More on Chinese New Year 15-Day Celebration Invitations Superstitions Dragon Dance Greetings in Chinese Jokes Phrases Plants Red Envelope Reunion Dinner Wishes Messages Quotes Blessings Songs Wallpapers Cards Celebration Eve Events For Kids Facts History Holidays Tradition Parade Lanterns Activities Activities For Kids Animals Books Fire Crackers Calendar Costumes Cake Crafts Customs Decoration Desserts Games Flowers Food Party Picture Quiz Recipes Rituals Signs Symbols Treats When Is Boston Brisbane Hawaii Liverpool London Los Angeles Malaysia Manchester Melbourne Newcastle New York Sydney Hong Kong Vancouver Taiwan
Chinese New Year In Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of the best places to be at to witness the colorful celebrations and events that galore during the Chinese New Year. The Lunar festival is favorite time for city dwellers and those visiting the country. The richness of traditions and wide variety of customs associated with the marking of the Lunar New Year makes it one of the significant highlights of the annual events calendar of the city. It being one of the most adored festivals of Hong Kong is proven by the fact that traditions, events and festivities stretch for more than two weeks. Preparations for celebrating the Chinese New Year with festive flamboyance start many days in advance before the actual day of the festival. Events kick off on the first day of the New Year and continue till the Spring Lantern Festival. Hong Kong will burst in vibrant colors and one can witness only lights, sound, music, performances, traditions, customs and parades among other dazzling things planned for ushering in a brand new year. Cultural extravaganza for ringing in the Year of the Rooster 2019 would commence on Feb 05, 2019 marking the Spring Festival. Capture the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade which is touted to be on of the favorite features of Hong Kong’s annual celebrations! The galloping year of the rooster would be ushered with the theme of New Year Party@World City. The parade comprising of 13 beautifully decorated and brightly lit floats are planned to be illuminated against the spectacular backdrop of Victoria Harbor. The streets will fill up with musical notes and stunning dance performances are kept to entertain the crowd. Local as well as international performing groups with their fine costumes would set the streets ablaze with their performance. Cheerleading groups will be flown down from Australia and the US for welcoming the Year of the Rooster. Stilt walkers from France, a Taekwondo team from Korea, fire performance group from Singapore, a dance troupe from Japan, a bicycle band from the Netherlands; a fabulous giant queen character from the Caribbean islands and a marching band from Spain are arranged to amuse the crowd at the festival. The traditional dragon and lion dancers will only add to the beauty of other performances lined up for welcoming the Year of the rooster. Percussion bands, acrobats, hip-hop and jazz dancers, ballerinas, and Hong Kong’s own world champion clown will perform during the festival. Bike parade, games and an African drum group will enliven the evening. Locals observe the tradition of visiting the temple to pray for good luck throughout the year and also exchange gifts. Chinese New year in Hong Kong is also a time for savoring some of the traditional auspicious foods and adorning homes with bright lanterns and beautiful home pieces. Be at Hong Kong to relish the flavor of diverse traditions and customs. 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 Holidays Holidays excites us all as it is a day we get off from work, school and get time to spend with our near and dear ones. Things that cannot be pursued during the hectic working or school-going days can be pursued during holidays and hence they turn out to be the most awaited days in a year. The fist thing that one often tends to do on a calendar at the outset of a New Year is to mark out important days of festivals, events and of political, religious or social significance that are declared as national holidays in an country. It is no different for people following the Chinese Lunar calendar. People in China and several Asian countries that follow the Chinese calendar tend to quickly scan the dates on which they can enjoy an off from work and get a leave from their schools. Here are the types of holidays that people get to enjoy in an annual Chinese calendar year, some quick facts about the Chinese New Year Holidays, observances that occur on these days and so on. Holidays for the Chinese New Year is the most significant of all those accorded to the people following the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Celebrations for the Spring Festival, which is another name for the Chinese New Year, starts on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It ends on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the following year in the Chinese calendar. The festivities last for about 23 days and it’s a time for celebrations, following customs, rituals and traditions for most people. Common Things That People Do During Chinese New Year Holidays Most