Year: 2016

The advent of New Year is an auspicious occasion in all cultures and countries round the world. As with all societies, this propitious time calls for gifts.

In Chinese and certain other South Asian communities and countries a certain red envelope or red packet is used for gifting money on the New Year’s Day. Money, wrapped in red paper or red envelope is lovingly given to younger members by the elders. These are called Hangbao in Mandarin and Lai see in Cantonese.

• Why the color Red

The Chinese are reverential and also fond of the color red.  To them the color Red symbolizes good luck, abundant energy, happiness and warding off evil luck.  Thus it is not the money which is of consequence, rather the packet made of red color which symbolizes happiness and blessings from the giver to the receiver.

Therefore it is also considered to be impolite to open and see the contents of the Red Envelope in front of the giver.

• Origin of Red Envelope

Long ago in China, during the reign of the Qin dynasty, the elderly would use a red string to thread coins.  This was known as the money warding off the evil spirits, and was believed to protect the younger receiver from sickness and death. The Yasui Qian as they were called came to be gradually replaced by red envelope with the advent of the printing presses.  One of the stories surrounding the origin of the red envelope went back to long ago times where a demon harming children, was frightened away by eight fairies sent by God, disguised as coins threaded by a red string and kept under a child’s pillow.  Previously thus, it was traditional to give the red envelopes to children only to ward off evil spirits. However gradually it has come to encompass all loved ones in its fold and effort in wishing luck and warding off evil spirits.

• The Gifting of Red Envelopes

The giving of Red Envelopes needs preparatory time.  Those who intend to give those, needs to prepare them in advance, so that they can be immediately presented to the receiver’s right after the New Years’ Feast or when the Bell of the New Year rings. If a child falls asleep, it is also customary to keep the red envelope under the pillow of the child.

• Who can give Red Envelopes-?

Traditionally speaking, anyone who earns or are in a position to gift money should give red envelopes during the New Year. However,  there is also a custom that if you are not married, then you need not give out red envelopes; rather in turn  the married people keep receiving these auspicious red enveloped from their relatives and elders which signifies their blessing.

Some of the people to whom you can give the Red Envelopes are –

• Elders, especially parents and grandparents
• Younger generation, who do not earn,
• To one’s own children
• To one’s own employees
• To other children, like your friends’ or acquaintances’

The amount given in these Red Envelopes will always depend on the benevolence of the giver. Thus the red envelope is an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations from time immemorial.

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The Chinese New Year or the spring festival begins from the eve of the lantern festival and continues till quite a number of days. Traditionally the Chinese New Year was a time to honour the Gods and also pay homage to one’s ancestors.

Along with various regional customs and traditions, there are quite a number of symbolisms involved in the entire process of the New Year celebration. The celebrations involve certain elements that are symbolic or have a deeper meaning. Following this trail, gifting of plants or decorating with various flowers and plants during the New Year celebrations too are of utmost importance and carries great spiritual meaning.

Let us then have a look at the plants which are considered auspicious and symbolic during the course of the Chinese New Year Celebrations.

• • Orchids – The delicate and precious plants such as Orchid are symbolically considered to be “many children” or fertility. During the Chinese New Year any flower market or shop worth its business will stock bouquets, pots and various other arrangements of orchids; as these delicate, beautiful and elegant plants come in multiple varieties and colours.

 

• • Oranges – Oranges are extremely popular New Year gifts and it is a common sight to see potted plants of oranges with miniature oranges; which are also known as Kumquat trees being readied for gifting. The Orange is symbolically associated with the sun and thus with the yang principle; thereby signalling happiness and abundance. It is a tradition to keep mandarin orange and a red envelope next to the children’s pillow to bring then good fortune. It is also kept in the rice containers to bring blessings to the family.

• • Pomelos – Pomelos are acknowledged to bring good fortune to the family, and is considered important whether they are green or yellow. It is a quite common practice to decorate homes with single or a pair of pomelos.

 

• • Peach Blossoms — Peach blossoms are considered to be sacred to the Chinese, and the peach fruit represents longevity. These are also correlated to romance, prosperity and growth and are customarily placed in beautiful vases.

 

• • Plum Blossoms – The bright pink flowers of the Plum blossoms signifies perseverance and reliability and is one of the most important flowers for the Chinese. The plum blossoms also signify courage and endurance, and along with orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemums constitute the “four Nobles”.

 

• • Peonies — Peony is symbolically associated with innocence, affection charm and feminine beauty. Red peonies are particularly auspicious. These are also known as- flower of riches and honour.

