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. 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 Chinese New Year's Day is called Guo Nian (过年) in Chinese, which can mean 'celebrate (a new) year' or 'overcome Nian'. The character 年 (Nián) could mean a 'year' or 'the monster Nian'. In ancient times, there was a monster named Nian (年, or Nianshou 年兽) with a long head and sharp horns. It dwelled deep in the sea all year round and 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. Nian loved to visit a little village in China each year, and scare everybody he saw. He thought that was great fun. He liked to do this just as the new year began, to remind people that Nian was still around. Each year, after scaring all the people, could hardly wait for the new year to roll around, so that he could scare them again. Modern Celebrations: Nian's Legacy in Chinese New Year. In today's Chinese New Year festivities, Nian's influence continues to make an impact, symbolizing not only the victory of good over evil, but also heralding the arrival of a new and optimistic year. This monstrous creature from Chinese lore, known for wreaking havoc every New Year's Eve 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. This is The terrified people called the beast Nian (年, nian actually is the Chinese word for 'year'). But by and by the villagers discovered that the monster was frightened by loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. To prevent the Nian to play havoc with the land, the villagers made a fearful model of the animal out of bamboo, paper, and 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.” 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 is often portrayed in Chinese literature as a ferocious monster that terrorizes villages and towns during the Lunar New Year. The legend of Nian has been passed down through generations and has been retold in many forms, including novels, short stories, and children’s books. 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 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. 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 Nian Year. This amazing Nian monster story spread like wildfire across China, and people started to practice this ritual, and it became one of the most important festivals of the Chinese people. Nian, by the way, means ‘year’ in Chinese Mandarin, hence the Lunar New Year or commonly known as Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year Rituals The legendary Nian monster has returned at Chinese New Year. With horns, scales, and wide, wicked jaws, Nian is intent on devouring Shanghai, starting with Xingling! The old tricks to keep him away don’t work on Nian anymore, but Xingling is clever. Nian Chinese New Year: Celebrating and Warding off the Legendary Beast. The Nian Chinese New Year is a vibrant celebration intertwined with ancient myths and traditions. As part of the festivities, people engage in various practices to protect themselves from the fearsome Nian monster. Nian, the Chinese monster . Tell your children this traditional story associated with Chinese New Year celebrations. Long, long ago, there was a terrifying monster called Nian living on his own inside a lonely mountain. At the end of every year, he would come . down from the mountain to the nearby villages to hunt for food. The story of the Monster nian is a legend and it tells of a beast called Nian, extremely fierce, with a long head and sharp horn. Every Chinese New Year eve he would go to the village and would eat livestock and harm humans. Every Chinese New Year's Eve, all the villagers would take their old and young deep into the mountains to hide from Nian.
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