Tuesday, February 1, 2011

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Photobucket
Happy Lunar New Year! The year of the Metal Rabbit^^ For our fans and our staff that don't know what this is...Lunar New Year refers to the beginning of the year based upon the lunar calendar. Basically they do not celebrate the New Year on 1/1/2011...but February 3rd as the New Year for 2011. The date of the next new year will be different every year, following the movement of the moon. These are some of the countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year: China, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet. 
Usually during the Chinese Lunar New Year, also commonly called the "Spring Festival" 春节 (pinyin: Chūn Jié), the whole of China will be on vacation for about 2 weeks to a month celebrating the new year. All Chinese workers will take off and go back home to their villages and families. On Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year." Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is a great way to reconcile; forgetting all grudges, and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

As we have many fans and staff from all over the world. I would love to hear stories of how you celebrate your New Years. Please share with us your cultures and your way of celebrating the New Years or the Lunar New Years in your country. Staff, please feel free to add your countries' cultures and ways of celebrating New Years onto this post. 





Sopphia's Vietnamese New Year's Tradition

My family's new year traditions has changed a lot since we moved to the United States. When we lived in Vietnam, on New Year's morning we go to everyone's houses in the neighborhood to say our blessings and of course to get lucky money. At noon, we went to Catholic church that were only less than 2 minutes walk from our house. The assembly ends around 4 PM...I believed. Then around 6 PM, we go back to the church(out the field) for the festival/concert. They had all source of entertainment that you can think of. And at the end of the "fun night" the whole place sits down silently to play BINGO! LOL But once we moved to the US, we get our lucky money in the mornings before going to school then at night we went out to eat. And that is pretty much what we do on New Year's for years now.


All pictures thanks to Sophia:) Bunny pic from kristyane. And sources from wikipedia, Sophia and Zilly.

2 comments:

Sophia said...

My family New Year traditional change a lot since we moved to the United State. When we still lived in Vietnam, on New Year morning we go to everyone houses in the neighbor to say ours blessing and of course to get lucky money. At noon, we went to Catholic church that are only less than 2 mins walking from my house. The assembly ended around 4 PM...I believed. Then around 6 PM, we go back to the church(out the field) for the festival/concert. They have all source of entertainment you can think of. And at the end of the "fun night" the whole place sit down silently to play BINGO! LOL But once we moved to the US, we get ours lucky money in the morning before going to school then at night we went out to eat. And that is pretty much what we did on New Year for years now.

Soysuva said...

This post looks so pretty, lol! Happy Lunar New Years everyone! ^_^