新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) — Happy New Year! 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) — Wishing you prosperity!
Many will know that today is Chinese New Year, beginning the Year of the Snake, so I thought some of you might like to know something about the folk culture behind it.
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the biggest and most popular festival in China and among Chinese communities around the world. Traditionally it lasts 15 days until the Lantern Festival, the full moon of the first lunar month.
Being Chinese it is based around the things most dear to Chinese people, family and food. If you were in China last week you would have found it difficult to find a place on a train or plane, and the roads full of people going back to their ancestral home, almost all carrying huge packs of food.
The Chinese New Year sees the biggest annual migration on our planet. In 2018, 385 million people – about six times the UK population - travelled home to see their families, mostly leaving big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen to go to small towns and villages deep inside China.
When I was young Chinese New Year was wild, with groups of young people running around with buckets of fireworks, lighting them and throwing them at each other. Every year there were many injuries. This has stopped now, and only official celebrations can use fireworks. In those days as well, travel was restricted and people could only travel with the permission of their danwei, the CPP-controlled work group or commune everyone was assigned to.
Chinese New Year is a special moment symbolising rebirth, hope, and reunion, reflecting reverence and respect for time and nature. It is said that all things are based on heaven, and people are based on their ancestors. Praying for a good year and worshiping heaven and ancestors is like starting anew.
Chinese New Year therefore has rich cultural connotations, originating from the ritual of praying for a good year in the ancient Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). This evolved into a grand folk festival that combines worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, reuniting with family and friends and eating, and eating. In my day in China any religious aspect was not allowed. Only the Party could be celebrated.
But after three thousand years people still engage in activities like writing Spring Festival poems (对联), sweeping dust (扫尘) to sweep away the old year’s bad luck, setting off firecrackers (爆竹), giving ‘Red Pocket’ gifts (红包), praying for peace, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year and, of course, having a very big New Year’s Eve dinner (年夜饭).
On the New Year’s Eve dinner table will be various delicacies such as chicken for good luck, fish and dried bean curd for plenty, Chinese cabbage for money-making and sausage for health. China is about the same size as Europe, and like Europe has a very wide range of cooking styles and food stuffs. In my hometown, Beijing, the favourite is pork dumplings (Jiao Zi) and preparing them is a whole family affair, cutting the pastry to stuff it with a mix of pork mince and Chinese cabbage, enjoyed by all.
As I said above, setting off fireworks, especially firecrackers, has long been a tradition. I have been told that gunpowder was invented for Chinese New Year, to scare away evil spirits, dispel the old and welcome the new and create a festive and lively atmosphere. My husband reminds me that even now, when a ship is launched in China, thousands of firecrackers are set off to chase away evil and bad luck.
There is a legend about the origin of this. A monster called “Nian”, who was extremely fierce and who lived deep underwater and only climbed ashore on New Year’s Eve, devouring livestock and causing people to flee to the deep mountains. One New Year’s Eve, an elderly beggar explained that Nian was afraid of the colour red, flames, and explosions. From then on at New Year’s Eve, every household would be decorated with red, set off firecrackers and have candles burning brightly all night.
During Spring Festival, elders distribute lucky money to younger generations in traditional New Year Red Pockets or Envelopes, to ward off evil spirits. The younger generation visit their elders, show respect, and wish them health and longevity. People also go to temples to burn incense and pray for blessings.
Going to the temple fair (逛庙会) – something like a Christmas market - is an old tradition that has come back. We didn’t do it when I was young as markets were not allowed. In north China, temple fairs are now held from New Year Eve to the Lantern Festival, creating a festive and lively atmosphere; while in south China and Hong Kong, dragon and lion dances are usually held, the two short videos showing training for a Lion Dance and then a dance for real.It is very athletic.
The fifth day of the first lunar month, according to Chinese folk custom, is the birthday of the five Gods of Wealth (迎财神) and it is customary to welcome them into one’s home to bless the family with abundant financial resources on this day, commonly known as “Break Five” (破五), when the taboos of the previous five days, such as not breaking glass, not asking for debt repayment, not saying negative words, avoid fighting and crying are now over.
