5. 年花 (New Year Flowers) Symbolism: New Year flowers such as 桃花 (peach blossoms), 富贵竹 (lucky bamboo), and 桔子树 (tangerine trees) represent growth, prosperity, and good luck. Each flower carries its own specific auspicious meaning. Application: These flowers are used to decorate homes and offices during Chinese New Year. For Chinese New Year symbols are imbued with profound meanings, derived from centuries-old traditions and cultural practices. The color red, predominant in decorations and attire, symbolizes joy, prosperity, and protection against evil spirits, invoking yang energy. During Chinese New Year, various charms and decorations are used to attract good fortune. These range from paper cutouts to couplets and paintings, all featuring wealth, happiness, and longevity themes. Paper cutouts: Artistry and auspiciousness. Chinese New Year paper cutouts. Paper cutouts, usually in red, are a popular form of decoration. The Chinese fu character, meaning good fortune and blessings, is one of the most commonly found Chinese New Year symbols. It is written on a red, diamond shaped piece of paper, which is often hung upside down on the outside of the front door. The Significance of Colors in Chinese New Year Symbols. Colors play a crucial role in Chinese New Year symbolism, with each hue carrying its own meaning and significance. Red: The Color of Good Fortune. Red is the most prominent color during Chinese New Year celebrations. It symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity. You can also see the character as part of the name of Fujian province (福 健). It became a tradition for the Qing Emperors to give a personally painted ‘Fu’ character as a gift to visiting embassies and delegations. Fu character Good fortune descends from above. Fu is widely seen on Chinese New Year posters. In many cases the poster is Fu Character. Perhaps the most common Chinese New Year symbol is the fu character. In the days of the Lunar New Year, the character that symbolizes happiness and blessing is placed outside of the front doors although sometimes it also appears as interior home decoration. Traditionally the sign would be written on a red diamond-shaped background Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a major festival celebrated at the beginning of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Thought to have originated in ancient China around 3,500 years ago, it is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, marking the end of winter and the beginning of the new year. One of the most popular characters used in Chinese New Year, fu means blessing, good luck, and good fortune. The tradition of displaying the symbol on walls and doors originated from the customs of the Song dynasty, which stretched from 960 to 1127 CE. Celebrating the Chinese New Year. In Chinese-speaking countries, the Spring Festival (春节 chūn jié) is a general term used to refer to the festival season.This term is likely to replace the English phrase ‘Chinese New Year’ soon, given UNESCO’s recent decision to include chūn jié in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Pasting the character upside-down on a door or doorpost thus translates into a wish for prosperity to descend upon a dwelling. Another story states that posting the character upside-down originates with the family of a 19th-century prince of the Qing dynasty. [citation needed] The story states that on one Chinese New Year's Eve, or 除夕 What does Fu character in Chinese mean? The Chinese character Fu (福) means happiness, blessing, and good fortune. People across China have the tradition to paste this character on their doors or windows during the Spring Festival to greet the Chinese Lunar New Year (which falls on February 5 this year). The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. January 29th, 2025 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Snake. What’s Your Zodiac Sign? Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for The Meaning of the Chinese New Year Red Envelopes. Chinese New Year red envelopes are a traditional gift for children or elderly people during Chinese New Year. In China, the red envelope (money) is called ya sui qian (压岁钱 /yaa sway chyen/), which means 'suppressing Sui [the demon]money'. Preparing for the Lunar New Year. The phrase Guo Nian, meaning “celebrating the new year” in Chinese, evokes warm feelings of family reunions. In China, the Lunar New Year is marked by Chun Yun, the world’s largest human migration, as millions travel to reunite with their families weeks in advance. What does the fu mean in Chinese New Year? The "Fu" character carries profound cultural connotations and symbolic significance during the New Year. It is one of the most common auspicious symbols in Chinese New Year culture. Here are the specific meanings and symbolism of the "Fu" character in the New Year: Meanings. Happiness and Fulfillment: 3 Most Popular Chinese New Year Greeting Phrases. Usually, you only have to greet people like this the first time you see them in the new Chinese calendar year, and after that, you can return to normal Chinese greetings (e.g. Nihǎo). Chinese New Year is a bright, colorful holiday, with all manner of decorations. Chinese New Year Decorations, their Meaning and Origins. The character 桔 This article will introduce the 4 most common ways to say Happy New Year in Chinese, including how to say Happsy New Year in Cantonese and Mandarin. In addition, each Happy New Year comes with Chinese pronunciation, pronunciation audio, and English explanation, ensuring that even beginners can easily say Happy New Year.
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