people start cleaning their homes to usher the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival. Decorations start in almost all homes as dusting homes and adorning them with beautiful things is supposed to swipe off the evil forces and bring good fortune. People also make several red lanterns and posters from paper cutouts and scrolls and fill them up with poetic verses to hang them on to their doors to scare off the evil. Walls of the houses are adorned with fresh Chinese New Year pictures. Holidays during this festival also gives people the chance to reunite with their family and friends and share a good time. It is often a custom among people to visit their relatives during the Chinese New Year holidays. Public life during Holidays Chinese New Year is a national holiday in China and most Asian countries following the Chinese Lunar calendar. It is non-working day at government offices, many businesses and companies. Schools and several universities remain closed during the period starting from the eve of the Chinese New Year to the seventh day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. However, hospitals, emergency services, some enterprises and many banks stay open by arranging for workers on shift duty. It is not difficult to avail public transport during the holidays granted for celebrations of the Spring Festival. People can avail public transport during the holidays. During the eve of Chinese New Year, fireworks are set off in the sky and crackers are burnt as a tradition to ward off the evil with sound and light. It is also believed to bring good luck. Visitors often gift the young ones “luck” money in red envelope. The New Year holidays are also a time to look good and vibrant by putting on new clothes on the day of the festival. Greetings are exchanged on this day. As part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, drums are beaten and dragon as well as lion dances, musical events, performances are held everywhere to mark the beginning of a fresh year. 2019 Chinese New Year Holidays People working in government units, enterprises and many companies can enjoy a good spell of holidays starting from the eve of the Spring Festival that would fall on the first three days of the lunar month in 2019 till the seventh day of the same month in the Chinese calendar. Other holidays during the Chinese New Year 2019 are Women’s day, Qingming Festival, May Day, Youth Day, Children’s Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese Communist Party Anniversary Day, Army Day of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Mid-Autumn Day. Know how of the Chinese New Year holidays can help you plan vacations and activities that you can pursue in off time well in advance. 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 History Most of the people following the Chinese calendar celebrate the Chinese New Year with much pomp and glory but they often lack the knowledge of the facts that led to its origin. It is imperative to know the history when celebrating a festival, otherwise much of its relevance remains un-comprehended. Although many people out there claim to possess a fair idea about the roots to which the beginning of the festival can be traced but they too have their own doubts about the authenticity of the story that they seem to have been fed with since childhood. With some bit of research, Chinese New Year history and tales related to it can be learn about in good details. There are quite a few tales that goes around claiming to be the true reason for the start of the Chinese New Year. However, not all the stories associated with the beginning of the celebrations for Chinese New Year are found to be true, with a few having no valid logic to back its origin. The one most common premise in all stories is that the festival originated out of fear. It is considered to be a celebration arising out of the defeat over the evil. Some of the legendary tales date back to several centuries ago and they vary in their versions depending from teller to teller. However, all of them seem to revolve around a mythical monster that was believed to kill innocent villagers. Popular belief behind the Chinese New Year According to a highly popular version, the mythical monster upon which the story of the origin of Chinese New Year is based was named as Nian. It is also a word, which in Chinese language implies “year”. Villagers feared the lion-like monster because it preyed on them for satiating its hunger. A wise man in that village counseled the villagers to get rid of the evil monster – Nian by making loud noises and hanging crafts with use of red paper cutouts and scrolls on the entrance of their house. For some reason, the monster was believed to fear the color red and hence the advice given by the wise man was to make door-hanging items with red-colored paper. Villagers followed the advice of the old, wise man and were successful in warding off the evil monster. According to a few stories, Nian was conquered, while some state that villagers scared him off with red color and he returned to the forest, thereby never attacking them again. The date on which the Chinese people recognize the “passing