The New Year period ends with the Lantern Festival, (元宵节) falling this year on February 12, the first full moon of the lunar year. Lantern Festival is famous for its Yuan Xiao (sweet rice balls), whose round shape symbolises family unity and togetherness. Cities are illuminated with spectacular lantern displays, bringing a joyful end to the New Year festivities and ushering in hopes for a prosperous year ahead.
All over this period people decorate their homes and businesses with China’s national colour, red, symbol of happiness, success and good fortune. You are guaranteed to see red banners with this in a circle ‘囍’ -double happiness, repeating the character for ‘joy’ twice - everywhere you go. It is also a common site in Chinese restaurants here. This year most Chinese will manage to arrange up eight days of holiday.
Famously, each year is named after an animal, repeated every twelve years as shown.
But these are just the main headings as it were. Master fortune teller have a deeper set of categories, based on the month, day and hour of birth. Donald Trump, for example was born in 1946, a Year of the Dog. In simple terms, Dog people are considered to very loyal, a description I think can fairly be used for Mr Trump.
But if he went to a fortune teller, and they are very popular in China, a master would go much deeper, beginning with describing him as a Fire Dog person. Checking online, the prediction for a Fire Dog aged 79 is that he will not have to worry about wealth in 2025, but may need to pay attention to physical fitness. His relationships with family members will be harmonious, but he should avoid conflicts with neighbours and try to be sensitive and tolerant.
Personality Traits of the 1946 Fire Dog are that they are determined and brave, modest and easy-going. They are loyal to their friends and, under normal circumstances, will help them without hesitation. However, sometimes they do things blindly and believe that their reputation is more important than everything. In addition, they have slow-heating personalities, so it takes a long time for them to make a new friend. They like to depend on others and worry about the future.
How much of that sounds like Mr Trump to you? I can see a lot, but perhaps not the modesty. Maybe we need to go to the next level, but I am unable to. Sorry.
We are now entering the Year of the Wood Snake, which represents wisdom, intuition, and transformation, challenging us to seek deeper truths and deep insights through thoughtful deliberation and the development of inner strength. The Snake is respected for sharp intelligence and adaptability. But here’s a report claiming that Chinese horoscopes have a scientific basis, and here is a link giving more information about Chinese fortune telling.
Each other zodiac sign will now come under the influence of the Snake to affect many different facets of life, including work, relationships and health. Some people take it all very seriously and use the zodiac signs to find their ideal match for a spouse. For example, I am a Rat person, usually said to be cheerful, sociable and tenacious, who thrives as part of a group and who are intuitive and versatile, valuing security in all areas of life. My husband is a Dragon person, and Dragons are held to be brave, energetic, tireless, with ambitious goals and grand blueprints for the future. Dragon men can be unyielding and overconfident but are open and straightforward with leadership and management ability. In case of emergency, they keep a cool head, make decisions quickly. Male Dragons are generous.
As it happens, and purely coincidentally, the ideal match for a Rat is a Dragon, and for a Dragon a Rat. Check your best matches and for more detailed information on Chinese horoscope here.
There will be Lion dancing in London and parades on 1st and 2nd February, and we hope to be able to go. But the first of February is also the day when there is a Free Tommy Robinson/Make Britain Great Again parade in London. Which one should I go to?
Tommy, by the way, is a Water Dog, said to have a firm will and be conscientious and strict with themselves, but very loyal to their friends and family. Being compassionate, they always help people in need. They are serious and responsible in doing things and have a long-term vision but can be stubborn and sometimes unstable and irritable.
The horoscope for Water Dogs like Tommy, born in 1982, is that they will meet some obstacles at the beginning of the year, but things will get better over time and they will get the support of kind people and thus be able to advance and expand.
新年快乐 — Happy New Year! 恭喜发财 — Wishing you prosperity!
