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Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the oldest traditional festival in China, but a few people concern the origin and story behind the holiday. Many existing customs and activities of the festival actually can be traced back to a popular story of the Monster Nian, which helps to explain why and how the festival is celebrated. During the Chinese New Year period, the married or the elderly give red envelopes to children or unmarried juniors. A red envelope is also called yasui qian ("suppressing Sui money"). According to legend, on New Year's Eve, besides the monster Nian, there was a demon named Sui that came out to terrify children while they were asleep. The stories date back thousands of years. Read on to learn of a few popular and interesting Chinese New Year myths. The Monster and New Year’s Eve. In ancient times, there was a monster named Nián (年). It usually lived at the bottom of the sea and would come up once a year to feast on animals and humans. The Chinese New Year holiday also known as Spring Festival starts on the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival which occurs on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar New Year (which is a full moon). The old Chinese word “Nian” translates to “ripe grains.” The Nian (年) is a mythical creature in Chinese folklore, best known for its association with the origins of Chinese New Year traditions. According to legend, the Nian is a fierce beast that terrorized villages at the end of each lunar year, prompting the development of rituals and celebrations to ward it off. The Nian is a legendary creature rooted deeply in Chinese mythology, often depicted as a fearsome beast that emerges at the dawn of the Lunar New Year. This mythical entity has become a symbol of fear and tradition, playing a pivotal role in the festivities leading to the New Year celebrations. Understanding the Nian is essential to grasping Chinese New Year: More than Just a Celebration. Chinese New Year is a vivid and dynamic celebration, enriched by the presence of the Nian. Its legend serves as a reminder of the resilience and unity of the community. So, as we welcome the Chinese New Year, remember the Nian, and the customs formed to keep this fearsome beast at bay. The Nian is steeped in historical myths and stories that date back thousands of years. According to legend, the beast is said to have a lion-like appearance, with sharp teeth and a fearsome roar. It would descend upon villages every New Year’s Eve, devouring livestock and terrorizing residents. Chinese New Year Legend Long ago in China there was a man-eating monster called Nian who for most of the time slept at the bottom of the ocean. However at the end of winter, on the last day of the lunar year, the hungry Nian would terrify everyone when he woke up to come on land to eat whatever he could find. Nian According to a Chinese legend a terrible monster (pictured sometimes with features of a lion, unicorn, and ox), a really giant, monstrous creature by the name of ‘Nian’ lived in the mountains and would come down at the end of the year to destroy the fields, crops and animals and to terrorize people or even kill them all. The terrified Do you know Why Chinese New Year is Celebrated?Long long ago, there was a ferocious monster named "Nian" with sharp teeth and a horn. It lived deep down in t The Chinese character nian more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the nian as a creature date to the early 20th century. As a result, it is unclear whether the nian creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology, or a part of a local oral tradition that was recorded in the early 20th Furthermore, the traditions born from this myth serve as a reminder of hope and the promise of new beginnings as families gather to celebrate the Lunar New Year. VII. Nian in Contemporary Celebrations. Today, the story of Nian continues to resonate in Chinese New Year festivities around the world. From then on, on the last day of the year, people put up red couplets, hung up red lanterns, set off firecrackers, kept the lights on and stayed up late to keep safe from Nian. As time passed, this custom spread to almost every corner of China and thus developed into one of the most important festivals of Chinese people, the Lunar New Year`s Eve. The “Nian” lived deep in the sea for throughout the year, but every time in a special day (now said New Year’s Eve), it would climb ashore, swallows livestock, and harms people. Therefore, on the day of New Year’s Eve, the people in every village fled to the mountains to escape from the “Nian” beast. Cultural Significance: Nian’s Influence on Chinese New Year Traditions. Uncover how the legend of Nian has shaped numerous traditions associated with Chinese New Year. From the use of red decorations to the significance of fireworks and firecrackers, explore the rituals practiced to ward off the Nian monster. Join us on today's adventure! Today we will be hearing a story surrounding one of the many legends of the Lunar New Year. This holiday is celebrated in multi New Year customs like setting off firecrackers and writing couplets on red paper were allegedly inspired by the legend of nian (VCG) Another version of the legend states that the monster was actually known as 夕 (xī), and nian was a minor god dispatched by the Kitchen God to deal with xi by using firecrackers and bands of red silk. Top 3 Chinese New Year Stories: Legends of Nian, Taofu, Door Gods Written by Matteo Updated Dec. 12, 2024 Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the most ceremonious traditional festival in China, as well as an indispensable part of Chinese culture. Chinese New Year Legends. Chinese New Year legends are plenty, and one of the best known is the story of Nian. It is the legend of why the new year is celebrated and why the Chinese celebrate it with a lot of noise. It is also the story of why the red color is important for this festive season.
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