 

• • Pussy Willows – The Pussy Willow is a sign of growth and represents the arrival of prosperity. These beautiful buds are silken and give out the green shoots.

 

• • Narcissus or Water Fairy Flowers — This flower is a symbol of fortune and prosperity. Hailed as one of the most auspicious flowers by the Chinese, they can be grown in a shallow dish of water and pebbles. These are also beautiful to look at and smell lovely!

 

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The Chinese New Year phrases are not exactly greetings.  Rather the New Year phrases can be termed as blessings or well wishes.

There are quite a number of them, and they are pretty difficult to pronounce also at times; let alone memorising! Lot of these phrases are blessings for prosperity, happiness and longevity; and those are generally featured on the Fai Chun decorations as well the money-carrying Red Envelopes. Chinese people celebrate the Lunar New Year traditionally – as such the celebrations primarily involve family and close circle of friends and colleagues. Naturally traditional Chinese New Year phrases are oft used as a mark of blessings and greetings.

So let us now take a look at some of the most common Chinese New Year Phrases –

• • Sun Nin  Fai Lok; Loosely translated that is the ubiquitous Happy New Year!

 

• • Gung Hei Fat Choi is mostly recited during the Red Envelope handing over, meaning Congratulations on your prosperity!

 

• • Sin Tai gin hong, is closely related to the New Year theme of wishing luck for people. This means wishing you good health!

 

• • Dai Gat Dai Lei means may you have great luck and prosperity!

• • Lung Ma Jung Sang is a blessing deeply rooted in the Chinese culture and means May you have the strengths of a dragon and a horse,

 

• • Mahn si sing Yi, is the master wish to top all wishes!It means may ten thousand things that you do; exceed your wishes!

 

• • Msahn Si yuh hi is a wish which directly complements the earlier wish meaning may ten thousand things go according to your wishes!

 

• • Sum Seung Si sing is a blessing from the bottom of one’s heart, meaning, may all your hearts’ desires come true!

 

• • Gung ho sun nei is a wish to extend to everyone in the New Year as it means congratulations in the New Year!

 

• • Sun Jeong Lek gin blesses you to be strong and healthy!

 

• • Mn fuk  lam mun translates into may you have all good blessings in your house!

 

• • Chut yup ping on, would loosely mean that one needs to be safe while entering and exiting!

 

• • Nin nin yau yue blesses you to have plenty, not only this year but also in the coming years!

 

• • Faai go jeaung dai , is used mostly for children, saying grow tall and be strong,

 

• • Sang yi hing lung blesses your business to grow and flourish!

 

• • Puhn  muhn boot muhn wishes that you be always filled to the brim with money!

 

• • Siu hau seung  hoi wishes you to laugh happily and merrily!

 

• • Yat buhn mahn lei bless you to be successful in everything!

 

• • Choi Yun gwong jun bestows the blessing of lot of wealth coming in!

 

• • Bou bou goh sing blesses your progress by wishing that may you rise to the highest step by step!

 

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Chinese New Year, the 15 daylong celebrations is an extremely cherished event, where relatives from far flung places congregate and have New Year reunion dinner, exchange pleasantries, offer prayers, share news views and jokes.

Chinese New Year jokes are often found to be quite tongue in cheek! To make this New Year special, in keeping family, friends and relatives in split; let us share some of the jokes!

 

• Create your own lies!!!

Once upon a time there was a man called Huan, who did not do anything for a living. He was a rogue and a rascal. His only aim was to have a free meal and to make ends meet somehow. Once while he was on the threshold of starving, he chanced upon a funeral house. Huan went in and sat down in deep mourning in front of the memorial tablet and wept bitterly. Upon being asked why he wept so he replied that he was closely associated with the man and had not met him for a couple of months. He said that he was shattered at his death and can only cry as a mark of his friendship.

The family, touched, asked him to stay back for dinner. After having a hearty meal; while returning, Huan met another charlatan and rascal, called Shanyuan. Huan recounted of his great cunning with lot of pride to Shanyuan who was deeply impressed.

Next day Shanyan too came across a funeral house, went inside, and acted likewise. Upon being asked, he too said he was a best friend of the dead. Alas! Rather than dinner and drink he was greeted with kicks and punches. Why??? The funeral was that of a young housewife!

Therefore “Never” replicate your lies. Create your own; or better still don’t lie!

 

• Be prepared to have a taste of your own medicine!!