of the Nian” is known as guo nian in Chinese. In English translation, the word is synonymous with celebrating the Chinese New Year. Date of Its origin and legends The date when the celebrations of the Chinese New Year first began is unclear. Mostly, the festival is believed to have its beginning from the religious ceremony that took place during the end of the year in Shang Dynasty (1766 BC – 1122 BC). According to a few historical accounts, the celebration of the New Year is believed to have started from as early as Emperor Yao and Shun (2300 BC). “Nian” was synonymopus to the word “year” and the beginning of the year was called “suishou” in the Zhou Dynasty. Often the date of the origin of the celebrations is said to be somewhere between mid winter to early spring. However, Emperor Wu (157 BC – 87 BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220) declared the first day of the first month as the beginning of the Chinese New Year. Historical accounts still state about the start of celebrations of the New Year from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220). He was said to supervise the formulation of the solar lunar calendar, which is similar to the Hebrew Caledar. The famous tradition during that time was to crack bamboo as the crackling sound was believed to drive away evil. In the Wei Dynasty (220 – 265) and Jin Dynasty (265 – 420), there was a tradition of lighting up the sky with fireworks as part of the celebrations to usher a brand new year. Shou Sui was also formed during that time. Fireworks lighted with the use of gunpowder were introduced during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279): Chinese New Year History Date of Chinese New Year Varies As the Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, the date on which it is celebrated changes each year. It is unlike the Western Gregorian calendar where the first day of January is celebrated as the New Year because it is follows the solar calendar, which is based on the earth’s orbit around the sun. However, the lunar calendar is based on moon’s orbit around the earth and hence China and most Asian countries follow the lunar calendar. According to this calendar, the New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Only in case there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year that the festival day falls on the new moon day after the solstice occurs. Unofficially, the start of the Chinese New Year period is said to fall on the 23rd day or 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar. The day known popularly as the Spring Festival is said to come to an end with the arrival of the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the First month of the New Year (a full moon day). The Chinese New Years Day and Winter Solstice are been celebrated as the most important traditional holidays since the Han Dynasty. In history, the whole purpose of keeping track of these two major events was largely to aid agriculture. The arrival of significant days like these gave people an indication as to when to till the soil and sow the seeds. It is often said that the first Chinese calendar was formulated in order to facilitate agricultural production. The festival, irrespective of its historical tales, legendary accounts and records, continues to be celebrated with gusto and a lot of zeal. 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 Hawaii It is a brilliant idea to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Hawaii as Chinatown annual’s celebrations are always great fun and worth experiencing. The city’s exciting and historic Chinatown district hosts varied activities and events that exhibit the rich cultural diversity of the Hawaiian culture. Downtown Hawaii-where significant Chinese people can be found- becomes the popular gathering place during this festive time. Festivities in Chinatown for the annual Chinese New year festival spanned about a few weeks. Hence, it is not the locals but visitors too can revel in the celebrations and get a glimpse of the Chinese culture. Chinese New Year 2019 too promises to offer splendid fun for revelers. Wide variety of events is planned and grand preparations have been made to usher in the Year of the Rooster. One of the major events for the festival is the Chinese New Year Narcissus Princess. It is touted to be as the oldest ethnic pageant of its kind in the US. It is open to public but there are nominal charges that one has to incur being a part of the event. Candidates participating in the pageant have to take contests and take the interview with the judges. It is an amazing sight to see beautiful girls walking down the ramp in dazzling evening gowns to showcase their beauty and elegance. Rounds of interview take place with the judges to determine the winner of the pageant. Another major venue to be at for enjoying the Chinese New Year Festival is the Chinatown Cultural Plaza Center. It is usually held on two weekends – Friday and Saturday. The lip-smacking street food stalls, colorful crafts shops and dazzling decorations and lights decking up Chinatown district add more beauty to the already exquisite area. Festivities span from morning till