When is Chinese New Year 2012 ?

The Chinese New Year usually happens between late January and mid-February depending upon the position of the new moon for that time of the year. It is also known as the Spring Festival, as it indicates the end of winter. The festival continues for 15 days and ends with the Lantern Festival on the final day.

When is Chinese New Year 2012?

According to Chinese calendar, New Year 2012 falls on January 23 and ends on February 9, 2013. The year 2012 is the 4709th Chinese year, and it is known as the Year of the Male Water Dragon.

Significance of the Dragon: The dragon ranks at the fifth position among the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. It is considered to be an auspicious animal. The ancient Chinese regarded the dragon as a symbol of their emperor and his power. Until now, the dragon is considered as a symbol of good luck, success, and happiness.

Chinese New Year History

There is a legend behind the celebration of New Year in China. The Chinese word for “year” is “Nian” which was actually the name of a monster. The beast used to come at the beginning of every year to eat livestock, crops, and harass the villagers, especially kids. Scared of this monster, the villagers used to place food in front of their doors so that the monster would have it and get away without harming their lives.

One day, the villagers saw Nian being afraid of a little child wearing a red dress. Since then they realized that Nian was scared of red color. So, every time the winter ended and it was time for Nian to come, the villagers hung red spring scrolls and decorative items on doors and windows. They even used fireworks to scare the beast. Since then, the monster stopped coming to the village, and it was later on captured by a Taoist monk named Hongjun Laozu. Since then, the conquest of Nian has been celebrated on New Year.

There are other facts which say that the Chinese Spring Festival has been observed since the time of the sage emperors, Yao and Shun. The festival along with the custom of ancestor worship has been in existence during the Shang dynasty. The Western Zhou Dynasty celebrated New Year and started their agricultural activities at this time of year.

The Han Dynasty also observed this festival with a ceremonial gathering and fireworks. Even the Cao Wei and Jin Dynasties observed this festival with firecrackers and family gatherings known as Shou Sui. The Song Dynasty too observed New Year with firecrackers and bamboo poles. It is during the reign of this dynasty that the fishermen in Guangzhou introduced the tradition of eating yusheng on the 7th day of the New Year festival.

Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations

Here’s how the festival is observed by the Chinese.

Celebrations on preceding days: On the days prior to New Year, the Chinese make sure they clean and adorn their homes. On the eighth day prior to the celebration, they rustle up a traditional porridge recipe.

The Chinese New Year’s Eve is observed with a special dinner including chicken and fish. The Chinese also eat dumplings at midnight. In South China, people follow the tradition of baking a New Year cake known as “Niangao” and gifting it to friends and family. On New Year’s Eve, the Chinese visit temples, light the incense stick, and offer their prayers with the hope of a brighter tomorrow. They also light firecrackers to get rid of evil spirits.

First day of the festival: On the 1st day of the New Year festival, the Chinese avoid eating meat, as they believe it will increase their longevity. They light fires and perform lion dances. The elder members of the family offer gifts of money in red envelopes to the junior members. Red color is a sign of good luck and fortune in Chinese culture. A special highlight of the celebrations on this day is the use of fireworks and firecrackers.

Second day: The 2nd day of this festival is known as God of Wealth’s birthday. Business organizations hold a “Hoi Nin” prayer to start a venture, as they believe that they will be blessed with good luck and fortune.

Third day: The third day of Chinese New Year Festival is called ‘chi kou’. This is the day when people organize family gatherings and visit temples. It is considered to be an auspicious day to learn about one’s future.

Fourth day: On the fourth day of the Spring Festival in China, corporate spring dinners are organized.

Fifth day: People eat traditional Chinese dumplings or Jiaozi on the fifth day of their New Year festival. Display of fireworks is an important feature of the celebrations on this day.

Sixth day: On this day, business houses re-open after they shoot off firecrackers.

Seventh day: The seventh day of Chinese Spring Festival is known as “Renri” which means the common man’s birthday. The Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore eat tossed raw fish and yusheng as a sign of growing wealth and success. The Chinese Buddhists don’t eat meat on this day, as they observe it as the birth anniversary of Sakra, Lord of the Buddhist devas.

Eight day: A family dinner is organized on this day. Everyone is expected to get back to work by the eighth day of the New Year festival. Store owners host a dinner for their employees, thus expressing their gratitude for their hard work throughout the year.

Ninth day: This is the day when the Chinese offer prayers in honor of the Jade Emperor of Heaven in observance of his birthday. Certain offerings are made with the prayers, especially by the Hokkien community. The key item offered is sugarcane.

Tenth day: The celebration of the birth anniversary of the Jade Emperor of Heaven continues on the tenth day of the Chinese New Year festival.

Eleventh and twelfth days: There are no prominent festivities on the eleventh and twelfth days of the New Year celebration in China.

Thirteenth day: The Chinese dedicate this day to their God of war and the most famous General in China, Guan Yu. Everyone offers their prayers to Guan Yu on this day. He is regarded as the symbol of wealth and success. Hence, business houses also conduct prayers in honor of Guan Yu.

Fourteenth and fifteenth days: The last two days of the New Year Festival in China are spent in making preparations for the Lantern Festival which is celebrated on the fifteenth day.

Festive Food for Chinese New Year

Some of the dishes that people include in their feasts during the New Year celebrations are:

Eight Treasures Rice: This dish comprises glutinous rice, sweet red bean paste, almonds, walnuts, and colored dry fruits.

Jiu Niang Tang:It is a sweet wine-rice soup that has small gummy rice balls dipped into it.

Tang Yuan: It is a black sesame rice ball soup.

Song Gao: This is a small and sweet round cake made of coarsely ground rice.

As part of their New Year celebrations, the Chinese also cook a sweet soup made of cut-up fruits added to hot water that is combined with cornstarch or a thickening agent. They also have dishes made of chicken, pork, duck, and fish.

This is how the Chinese observe their New Year by following their traditions with a lot of enthusiasm.