cookie like the almond cookie, was traditionally made with lard, however with the recent concern with health all around, can be substituted with butter. Ingredients required for making this are all purpose flour, baking powder baking soda salt butter ,softened white sugar, brown sugar, egg almond extract white sesame seeds, as needed egg, lightly beaten (optional). Let us have a look at the how to procedure. Preheat oven. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Now, beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and white and brown sugar. Now add the eggs and sesames, and keep on beating till well blended. Stir in the flour mixture and mix well. Now roll the dough and cut it into small pieces and refrigerate overnight for better consistency. Dip the cookies in an egg batter before baking them in the pre heated oven. Matcha and Pistachio Nuts Butter Cookies – This is a favorite during the festive season, as Pistachio nuts are most popular during the New Year, because the name Pistachio in Mandarin means “Happy Nuts’. With a preparation time of fifteen minutes, and a baking time of twenty minutes, this seems an easy recipe to try during the busy New Year. Ingredients required are as follows – Plain Flour, Matcha Powder, Unsalted Cold Butter, Icing Sugar, Egg, and Pistachio Nuts. So get going and make the happiness cookie! The recipe is as follows – Mix flour, matcha powder and icing. Slowly mix in beaten egg and fold the mixture together with a spatula. Now mix the chopped pistachio nuts and continue to stir till it forms dough. Now roll the dough to form oblong/square shape. Cut dough into slices; place it on baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in a pre heated oven. Kueh Bangkit – Another very popular Chinese New Year cookie is the Kueh Bangkit or the Tapioca Cookies. These cookies have a lovely fragrance and a melt in the mouth texture, which makes them irresistible. These cookies require a baking time of twenty minutes and also a preparation time of twenty minutes. The ingredients required are the Fried Tapoica Flour, Thick Coconut Milk, Icing Sugar, Egg Yolks, Pandan Leaves, Kueh Bangkit Mould. The method is as follows – Beat the egg yolks and sugar together constantly, keep adding coconut milk to its fold. Now take 200g of cooked tapioca flour and fold in the coconut milk mixture already prepared. Mix thoroughly. Let it stand for some time and cover it with a wet cloth. Now sprinkle some tapioca flour in the baking container and fill it with the prepared mixture and press tightly. Arrange on prepared baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake in preheated oven. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in Thailand Chinese New year is the biggest festival for the Chinese people across the world. The Chinese New Year festival is also known as the spring festival and has been celebrated since thousands of years, in fact since almost 2698 BC. The Chinese New Year celebration is a fifteen day celebration, starting with a thorough house cleaning on the New Year’s Eve and reaching a pinnacle on the fifteenth day, with the Lantern Festival. The Chinese New year celebrations aim to bid adieu to the old year that was, and, usher the New Year while reuniting with family and friends. The New Year celebration festivities are as such that, it is celebrated everywhere in the world. Apart from China, in various other countries of the world, wherever there is Chinese community and settlement, people celebrate the advent and the New Year with a whole lot of fun and fervor. Celebrations in Thailand – Thailand, situated in South east Asia’s peninsular region, is a picturesque country where the Chinese have settled since hundreds of years. Though officially 14% of the population is Chinese, but a far greater percentage identify themselves as Thai-Chinese and follow the Chinese customs. The Chinese settled in Bangkok were moved to what is known as Chinatown in 1782 to build the Grand Palace complex. Thus, boasting of a sizeable Chinese expatriates, the New Year celebration is Bangkok, Thailand is second to only the mainland, China. Chinese New year is celebrated with all the rituals and fanfare in Thailand, as it is in China. Thus cleaning the house on the New Year’s eve to sweep away the ill luck of last year to waiting up post the midnight to welcome prosperity, to giving red envelope or the Hang Bao, bursting loud crackers to scare away the evil spirit, to preparing a huge dinner for the reunion dinner, praying to deities, burning incense are all a part of celebration in Thailand too. Though the festivities and all rituals are followed till fifteen days only, the main festive days are the main three days associated to the New Year. The main festivities are the Spring Festival eve, then the Spring Festival or the New Year eve followed by the New Year’s Day. These festivities are even attended by the Thai