the evening and provide ample entertainment for all. Children can also have a great time wandering around the colorful alleys and capturing the sight of the parade as it goes round the street. Lion Dance is another significant highlight to capture during Hawaii’s annual Chinese New Year celebrations. People from far off come to capture the enthralling performance of lion dance troupe. Sometimes local as well as international artists also take part in the dance show. The lion dance kick starts in the locality around corner of North King Street and Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu. The Narcissus Queen is taken through various Chinatown businesses to offer entertainment to the visitors. The fun starts towards evening and lasts till late at night. Watch the parade with floats, magnificent dance troupes, Narcissus contestants, and more entertainment options unfold their magic at the ‘Night in Chinatown Street Festival’ held as part of the Chinese New Year festival. The area surrounding Maunakea and Smith Streets and along Hotel Street between Richards and River Streets comes awash in vibrant colors with parade participants keeping the street crowd amused. The grand spectacle will also be held to ring in the Year of the Rooster 2019 in Hawaii. Capture the colorful and eclectic blend of Southeast Asian cultures as you have a rollicking time indulging in Chinese New year festivities. 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 Games Are you throwing a party to celebrate the Chinese New Year but have little idea about the elements that can make it exciting? If yes then you need to arrange well in advance and come up with brilliant ideas that can keep your guests entertained throughout. One thing to have in order to make your get-together a great success is interesting Chinese New Year games. These are the means of engaging guests and helping them to unwind and open up with all those present there. Games are not only meant for kids but also for adults to keep them amused. Parties without games just turn out to be mostly dull. So here’s a low down on some of the interesting Chinese New Year games for adults and kids that you could keep in your party. Chinese New Year Games For Adults Guess My Resolution – If you have a large gathering at home then you can keep this game as it works well with more participants. Have everyone joining in the game to pick up a chosen number of paper slips. The players have to write down their own personal resolutions in each slip of paper and all of these slips are then put together in a jar or basket. After all the slips are put together, you can ask someone to pull out the slips one at a time and read them out loud. Everyone then needs to guess the name of people who they think made these resolutions in the sheet of paper given to them. The participant with the highest number of correct guesses is announced the winner at the end of the game and may end up winning a prize. Guess Which Guest – It is a game that would test how well your guests know their friends and well-wishers who are also present in your party. You need a piece of paper where you will put down factual statements that happened during the year to your party guests. Questions relating to who got a promotion this year or who gave birth to a baby in which month can be put in the form of fill in the blanks to let you guests fill the sheet with correct guesses. Keep a track on the time as your guests will have to answer most of the questions within a few minutes to win the game. The person with highest number of correct answers will win. Bring back your childhood – This is a game that will help relive the memories of the childhood. You can arrange for games that were a big hit back in your childhood and make your friends play them again to refresh up the memories of the years gone by. It is sure to bring back smiles and nostalgia among guests when they ring in a brand new year. Chinese New Games For Kids Chinese Zodiac Alphabetical Order Race – It is a game that will work well when you have abive 10 or 12 children as participants. An animal sign from the Chinese Zodiac can be assigned to each of the kids. You can put together signs of all animals representing the Chinese zodiac in a basket or hat and ask kids to pick up a slip out of it. Another option is to hand over the cards representing animal signs of Chinese Zodiac. The kids need to race to put the signs in alphabetical order. The one who does in the fastest time possible is declared the winner. Chinese New Year Word Search Puzzle – You need to hand over slips of paper with puzzle boxes containing words related to the Chinese New Year. Hand over each slip of the puzzle paper to kids around you and ask them to search for words that are related to the festival. Besides looking for common words linked to the New Year, ask children to look use extra letters to get a word forming a secret message and that can be any word like Happy Chinese New Year. This test also reflects the knowledge of children regarding the festival and things associated with it. The one who searches the highest number of word in the puzzle in the shortest time possible is declared as the winner. Keeping mind teasers and fun games are a great way of enlivening the Chinese New Year bash. However, remember that even while playing the game, you do not send out any offensive message or hurt someone’s feeling on the day of such a notable festival. The main objective of Chinese New Year games is to make way for greater camaraderie in your circle of friends and make them enjoy the moments fully. 