Huang Fu was a rich farmer who was terribly ill behaved and behaved very badly with his farmhand Chen. One day Huang Fu told Chen to buy him a bottle of wine, to which the poor farmhand pleaded that he had no money. Huang Fu being the man that he was, opined loftily, that anyone could get wine with money; but it would take real talent and skill to get wine without money.

Days went on. Chen kept thinking and brain storming as to how he can sort out this problem with the nasty Huang Fu. Then one day Chen went up to Huang Fu and handed him the empty bottle and smiled politely and wished that he hoped that Huang Fu enjoyed the heady wine.

Dismayed, seeing the empty bottle Huang Fu angrily asked Chen that how can one enjoy the wine when there was none? Smiling, Chen replied calmly that just as it took real talent and skill to buy wine without money, similarly it took real talent to enjoy a bottle of wine when there is none in the bottle.

Huang Fu was aghast, choked on his words, but could not utter a single word more!

Therefore, always be prepared to test your own medicine.

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The Chinese New Year celebrated for 15 long days is also known as the Spring Festival and from the New Year’s Eve till the Lantern Festival is marked with legends, folk lore and symbolic traditionalism.

It is that time of the year when the close as well as extended family spread across get together and partake active enjoyment, offer prayers and greet everyone with the best possible wishes, blessing them with prosperity, longevity and power to ward off evil.

During numerous festivals and rituals during this period there are a number of phrases which are used. These phrases may not always greetings, rather can be termed as wishes or blessings. For example; Gung Hei Fat Choi is recited mostly while handing over the red envelope, meaning Congratulations on your prosperity.

Thus now let us have a look at those that can be construed as New Year greetings and not wishes or blessings.

• • Gōnghè xīnnián is the most popular and most simple greeting meaning a happy New Year to you!

 

• • Shēngyì xīnglóng would broadly mean may your business flourish in the New Year!

 

• • Wànshì rúyì or may everything goes well!

 

• • Xīn xiǎng shì chéng is a lovely wish meaning, may all your wishes come true!

• • Zhāo cái jìn bǎo is a greeting for prosperous year ahead, meaning may treasure fill the house!

 

• • Gěi nǐ tèbié de zhùfú, yuàn xīnnián dài gěi nǐ wúbiān de xìngfú, rúyì. Is a a cheerful greeting meaning may the cheery New Year hold lot of greetings for you!

 

• • Gōnghèxīnxǐ, wànshìrúyì is almost a seasonal greeting and translates as best wishes for the holidays and May happiness prevail throughout the year!

 

• • Yuàn nǐ suǒyǒu de xīnnián xiǎng dōu chéng zhēn means hope that may all your dreams for the New Year come true!

 

• • Zhù cáiyùn hēngtōng is a greeting for wishing for good health and longevity!

 

• • Yuàn xīnchūn měijǐng yǔ huānlè cháng bànsuí nǐ is a lovely greeting translating as may the joy and beauty encountered at the New Year be felt throughout the year!

 

• • Yuàn xīnnián de zhúguāng dài gěi nǐ xiánghé yǔ xǐyuè, zhù nǐ xīnnián chōngmǎn ài. Is again a beautiful greeting meaning may the beautiful glow of the candles in New Year fill your heart with pleasure and peace, and make the year bright and may love fill the New Year!

 

• • Xīn nián kuài lè would simply mean Happy New Year!

 

• • Suì suì píng’ān translates as May peace prevail all around!

 

• • Mǎdàochénggōng means wishing you every possible success!

 

• • Zhùhè jiājié succinctly sums up the mood meaning best compliments of the season!

 

• • Yuàn xīnnián wèi nǐ dàilái kuàilè, yǒu’ài hé níngjìng would translate as may the coming New Year bring you love, joy and peace!

 

• • Yuàn nǚ’ér de xīnnián zhùfú dài gěi nǐ kuàilè is a greeting especially from the daughters for the beloved parents, meaning a New Year greeting which will cheer you from your daughters!

 

• • Gōnghèxīnxǐ, zhù shēntǐ jiànkāng, shìyè fādá translates as please let me allow to greet and congratulate you on the onset of the New Year and allow me to extend best wishes for prosperity and your good health!

 

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• Origin of the Dragon Dance

 

Chinese New Year Dragon Dance is as iconic an image related to China, as is the Great Wall of China.  It is a traditional dance form mostly performed and associated with celebrations.

The history behind these exotic Dragon Dances can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD), where we find mention of these Dragon Dances.  These dances were then mainly associated with the rain, or the appeal for rain to the Rain Gods; as Dragons in Chinese culture have long been associated with rain. Just to cite an example- the dragon Yinglong, was looked up to as a rain deity.