princess. Celebrations start at Chinatown or what is called Yaowarat and continue from there. According to legends, a mythical beast called “Nien” would come to wreak ravage on people’s home. to placate this beast, the residents of the town keep some food at their door, and wear red color and decorate their house with things of red color to ward off the evil and to bring them good luck. Though the Chinese New Year day is not a public holiday, people generally take one day off to celebrate with their family and friends. New Year’s Eve is the time to pray to the Gods and to the ancestors. During the main day of the New Year, traffic from all sides is shut down of Yaowarat Road .the brilliant jewel colored Lion dancers can be seen on the roads, showing off their fantastic acrobatic skills. It is relevant to mention that Lion dances are not always performed. Thus it is the New Year is the best time to see the Lion dance, accompanied by the sounds of the beating drums, clashing cymbals and resounding gongs. Apart from the Lion Dance, be prepared to watch some incredible Dragon Parade. In the Dragon Parades, Chinese and Thai dancers collaborate to make a long Giant with glistening scales, snake through Yaowarat Road. The tail of the Dragon is magnificently long and takes dozens of men to operate this hundred plus foot long Dragon. The Dragon is lit to life when the LED lights are lit in the Dragon. Even the Thai Royal Family is present to view this spectacular Dragon parade and the Thai nationals cheer for them and also the Chinese origin people take immense pride in their cultural heritage. As darkness descends, the city starts looking magical with a lot of lanterns being lit. Post Sun down musicians and dancers perform at a stage near the Chinatown gate. Acrobatics spin on 40 foot poles with firecrackers of their feet. Apart from the firecrackers, be prepared to see spectacular fireworks commemorating the advent of the New Year. To pay homage, one can go to the temples in and around the China town. Two of the must visit temples are situated just across the Choa Phraya River. Wat Arun and the Mang Nguan Ha Shrine are the temples most frequented and also the Thai princesses come to pray here only. These temple and the surrounding premises begin to look great at dawn, because of the numerous lanterns hanging around. The other two temples worth visiting are – Kuan Yim Shrine and Dragon Flower Temple. The Dragon Flower Temple is generally thick with intense smoke but the New Year lends it an extra aura. One can buy a candle and incense and light them light as an offering or pay heed to the traditions and buy some special Joss paper bank notes for burning. A quick recap of each day of the festivities may be helpful – Spring Festival’s day is the Chinese New Year eve. Small events and various parades take place. They originate from the Chinatown area. Throughout the day one can expect to see Lion and Dragon dances. In the evenings, families host traditional New Year reunion dinner for their friends and family. Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year will see an endless sea of Lion and Dragon dancers throughout the day proceeding towards the various temples in Bangkok. New Year’s Day or the first day of the Lunar New Year is a day for resting and spending with friends and family. The area around Chinatown still wears a very festive look and is a great place to be around. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. People will go out lanterns. Some lanterns bear the name of the owners and their year of birth, but most others are traditional form of art, resembling various animals, characters etc. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Superstitions Chinese culture date back to almost four thousand to five thousand years, and the Chinese way of life is interwoven with the rich tapestries of their various socio cultural, traditional and religious belief. China, despite an official ban on religion and being termed as the “wild East”, has remained surprisingly superstitious in many ways. Chinese New Year, which is a fifteen day long extravaganza and can almost make one write a do’s and don’ts s during The New Year, is then no wonder full of various superstitions in many form. Some at this modern day too would resonate and some have probably become outdated. Let us have a look at the Chinese New Year superstitions – No to Cleaning All the cleaning of the entire house should be done and dusted by New Year’s Eve as all duster brooms etc. are kept away as the Chinese believe that cleaning may sweep away all your good luck. In sweeping too, there is a superstition that you may unknowingly sweep one of your family members away. Again, if you sweep the dust and the dirt outside by the main entrance, then you may tend to drive away all the family fortune . So dust and dirt must be swept inside and then carried outside preferably by the back