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 For Kids A festival is one of the best times for kids as they get an off from schools and have merriment on the day. Children of countries and cultures celebrating the Chinese New Year also eagerly wait for this festival. It is one of the most notable of all holidays in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It marks the end of a year and the beginning of a fresh one. Holidays in school often starts from the last day of the Chinese calendar to the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese New Year. With so many holidays granted to them, kids are the one who get to enjoy the festival the most. Fun with preparations As the last day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar approaches closer, preparation starts in every household. People start cleaning up their homes and decorating their places. The commencement of the preparations is an indication for young kids that a major festival is around the corner and that they would get to have loads of fun during this period. Most parents also engage their kids in adorning the house during the Chinese New Year festival to keep them distracted from getting into mischief and encouraging them to come up with creative home decoration ideas. Dressing up Chinese New Year being a major festival in the Chinese calendar of events, kids eagerly awaits new dresses and colorful clothing to be brought for them. Most parents prefer to buy bright colored outfits for their kids to look dazzling during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Red is the most dominant color seen in the collection of Chinese kids’ costumes as it is believed to be a color that brings good luck and sweeps off evil forces of the past year. Kids come out in their best clothes on the streets for commemorating the major event. The look of happiness and excitement on the faces of young kids to ring in the New Year become more palpable. Digging into traditional savories Most households celebrating the Chinese New Year prepare traditional dishes to please the Kitchen God. They also offer sacrifice and food such as fruits, desserts to God during the festival to attract the blessings of their deity. The preference of kids in food is also kept in mind when preparing the dishes. Kids are served food after the God is offered with traditional meals. Savories prepared mainly for this festival also rank favorite among most of the kids. Proper attention is given to ensure that the kid’s platter is arranged in a way that it looks tempting as kids get aroused to eat the dishes not only when they taste good but also when they look delicious and smell good. Crafts For kids Most Chinese New Year Parties see craft-making sessions being organized especially for kids to keep them busy on the big festival day. Colorful craft making instruments and equipment are supplied to help kids craft something unique, bright and interesting with execution of their ideas. It works well not only to keep the kids engaged and distracted from clinging to their parents but also ignites their creative thinking to help them craft beautiful pieces. Parents can also provide a helping hand to their kids in making crafts and do tasks that require precision to make the craft piece. Games for Kids Kids have a whale of time during Chinese New Year celebrations as most of the games held are meant only for them. It is a time they eagerly look forward to as they get to be a part of the interesting line up of events and games. Party planners have to come up with new games that can amuse kids and keep them busy for most part of the big festival night. Interesting Sights and Sounds to Capture With parades taken out on the streets as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, kids get to capture some highly dazzling sights and sounds. The festival just doubles the merriment of kids as Dragon dance performances, Kung-Fu demonstrations, musical nights, brightly lit up bazaars, night stage shows and other entertaining and fun activities for kids arranged during this time brings more smiles on the faces of young ones. Fireworks bursting out in the open sky are also a sight that kids do not like to miss out on during the Chinese New Year celebrations. They crowd the street and come out with in the open spaces to witness the spectacle that fills up the streets and the skies as part of the festive celebrations. 