KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — On January 29, people of Chinese ancestry all around the world will usher in the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal in the zodiac, as they celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or in countries with four seasons, the Spring Festival. Many southeast Asian countries celebrate the holiday, with each culture having its own customs for the Lunar New Year. In Chinese culture, there are many traditions and superstitions related to Local businesses have turned this dual approach into an advantage. Major banks issue “Chinese New Year red packets” to local customers while offering “Lunar New Year promotions” to international clients. Restaurant chains advertise “Chinese New Year puddings” in Cantonese while promoting “Lunar New Year special menus” in English. How we celebrate Chinese New Year. How does it feel like to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Jiangmen, Chaozhou and Meizhou of Guangdong province, the three cities where you can respectively experience the authentic Cantonese, Teochew and Hakka cultures. Guangdong has been the trade center and the largest source of Chinese immigrants overseas Before the Lunar New Year, everyone is busy with all kinds of chores, like buying New Year’s foods, preparing red packets, getting haircuts, and purchasing new clothes. During the lunar calendar’s twelfth month, on the eighth day, everyone spring cleans their houses, which in Cantonese is referred to as 大掃除. The Cantonese people in Guangzhou, China celebrate somewhat differently than their northern friends. Unlike northern Chinese New Year featuring snowmen, skating, and dumplings, Cantonese New Year traditions are spring-like, colorful, delicious, and balmy. When it comes to New Year’s in Guangzhou, a house decorated with fresh flowers is everything Here are some CNY traditions and customs that are uniquely celebrated by the Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, and other Chinese dialect groups: (i) CANTONESE On CNY eve: A lot of thought is put into the food served during reunion dinner, as certain dishes or food items symbolise good blessings for the new year Chinese New Year is the most celebrated festival in Cantonese cultures, marking the arrival of the Lunar New Year. It falls on the first day of the first lunar month, while the exact dates varies but it’s usually around January 21 to February 20. For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, (恭喜发财), wishing you a prosperous New Year. In Cantonese, it’s gong hey fat choi How to celebrate Christmas, Polish style. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. This is a festival called Laba ( 腊八 Làbā /laa-baa/ '12th lunar month' + '8'), in the traditional sense, which marks the beginning of the Spring Festival. Travelling instead of staying at home to celebrate Chinese New Year has become more popular during the past few years. With the rapid development of transportation, especially high-speed railways and airways, it’s more convenient for Chinese to travel during the 7-day holiday, which provides a good opportunity for people to relax and take a Chinese New Years Eve: 春节: Chūnjié: Chinese New Year; Spring Festival: 春节快乐! Chūnjié kuàilè! Happy Spring Festival! 新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè! Happy New Year! 大吉大利! dàjídàlì! Wishing you great prosperity! 恭喜发财: gōngxǐ fācái: May you have a prosperous new year: 鼠年大吉: shǔnián dàjí Put up red decorations. Red is the color or symbol of good luck in Chinese culture and is often used for new year decorations. The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and wealth, since the Chinese character for eight rhymes with fortune or wealth. The Basics. Much like the celebration of the New Year in the Western world, Chinese New Year is all about the hopeful spirit of renewal. The holiday’s traditions, symbols and rituals are all meant to wipe the slate clean and prepare for prosperity, good luck and happiness in the new year. As the last day of the lunar year, Chinese New Year's Eve (除夕 chú xī) is the day before Chinese New Year. It is a grand reunion time for the whole Chinese family. People will participate in many activities to celebrate the coming new year. Chinese New Year's Eve Traditions 1. Putting Up New Year Decorations Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. This week of relaxation has been designated Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general. The origins of the Chinese New Year are steeped in legend. One legend is that thousands of years Click to see more about Chinese New Year date. 5. Why Do the Chinese Call Chinese New Year 'Spring Festival'? Chinese New Year always falls within half a month of 'Start of Spring' (beginning February 4), the first of the 24 solar terms of China's traditional solar calendar. During Chinese New Year, people have a long list of things to do. From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. We can give it to one another while reminding each other that success comes from the Lord (Psalm 75:6). As for Chinese New Year goodies such as barbecued pork, pineapple tarts (pineapple is called “ong lai” which means “may good luck come to our homes”), melon seeds, fizzy drinks, to name a few, let us remember to give thanks, enjoy them and eat them in moderation (1 Corinthians 10:31). Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new year on China's traditional lunisolar calendar. It is a time for family gatherings. It is the most important festival in China (where it is known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival), and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea (where it is known as Seollal), in Vietnam (as Tet), as well as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries
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