door. Pay off your debts One must dip deep into their pockets and be prepared to pay off all their debts before the New Year. This stems from the belief, that if you are beginning the year in red, you will end in that way too. Nothing is to be lent on this day, again simply because that would indicate that you will be lending throughout the year. In yesteryears, even tinder or flint will not be lent to make fire on this day. Bathing in Pomelo Leaves The night just before the New Year it is advised to bathe oneself in Pomelo leaves, as that will keep you healthy throughout the next year. One to trample upon the malicious gossip monger may also wear a pair of shoes bought before the New Year. Negative terms not to be used Everyone is asked not to use bad language, or use unlucky words. For example, the term four ”SSU” which sounds like the word for death, is strictly prohibited from uttering. Mentions to the past year is also advised to be avoided as all sorrow or otherwise are gone and one must turn towards a new beginning. Wearing Red Despite being an extremely colorful and spectacular occasion the preferred color for many is red, as red is believed to bring the wearer a bright and fair prospect in the upcoming New Year. It is firmly believed that the mood and tone set on the New Year will continue for the rest of the year. Children and other family members are given Hang Bao or Lai see; which are red envelopes containing money to bring them good fortune. Driving out the old and the Evil Shooting firecrackers is a way of driving away the evil and also the old year, In some parts of China, people burn Cypress branches, as it is believed that it helps in driving away the evil spirits. On the stroke of midnight on the New Year’s Eve, all doors and windows of the house are flung open to allow the old year to go out. No to ghostly horror stories If in a family reunion and it is your turn to recount the story, no way can you tell a story of ghosts, death or dying. These are considered to be extremely inauspicious, and more so during the Chinese new Year. Personal Cleanliness On New Year’s Day, one is not supposed to wash one’s hair, in case the luck too washes away! No crying on New Year Day It is firmly believed that if you cry on the New Year day, then the rest of the year too will be spent crying. Therefore an atmosphere of happiness and bonhomie is maintained on this day. Even the children, naughty ones included are not scolded, for the fear that may burst into cries! No sharp stuff Sharp objects are considered to be the harbinger of ill luck and bad news. It is believed that the sharp objects swiftly cut away your good luck. Therefore sharp objects are advised to be packed and kept away. Even visiting the hair cutting salon is also not advisable. No to new shoes In Cantonese language shoes are a homonym for rough. Therefore it is advisable not to buy shoes amidst these 15 days of New Year celebration to have a rough and choppy whole year. Stock books Make sure that you have enough books to read during the holiday period if you are a bookworm. Why? Because in Cantonese, the homonym for book is Loss! Thus the book shops in Hong Kong will be safely closed during this period to avoid any kind of loss! Sweeten the Year Though the Chinese people are known to have a sweet tooth, The Chinese New Year gives them further motivation as eating candies is believed to give you a chance to have a sweeter ensuing year. Dumpling Eating dumplings are mandatory during the New Year Reunion dinner. Because the dumplings resemble the Chinese coin called yuanbao, eating dumpling is believed to usher in prosperity. Taking it a step further, in some places people put a clean coin inside the dumpling as whoever consumes it luck will come to them. Bring on the Light It is firmly believed that switching on the lights during the night is a good luck charm as it will scare away the ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may have plagued you and may have compromised the fortune and luck in the upcoming New Year! Avoid clothes in white and black It is thoroughly advised not to buy clothes in either black or white. Black is a symbol of bad luck and white is a traditional mourning color. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Invitations The biggest festival for the Chinese across the world and across all boundaries, irrespective of where they are residing is the Chinese New Year. The fifteen day festival heralds the arrival of the new, and bidding adieu to the old year. Steeped in culture, superstition and thousands of year old history, one of the highlights of the fifteen daylong celebrations is the New Year Reunion dinner. The Chinese New Year Dinner also known as the Nian ye Fan; is mostly held at the house of the eldest member of the family, or at a convenient place or a restaurant near him. All the family members are supposed to be present for this dinner. Thus , what better time to send an invitation to the family and friends, in asking them to be present , letting them know that their presence will matter in saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the New one? Thus sending New Year invitation is also an integral part of this celebration. To bring families and friends together, an invitation is enough, but if it is sent in an innovative and artistic manner; it adds value to the original event. Adding an unique touch to the cards The best way of creating an unique New Year invitation card, is to create the design by yourself. If you are artistically inclined, then, you can create unique and personalized cards by using scrapbook techniques or using various rubber stamps. In this modern day, one can also use a computer to create these cards. One can opt for a desktop program or a card-making application to create your custom cards. Before the New Year, even the help of the children can be enlisted, to give a different twist to the conventional invitation cards, by using their fresh imagination. Get some construction papers and colorful markers, and the children’s out-of the-box thinking will amaze you. An extremely innovative way of invitation card can be creating cut-out shapes and sending out the invite in them. You can also consider using certain clip-art design to create fun-filled and personalized invitation cards. Let us now have a quick look at certain traditional symbol which can be used to give a touch of uniqueness to the invitation cards. Some traditional symbols which can be used are – Animals – Every year is a pre designated year of one of the many Chinese zodiac signs. It can be the year of the rat, the year of the dog or the year of the monkey. Small pictures or drawings of the appropriate animals will lend a touch of authenticity and tradition to the invitation cards. Paper Lanterns – The lantern festival being an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, using pictures or cut outs of the same is surely going to leave the invitees amazed. Chinese Characters – Chinese characters are unique and can create a distinctive flavor. Just be certain to use the characters related to luck, prosperity, wealth, health etc. as these are most suited to the New Year invite theme. Use of Red – Red is considered to be the most auspicious color. Thus while creating cards make abundant use of red and gold color. Blooming plants: – blooming plants are also symbols of prosperity, new life and growth. Dragons – Incorporate Dragon symbol in the cards as they represent strength and good luck. Fireworks – Fireworks too are spectacular and symbolic enough to be used in invitation cards. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is one of the most predominantly important festivals in the lives of the Chinese people, the tradition dating back to almost 2000 years. It is a 15 day long celebration involving traditions, customs, and superstitions, bonding and coming of the relatives from all over to celebrate this auspicious occasion. People start getting ready for the impending celebration for the fortnight from the New Year’s Eve only, which is called Chi Xi. There are a couple of customs being practiced in some parts while the other part rejoices in a different custom; but that is the beauty and essence of this celebration and this vast country. Let us now go through each of the 15 days and what they entail – Day One The first day is but of course the beginning of the 15 daylong celebrations. The first day is also known as Yuan Dan. The morning will see the setting off of firecrackers to drive out the evils; before the family sets off to visit the older members of the extended family. These visits are meant to strengthen the family bonding. Bai Nian or New Years call or wishing Happy New Year to everyone started mostly during the Han Dynasty. The guests are welcomed with various sweet treats and tea, signifying the wish that may the New Year be sweet. The sweets are then served in an octagonal tray which again symbolises togetherness. The sweets can be arranged in an order of eight, as eight signifies luck or in nine as nine symbolizes wealth, family unity and good fortune. The visitors will also carry mandarin oranges, tangerine etc as gifts, thereby symbolizing wealth and good fortune. Abstaining from Non- Vegetarian fare is considered to increase longevity and it cleanses out the body; also conforms to a Buddhist tradition of not killing anything on the first day of the celebration. Thus a traditional vegetarian Buddhist dish called Jai or Buddha’s Delight is prepared using eighteen different ingredients as the number eighteen is believed to signify wealth and prosperity. Day Two The second day of the Chinese New Year is also known as Kai Nian in Chinese as everyone offers a sacrifice to the God of Fortune as Tsai Shen, the God of Wealth is said to leave for heaven on this day. They keep