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 Food It is New Year time and you would be looking for some special cuisines for the dinner. Here are some scrumptious Chinese New Year food recipes for you to try out during the celebrations time. The symbolic Chinese food in festivals makes the tradition and culture of the people. Chinese New Year recipes are not only famous in China but, is loved worldwide. People from different corners of the globe like to prepare the Chinese new year food items. What you need is few of the ingredients and little bit of interest in cooking to receive applauds from your guests on the Chinese New Years Eve gathering. Recipes for Chinese New Year Steamed mussels Ingredients 500g/1 lb 2oz fresh mussels For the sauce 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh root ginger, finely chopped 1 tsp chili bean sauce 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp dark soy sauce 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped 3 tbsp spring onions, finely shredded 3 tbsp groundnut or peanut oil Fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish Preparations Scrub the mussels clean. Discard any mussels that don’t close when tapped gently. Set up a steamer or put a rack into a wok or deep pan and fill it with 5cm/2in of water. Bring the water to the boil over a high heat. Place the mussels on a plate, then place the plate into the steamer or onto the rack. Turn the heat to low so the water is barely simmering and cover the wok or pan tightly. Steam gently for 5 minutes or until the mussels begin to open. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients, except the oil, in a heatproof bowl. Heat a wok or large frying-pan over high heat. When hot, add the oil. Heat the oil until it’s very hot and slightly smoking, then pour the hot oil over the sauce ingredients. Remove the mussels from the steamer. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened. Stir the sauce then pour over the mussels. Garnish with fresh coriander sprigs and serve at once. Chili crab with egg noodles Ingredients For the chili sauce 250ml/9fl oz water 5 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp sugar 2 tsp corn flour For the crab 4 tbsp groundnut oil 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp grated fresh root ginger 3 red chilies, de-seeded, finely sliced 1 lb1½oz cooked crab (claws removed and cracked, legs removed, remaining shell chopped into quarters) 150ml/5fl oz water 1 tbsp lime juice 2 spring onions, sliced lengthways 1 large handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped For the egg noodles 300g/11oz fine egg noodles or dried yellow shi wheat flour noodles, cooked according to packet instructions Dash sesame oil ½ tsp dried chili flakes 1 tbsp light soy sauce Preparations For the chili sauce, place all of the sauce ingredients together into a bowl and mix well. Set aside. For the crab, heat the oil in a wok until smoking and add the garlic, ginger and chilies and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the crab pieces to the wok and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes, then stir in the chili sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the water and lime juice and stir well. For the noodles, rinse the cooked noodles with sesame oil to prevent sticking. Add the cooked noodles and chili flakes to the hot wok and season with the soy sauce. Toss to mix, then stir in half the spring onions and coriander. To serve, pile the noodles and chili crab onto a serving plate and garnish with the remaining spring onion slices and chopped coriander. Serve immediately. Hope you enjoyed the preparations of Chinese New Year food items and take pleasure of having it with all your near and dear ones. 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 Flowers The Chinese consider the Lunar New Year time very auspicious and celebrate with much zeal and panache. Equivalent to holy rites of passage, the New Year’s too in that respects is a very important aspect of the Chinese culture, and every care is taken to celebrate the occasion with much gusto. Flowers are an integral part of the Chinese New year celebrations, as they are said to bring good luck into the family. Adding colour to any Chinese decoration, here is look at some of the important Chinese New Year Flowers. Chinese New Year Lily: One of the most common flowers in China, also known as Water fairy or Sacred Lily, the Narcissus is a symbol of purity. Its snow-white colour coupled with the leafy green-ness, the fragrance and beautiful appearance, gives a sense of elegance and delicateness. Cinabells: The cluster of bell like flowers that are in beautiful hues of pink, white and rose, have one of the most pleasant appearances and hence are used extensively for New Year decorations. The Chinese believe that the flower ushers in good luck and hence using in in bunches extensively is usually the norm. Plum Blossoms: Plum blossoms are usually considered to be a symbol of determination and trustworthiness by the Chinese and hence are used in multitudes of clusters for decorations during the Chinese New Year. Also considered to be symbolic of the relationship bond, Plum Blossoms hence are quite integral to any New Year decoration. Sunflowers: Signifying luck and goodwill, Sunflowers are generally considered to be the ushers of good luck and prosperity. The bright yellow hues of the Sunflower are enough to add cheer to any corner of the house and hence help in sprucing up any New Year decoration. Peach