 

Gradually however, various forms of Dragon Dances developed all across China, for example  a kind of snake totem worship developed in to a form of dragon dance in the Tongliang county ; which originated during the Ming dynasty and became popular during the time of Qing dynasty. Various other forms of Dragon dance are also noted in the Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, and in Pujiang County.

 

The format from evoking the Greater Gods to entertainment changed during Tang Dynasty (618–907) and the regime of the Song Dynasty (960–1279).  Now, the Dragon Dance has become one of the most sought after ceremonial dance performed in festivals like the Chinese New Year etc.

 

• The Dragon Structure and Costume

 

The Dragon Costume used for a Dragon dance is made by bamboo, grass, clothes etc.; however in recent time lighter options such as aluminum, plastics etc. have replaced the heavy wooden materials.

The Dragon body is serpentine and made up of a number of sections on poles with a dragon head and a dragon tail coming up in the rear.  The dragon is made up by joining series of hoops on each section and then attaching the ornate head and the rear end.  The odd numbers of joints is considered as auspicious in the Chinese belief, and thus, 9 jointed dragon or 11 jointed dragon and so on and so forth are preferred over even numbers as far as joints are concerned. There have been examples of 29 jointed dragons too. However, these are too heavy and difficult to carry around for a performance, so their value is more for decorative purposes. These decorative dragons are high on craftsmanship and require extremely skilled craftsmen.

 

Normally the length and size recommended for the body size of the dragon is 112 feet (34 meters) and is generally divided into 9 major sections. However as mentioned earlier these lengths keep on increasing to create not only records, but also to invite more and more luck. The Dragon body is woven in circular manner with thin bamboo sheets, painstakingly segment after segment and then covered with a huge red cloth with dragon scale like things decorating it. Different colors signify different aspects, for example green as the main color signifies great harvest, yellow symbolizes solemn empire, and golden or silver color symbolizes prosperity; whereas the color of red signifies excitement. The scales are mostly made of glittering silver color bringing in a joyous and festive cheer.

 

• Performing the Dragon Dance

 

The Dragon’s body is kept in what is called a local Dragon Kind Temple from where the dragon is brought out on the particular day accompanied by pounding of drums, banners and flags and trumpet blowing. People then amidst this great fanfare connect the head and the tail of the dragon to the body. This ceremony is called the eye-pointing. This dance is conducted by an extremely skillful group of dancer, who bring a long motionless body to thriving life. The person leading the dance holds a rod with a ball on top of it. This ball moves in various directions which is followed by the trailing dragon; which appears to be dancing.  The dragon moves in a wave formation which is attained by various coordinated swinging of each section. These extremely nifty dance movements are choreographed according to the skill set of the performers. There are quite a number of interesting dance patterns that can be named, which are – “Cloud Cave”, Tai Chi Pattern, Whirlpool, Looking for Pearl,  Threading The Money or Dragon encircling the pillar to name a few.  The dragon dance ideally involves the artistic flavor of a dancer and the adroitness of a professional athlete. Though the basic steps are fairly simple to adapt to, rigorous dedication and discipline is required to achieve the stature of a competent dancer.

 

• Various Styles of Dragon Dance

 

There are various dragon dance forms known to be present. One such is the Southern Dragon Dance. The Southern Dragon Dance gets its name from the south of the Yangtze River. The world record for this type of Dragon was set in 2012 in Hong Kong, with a 5605 Meter long dragon!  These dragons are generally made of bamboo and clothes with scales drawn on it and forms “s” type of shape in its dance movements. Another form of Dragon dance is the Northern Dragon dance, which as the name suggests originated from the north of the Yangtze River.  These dragons are smaller in size to the southern ones and are also made of plant fibers or papers which make them lighter. The body movement is that of rolling the movement from left to right and is currently more popular across the world, particularly Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. There are double dragon dances too, which are seen rarely because of its intricate footwork and required skill set of the performers. This dance form involves two troupes of dancers intertwining the dragons.

• Competitions held

 

Globally a number of competitions are organized based on the dragon dance theme.  These competitions are guided by strict rules and regulations specifying the length and the weight. For example the head cannot weigh more than 3 kilograms so as to give the agility of movement to the performers. Then the body pieces are also to be made with light aluminum with cane and the hoops with PVC pipes to make these long serpentine structures easy to maneuver.

 

• Where to see the Dragon Dance

Dragon dance can be seen at the Spring Festivals or the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. The Hong Kong Chinese New Year Parade promises a spectacular view of the Dragon Dance.

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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
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