How to celebrate Chinese New Year 2017? The Chinese traditions of celebrating.

The history of the Chinese New Year's celebrations.

According to the legend all it started with fact that the terrible monster named Chun began to get out of his home in New Year's Day in the depths of sea and eat animals, grain, supplies and even children. To protect your family on the verge of house, people abandoned a food. It was believed that if you put more food, the animal will not touch. So it was for many years until Chun met a boy in a red dress. All the villagers were frightened, but miracle was happened, the animal frightened. People have understand: the monster is afraid of red, and since then became the head that the house has been decorating by lanterns and scrolls of the same color. Later, to scare Chun they began to use fireworks.

There is another legend which says that Chun (once it was called Nian) was defeated by the old man. According to a story in the New Year to the Chinese countryside came the old man, but on it no one paid attention because all people has been in fuss. Only one old woman answered to the old man and he promised to her that if he can sleep here one night, monster will leave them evermore! On the same day he hung red lanterns and scrolls, and set a firecrackers at the entrance. When the beast came to the village, it was all quite different, and as soon as he saw the house of old woman, it immediately escaped from the village and no longer appear. Chun afraid of red and loud noise, and the old man knew about it when decorated the house of the old woman.

Dates of celebration in 2017.

In the new 2017, Chinese New Year will come on 28 January and will continue until 15 of February 2018. During this period will be adopted by Fire Red Rooster - one of the most ambiguous eastern animal of zodiac. Although Eastern New Year is a traditional holiday of the China's population, but it's celebrate more and more countries and people every year. The everyone knows that year of the animal comes, but traditions and customs of the Chinese New Year's celebration are for many people is big mystery.

The New Year's date of celebrating on the eastern calendar is not constant, and every year it celebrated in a different ways. The exact time of the Chinese New Year depends from the lunar cycle - it's met at the first new moon of the first month of the year. Traditionally in China at this time for two weeks business life stops - celebrated a holiday 15 day, each of which has its own traditions and customs.

Chinese New Year celebration in 2017 will start on January 28 and will last until February 11, but the holiday weekend in China is only 7 days, that's, they will rest from January 27 to February 2, 2017.

Preparation for Chinese New Year.

The first that start to do a residents of China - is a cleaning of their homes, and throw all the trash and unnecessary items that have accumulated over the year.

Special attention they given to the decoration of their homes - considered that traditional is red color and its shades. Red decorated use not only for the house, but also bought a special red clothes. According to the legend this color repels from the house all miseries and sorrows.

At the entrance to the house they put pair of inscriptions also on the walls of apartments for decorated use a special paintings from patterns paper. Christmas tree is replaced by trays with oranges and mandarines and they need to be place in a special way - always in a circle and each of the fruit should be exactly 8 pieces, no less and no more. According to Chinese superstition it's number means a longevity. But increasingly possible to meet and those who instead of citrus decorate a small artificial trees that adorn the dried fruit or fresh fruit in sugar.

On the last night before the holiday the whole family usually gather around the table together, prepare various delicious dishes and discuss about outgoing year - what they have achieved what they have learned and what remains to be done.

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What it's accepted to present at the Chinese New Year?

-cards with wishes and kind words; -red envelopes with money; -various souvenirs; -amulets and charms; -sweets; -images of the symbol of the coming year.

How to present gifts on the Chinese New Year?

Any gift must be a pair, if, for example, they are present a picture, it should be two things on image. Boss necessarily should be have to get two mandarins. Also, a color of present plays an important role - the main rule - a gift or gift paper don't should be white or blue color. In this country, these colors represent the death and funeral.

Symbol of death is the number 4, that's why it don't should be anywhere - no on the present or the amount of money and bills must be either more or less. A gift given only in private atmosphere and by both hands. It is necessary to give out the presents not chaotic, but from older to younger. It is indecent to open a gift at all, it should be done in private atmosphere, so as not to offend a careless word or glance a giver.

Chinese New Year's tradition of celebration.

1 day.

The first day of the Chinese New Year begins with festive dinner, loud fireworks and noisy celebrations. The whole family always burned a bamboo sticks, moreover, it is believed that holiday will be louder, more happier and joyful in this year. After all, people under the heavens think that noise, laughter and joy distilled off from house all negativity, unhappiness and grief. On the festive table is necessarily to prepare a lot of food, especially meat - it's pork and jerky, and Chinese sausage and fish. Also, they go to the cemetery to visit their relatives in order to honor their memory on this day.

day 2.

The second day of the Chinese New Year begins with a prayer - people supplicate for their family health and happiness: the elderly - longevity, business people - prosperity and wealth. After that everyone must visit their parents and grandparents. Children get gifts, but it's not so us we used to seeing it, in China decided to present red envelopes with money. For the poor on the second day of the holiday - it is a great good luck, because they can come to visit and ask for alms. Usually the Chinese are trying to help than they can.

3-4 days.

This period can be called a celebration of friends, because all Chinese people during these two days trying to visit all of their friends and relatives, celebrate them. They believe that this day is necessary to spend with loved ones, so that in the coming year to be together. From this period, all large corporations start their job and everything is gradually returning to its own course.

5-6 days.

These days are dedicated to wealth and business, that's why the rest of companies are beginning to work, but to work not simple so, there necessarily start to wotk with the fireworks! And each morning begins with a special Chinese dish called Jiaozuo in appearance more like ravioli.

day 7.

As the second day of the holiday, accepted to start with a prayer and worship of God. It is believed that the man was created on this day. The Chinese people are preparing a special salad from raw fish called «Yu sheng» for increases incomes and for prosperity of business.

8-10 days.

All Chinese have already come back to work and in the evenings they organize a small family holiday dinners, always with a prayer, and after they go to temple to light a special candle smoking. For dinner every housewife prepares Yuanxiao, which are more like a small balls.

day 11.

On this day in China - every father, necessarily organize a noisy and rich holiday for his daughter's husband. Every father tries to make the best holiday for him.

12-14 days.

Basically, these days no holidays, because everyone is busy, preparing for the main holiday during this period - the Lantern Festival. All Chinese buy a decorations, lanterns, tents for lights and so on. All three days the Chinese eat only wholesome food and don't eat meat, to cleanse your body from toxins. Also, in these saturated days they are trying to carve out a moment to pray for the prosperity, the welfare and wealth.

15 - day.

In the city usually all day organize a concerts, theater performances; people walking with lighted lanterns along the area with their families and around the rattling fireworks, crackers and petards. On the table usually stay the "Jiaozuo" and sticky sweet rice, these dishes can also be bought on the square.

Also be an interesting and romantic tradition in this holiday in Singapore and Malaysia. For this a single ladies attach your phone number in mandarin and send the fruit by the river.

Single men in their turn caught the mandarins, eat it, and after that call to get acquainted with the lady.