and Apricot Blossoms: Ranging from pale pink, coral to almost deep red in hue, Peach blossoms are generally coupled with Apricot blossoms which are generally in lighter shades like pink and whites. Since Apricot flowers are quite delicate in nature, the peach flowers in conjunction add more life and colour to the decoration Peonies: Being an inherent part of the Chinese culture since ancient times the Peonies, have medicinal properties too. Generally the flower has to have bloomed fully in order to be utilized on the New Year’s Day decorations and their attractive pink hues are coveted in any decoration. Considered to be the flower by art and culture connoisseurs, the peony has been generally associated with nobility and hence is a symbol of affluence. Azalea: Featuring in the tales of the Chinese folklores, the azaleas are said to have sprung from the cuckoo, and hence are generally blood red in colour. Also known as rhododendron, the bright, flashy hues of the azalea are generally coupled with its other variety which is delicate lavender in colour and together they make up for the most exquisite decorative pieces. Camellia: Usually occurring in the form of shrubs, the common pink variety of the Camellia are generally carefully pruned while in the shrub state and then sold. The other variety which includes flowers that are red or white in colour, generally bloom in the later part of the year hence are rarely utilised for New Year decorations. The flower however has a very special place in the New Year Celebrations, as it is used as an offering in the Temples. Another factor to keep in mind for any Chinese New year decoration is the colour red and gold since they are considered auspicious. Hence with the right flower and colour decorations you can have a spectacular Chinese New Year celebration, which is truly memorable. 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 Facts There are a number of interesting Chinese New Year facts. Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and each of the year is associated with an animal. Given below are some interesting facts on Chinese New Year: According to the legends, Chinese New Year started on month 1 during the reign of Xia Dynasty. However, in 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang shifted it from Month 1 to Month 10. Again in 104 BC, Emperor Wu changed it to month 1. According to the myth, Lord Buddha once invited all the animals for Chinese New Year. However, only 12 animals had come and Buddha blessed them by naming New Years by the names of those animals. These animals are Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, and Dog. Chinese New Year is called Lunar New Year in China. According to the tradition, Chinese people age one year together and the on the 7th day of the first month of New Year, Chinese people become one year older. On the lantern festival, all the members of the family come down to the street with a lantern in their hands. The lantern festival marks the official ending of the festival. A fortune cookie, ‘tsujiura senbei’ is associated with the Chinese New Year celebrations. In Chinese New Year, the married couples present Ang Pow to each other. It is a red envelop that contains even numbered amount of money but the amount should not have a 4 at the end, because 4 is considered equivalent to death. China Central Television broadcast a special presentation of Lunar New Year’s Eve. Bamboo stems were filled with gunpowder and were burnt. The sounds are believed to wipe away all the evil spirits. The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar cycles. An entire cycle of the Chinese calendar is completed after every 60 years. Chinese calendar is the oldest calendars in the world. According to the Chinese New Year traditions, red is the lucky color for Chinese New Year and it is widely used in decorations. Chinese people pay special tribute to Kitchen God. They summarize the behavior of the family members in the previous year and pray for a better year ahead. Chinese people clean their houses before the New Year festivals. It is a must-do for them. According to the believe, by sweeping they can get rid of all the bad omens. Chinese New Year Facts After cleaning the house and the possessions, people decorate their houses with paper arts, since they signify happiness, wealth, and durability. Chinese people open the doors and the windows at midnight to scare all the evil forces from the house. They shoot firecrackers, as they believe that they can sweep away the evil spirits. According to the Chinese New Year facts, each of the food items represent a symbol of luck. Details are given below: Bamboo shoots: wealth Egg Rolls: wealth Oranges: wealth Black moss seaweed: wealth Chicken: happiness and marriage Dried Bean Curd: happiness Eggs: fertility Fish served whole: prosperity Chinese garlic chives: everlasting, a long life Lychee nuts: close family ties Noodles: A long life Peanuts: a long life Pomelo: abundance, prosperity, having children Seeds: having a large number of children Tangerines: luck 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
Biggest New Year Site since 2000 Biggest New Year Site since 2000