the hope that the God of Fortune will grant them great fortune in the upcoming New Year. The main five sacrifices offered to the Gods by the big businesses are – whole pigs, lamb, ducks, cock and a live red carp. This day is also known as the day of welcoming the son-in-laws; as the married daughters come to visit their parental home with their husbands on this day. Since this day is characterized by the birthday of dogs, the pets and stray dogs at the street are fed and taken care of. Day Three On this day, people generally do not go out and stays at home as it is believed that it is a day of Chi Kou Ri, or the day of red mouth, and is generally accepted as a day not conducive for socializing or visiting relatives and friends. The third day is considered to be ominous and thus people are discouraged to do, what otherwise would be considered absolutely normal things. However with the gradual progression of time, people have stopped reacting to the list of do not’s, and treat this day more as a chance to reconnect with close family members. Day Four The fourth day is known as Yang Ri and is generally considered to be a fairly good day, as goat is considered to be an auspicious symbol in the Chinese culture. On this day families should clean and sweep their house and throw the rubbish all out, thereby symbolically throwing away all ill luck and poverty. They should burn incense, light candles and prepare fruits, to welcome the Gods. This is the last day when the shops and establishments remain closed. Day Five The fifth day is commonly known as PO Wu. According to mythology, it is the day when the God of Fortune was born, thus people all over celebrates the day reverentially as his birthday. Firecrackers are lit, in the hope to attract the God of Fortune’s attention. In some parts of China, especially Northern China, people eat dumplings, as this resemble the gold ingots and seems fitting to celebrate the birthday of God of Fortune. Day Six The sixth day is known as the Ma Ri, and is associated with sending away the ghost of poverty. Legend has it, that the Ghost of Poverty was the son of Emperor Zhuan Xu, but would always wear torn and tattered clothes and eat very humble porridges. Even if he got new gifts, he would wait for them to get threadbare and tattered. Thus people throw away their old and tattered clothes in order to drive away the ghost of poverty, and the roads are lit to show him the way out. People also clean their washrooms in order to let the God of sanitation be happy when he checks up on them. Day Seven The seventh day is known as the “day of Humans” because according to legends the Goddess, Nv Wa, who is the creator of this world and the human beings, created Humans on this day with yellow clay. Thus this day is also known as Ren Ri, the day of humans. To honor the creation of human beings and the Goddess, either people will eat vegetarian dishes or a salad consisting of raw fish and vegetable called Yusheng, which in turn is symbolic for abundance vigor and prosperity. People in some regions consume Qi Bao Geng, a thick soup consisting of seven different vegetables. In most of the places in China people will have noodles on this day as it symbolizes longevity. In certain rural areas of the Shandong, people also send away the fire disasters, so that fire does not harm them in any way in the next year. Day Eight The eighth day is considered to be the birthday of Millet, a favorite crop. Folklore has it that if the day dawns sunny bright and clear, then the year can be a harvest year; but if it is windy and grey, then the year will suffer from poor harvest. Though in this modern day, millet is no longer a staple food in China, the significance and importance of this day can be ascertained with the importance ascribed to agriculture and cherish food. Thus people generally take their children to agricultural lands on this day, so that they learn the value of food and understand the toil connected to growing food. In certain areas captive animals are also set free on this day. Day Nine Day nine is considered to be birthday of the Jade Emperor, also known as Yù Huáng or Yù Dì, who is the supreme deity according to Taoism. According to Taoist legends, heaven and earth will rejoice and there will be celebration in the Taoist temples. The Jade Emperor according to legends was born several millenniums ago to the King of Pure Felicity Kingdom of the Lofty Heavenly Majestic Lights and the Empress of Precious Moonlight. People usually shower and then offers sacrifice of a cock on this day to show respect to the Jade Emperor. In some rural areas people also sing lucky songs the birthday of the Jade Emperor. Day Ten The tenth day is considered to be the birthday of the God of Stone. This day is known as the Shi Bu Dong, literally meaning not move any stone as it is considered inauspicious to move stone on this day. People burning incense and offer pancakes