January 26

Chinese New Year

According to Chinese legend there was once a ferocious beast called the Nian. (Nian means Year in Chinese.) Every year the Nian would come on the first day of the year. It would eat people and damage the crops.

The people were terrified. They set out food by their doors and hid inside, hoping that the Nian would eat the food and leave, not returning until the next year. This worked for many years.

Then one year, a small child was outside when the Nian came. The Nian, seeing the child in red clothes, ran away in fear. From then on, the people knew how to frighten the Nian so that it would never hurt them again.

A Way to Celebrate

There are many traditions associated with the Chinese/Lunar New Year. Some of them include wearing red, using firecrackers, the lion dance, eating traditional foods, decorating with traditional banners and giving money to children.

There is a great deal of symbolism involved with each of these traditions. Much of it has to do with having a healthy and prosperous new year.

Three ways to celebrate are:

Visit a Chinese New Year celebration near you. Many large cities have these celebration parades. Though the parade did not come into existence until after the California Gold Rush, in which many Chinese immigrated to the United States, it has become a lasting tradition.

Create a mask of a Chinese lion or dragon and wear it as you dance around the house and beat on a homemade drum. This drives out evil spirits and makes room for a prosperous new year.

Post a banner with the Chinese word 'fu' meaning "auspiciousness." Create a red background, the color of luck and the color that drove away the Nian. Draw the word 'fu' in gold, for wealth. You may wish to add other Chinese symbols such as knots, papercuttings or couplets. Be sure you hang the banner upside down on your front door. This symbolizes the Chinese word for 'arrive', meaning that you wish the good luck, happiness and prosperity to come to you.