to the God of Stone on this day. According to legends found in the south of the Yangtze River, people marry of the mouse on this day as they cause extreme harm. New Year picture depicting the marriage of the mouse is quite popular among the rural people of China. Day Eleven The eleventh day of the Chinese New Year celebration is the interesting fathers-in-law to entertain the sons-in –law day! Interesting concept and tradition where the father-in –laws entertain their son-in-law with the leftover food from the ninth day, when the Jade Emperor’s birthday had been celebrated. This is also the day to welcome Zi Gu, who was as legends go; the concubine of a rich man, who killed her in her bathroom. The heavenly bodies took compassion in her and made her the goddess of the toilet. Women oppressed in a feudal society worship her as she stands for all weak females. In Guangxi Province, the Pao Long Jie, or the dragon dance festival is held. Day Twelve This is the day when people start preparing for the important lantern festival. Till now people have had all greasy and rich food, so people give their digestive system some rest. Because of the upcoming Lantern Festival, people from this day onwards start preparing the lantern shacks. In Hebei province it is the traditional custom of making fire with cypress branches as they are believed to be potent in driving away the evil spirits. Day Thirteen The thirteenth day is a day of contrast for the northern and southern part of China. In the northern part, a gentleman called Mt Yang’s first son died on this day and the rest 12 sons died in the ensuing year. Thus it is considered to be an inauspicious day and nothing sacred or important is held on this day. However, contrarily in the southern part of China, people go to the temples to appreciate the lanterns and it is an atmosphere of happiness that prevails as it is the approach to the Lantern Festival. Day Fourteen This is the prelude to the much awaited final day of the fifteen day long festival. Lantern Fairs open for people to select their lanterns for the next day. Performers start practicing for the upcoming dragon dance and lion dance. Families start preparing and readying the lantern, some candles and also some rice glue balls for the big day. In the Zhejiang province people prepare a soup called the Liang Yan Tang. They also celebrate this day as the Chinese New Year Lantern festival as the Han people rose and attained victory against the oppressive Mongolians on this day. Thus they commemorate their victory on this day. Day Fifteen This is the big day of the Lantern Festival. Festivities reach the pinnacle on this day. Dragon and Lion dances are paraded on the streets with the streets being crowded to watch these colorful performances. In the evening people reunite for another joyous reunion dinner. It is the first night of the full moon and traditional dinner consisting of yuanxiao is prepared. It is a special sweet dumpling made of glutinous rice flour and stuffed with sugar made out in the shape of full moon. This sweet symbolizes reunion. Another round dumpling in soup is also prepared called the Yuanxiao. In the evening after visiting the temple, people light the various colorful lanterns. In some parts of China, people fly the kongming lantern, where their precious wishes are written. According to one of the legends associated with the lantern festival, Tian Guan was the Taoist God responsible for good fortune and the Ruler of Heaven. He was born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, thus being a connoisseur for entertainment, followers till day prepares various type of entertainment where people pray for their good fortune. This festival is all about driving the evil spirits away and ushering in the benevolent spirits and also having a reunion between all the family members and cultivating the positivity in all relationships. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in Taiwan Chinese New Year celebrations or what is also known as spring festival is the biggest Chinese festival across the world. Irrespective of where one is, in mainland or the person is an expatriate, this will be of monumental importance to him. Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration, the fifteenth day culminating into Lantern festival. It is that festival which sees a huge migration of Chinese professionals across the world visiting their family and relatives at this time of the year. The fifteen days are marked by adherence to numerous traditions, rituals based out of superstitions, reunions with families, lavish food spreads and lot of bonhomie. New Year Celebration in Taiwan Taiwan too is no different when it comes to the Chinese New Year celebrations. In Taiwan, the Chinese New Year is celebrated from the first to the fifth day of the first lunar month according to Chinese calendar. It is often known as the Passing of the year, as it signifies bidding adieu to the old and welcoming the New Year with lot of hope. Being the most important amongst all Taiwanese festivals, educational institutes remain closed for two weeks, while the businesses remain closed for four to five days. Traditions followed On the Chinese New Year Eve, families complete the cleaning of their houses as it is considered to be extremely inauspicious to clean the house during the first couple of days, as it is believed that all the good luck and prosperity will be swiped away. Dirt is swept inwards the house and later carried out lest prosperity and good luck too goes away. The cleaning of the house on the New Year’s Eve signifies the leaving behind of the previous year’s misfortunes, trials and tribulations. Families, gather together either at a restaurant or at an elder’s house for a special New Year dinner consisting of fish, chicken, pork, dumplings and sweetmeats. The younger people are handed over Hang Bao, or Chinese red envelopes containing money post the Reunion dinner. In fact lot of companies and businesses also give out the red envelopes to their employees during this period. Fish is eaten mandatorily as the word fish is homonymous with the Chinese word ‘surpluses’. Dumplings are eaten as they are known to resemble the Chinese gold ingots. Similarly chicken and luck are also pronounced in the same manner. People in Taiwan follow the practice of visiting relatives and friends to extend wishes for fortune and prosperity on the first day, will visit the wife’s family is slated for the second day, the fourth day will be reserved for welcoming the Wealth God at home and will reopen business on the fifth day. Families stay up together after midnight and light firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and welcome the New Year. The entire Taiwan is enveloped in a red haze during the New Year celebrations. Myriad red lanterns, gifts, wall hangings and decorations adorn all houses shops and other commercial establishments. New Year celebration in Taiwan – In Taiwan, the shops are closed for the first two or three days, and then they are back to business. Taiwan hosts myriad of celebrations during the New Year period. As the shops and markets tend to remain closed for the first two days, it is always a good idea to stock up on necessities for the New Year Reunion dinner and gifts for the New Year from the New Year markets. Those interested to be a part of the traditional celebrations can definitely head towards the Dihua Street in Taipei. Try travelling by MRT or the Mass Rapid Transportation in Taipei or the THSR, the Taiwan High Speed Rail to get to places in a sea of merrymakers. Booking a hotel well in advance is also advised as this is the time when people will be visiting their families from far flung places. Amongst The spectacular festivities that Taiwan holds during this auspicious period are the Dragon and the Lion dances. Skilled dancers along with colorful dragon and lion structures perform these dances on the roads. The beautiful decorations at the temples like the Longshan Temple, The City Temple etc.; the scintillating and noisy fireworks, thousands of glowing lanterns at the Lantern festival are all sights to be savored. Certain festivals that one should not miss during this period in Taiwan are the Bombarding Master Handan Festival in the Taitung County or the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan to name a few. One can also try the Maoli Dragon Festival or the Beitou local festival. New Year Festivals in Taiwan Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival Close to the Chinese New Year, Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is held in Pingxi in the northern Taiwan. Sky lanterns, also known as the Kongming Lanterns adorn the sky during this period. The sky lanterns are flying paper lanterns which were invented in Kongming by Zhu Ke-Liang also known as Kongmig to pass on military information. These are made from oiled rice paper and a bamboo frame containing small candles or some wax flammable material to be lightened. These days people write their wishes on these lanterns as they believe that by flying high it will reach heavenwards and pass their wishes to the Gods above. The Bombarding Master Handan Festival The Bombarding Master Handan Festival is a very special festival held in Taitung. In this festival, a particular chosen man performs the role of the God of Wealth – the Master Han Dan. It an interesting ceremony, this chosen man, wearing only a short red pant will be carried around by four devotees. He will have a bamboo to cover his face, as the devotees knowing that the God cannot bear cold weather will keep throwing fire crackers at him and will pray for wealth and prosperity. The Beehive Fireworks Festival The Beehive Fireworks Festival is another unique and traditional festival held in the Tainan City. People visit the Yanshui Wu temple on the day of the Lantern Festival and follow the sedan car of the Divinity bursting fire crackers. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival is a traditional event woven in with rich traditional colors. The New year eve dinner is the most important dinner for the Chinese families all around the world, especially with family members strewn around globally. The Chinese New Year Dinner or the Nian ye Fan; is generally held at the house of the eldest member of the family, or a convenient place near him. All the family members are expected to be present for this gala dinner. Following the dinner, people also visit other family friend and neighbors. Houses are scrubbed clean as the Chinese New Year also coincides with the spring festival. Houses are painted to usher in festivities. Red and Gold are the most seen colors as they symbolize prosperity and good luck. Chinese families who are Buddhist or follows Taoism offers prayer in the newly decorated alters, before sitting down for the New Year dinner. Prayers are made for the New Year to be prosperous and for the departed ancestors. Firecrackers are burst too. The New Year Dinner Menu – The New Year Reunion dinner is an elaborate and a gala affair. a huge and lavish spread is offered and symbolically lucky items like fish and oranges are served. A very sticky New Year cake is baked, and is shared with friends, family and neighbors as a goodwill gesture and to wish all of a prosperous New Year. The New Year Dinner traditionally includes a hot pot, which symbolizes the joyful coming together of all the family members. The custom since time immemorial was to serve 99 dishes, as the no nine is considered to be lucky by the Chinese people. Let us take a look at the food served during this elaborate and hearty meal – Fish – Fish in Chinese is pronounced as Yu which is similar sounding for prosperity and surplus in Chinese. Fish is considered lucky and is believed to bring abundance of money; thus sometimes it is eaten as left over too to signify leftover surplus wealth from the previous year. The blessing of Nian Nian You Yu, means may you have surplus and bountiful harvests every year. Dumplings – Dumplings resemble the shape of the Chinese good luck coins called Yuanbao, thus symbolically they are supposed to usher in prosperity.They were very popular during the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. Dumplings are often known to be eaten at midnight also. In some places it is known for people to put a clean coin in the dumplings, as whoever consumes it should have prosperity. Mandarin Oranges – Mandarin oranges are found in abundance in Spring, during the New Year celebration. Thus it is mandated to have mandarin oranges on the table to wish prosperity for all the family members. Uncut Noodles – The uncut and long noodles are absolute New Year specialties and are served to wish long lives; as the long noodles to all the family members. Melon Seeds – Melon seeds are traditionally believed to symbolize fertility. Thus serving of lemon seeds or sunflower seeds, even pumpkin seeds in some cases signify the hope of hearing good news about the family expanding or news of new born babies in the New Year. Chicken – Chicken is served boiled in the traditional New Year dinner. It is believed that no matter how humble the background is, everyone in New Year can afford to serve boiled chicken. New Year Cake – The sticky New Year cake was originally and traditionally used to worship Gods and ancestors during this festivity. The Chinese pronunciation of cake; Niangao resonates with the meaning of “increasingly prosperous year after year”. The cake is made of glutinous rice powder and can be had in various options of frying, boiling or steaming. Hot Pot – Hot Pot is a must in some parts of the country for the New Year celebration, as eating hot pot makes people feel warm and also the auspicious red colour is indicative of the prosperity of the ensuing year. Spring Rolls – Fresh vegetables or ingredients in spring time are wrapped inside and had to welcome the spring, with which the Chinese New Year coincides. Other than these pork, or a black hair-like algae called fat choy is also used in many dishes, since it’s name has a similar sounding resemblance to prosperity, which is known as fa cai. The belief remains that having the fat choy will lead to the other; that is it will lead to prosperity. Chinese New Year Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Animals Calendar When Is Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Invitations 15-Day Celebration Cookies Superstitions Lion Dance Crafts for Kids Masks Chinese New Year In Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Hong Kong Vancouver Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Singapore San Francisco Perth Thailand Seattle Taiwan More on Chinese New Year
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