Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year
From 101lifeStyle.com

Chinese New Year Eve:

Chinese New Year is one of the most elaborate, colourful and important festival for the Chinese people. It is celebrated with pomp and grandeur and preparations are made for it well in advance. Chinese New Year’s Eve is spent by bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new one, also thanking God and their ancestors for their blessings and protection. This auspicious festival has an old and rich history and is celebrated in a very traditional way. Much before the actual New Year arrives, people start getting ready for the ultimate excitement you can expect to have. During the Chinese New Year, people go out shopping to buy new clothes to wear for the family dinner.

On the last day of the old year, besides preparing the food, the house is tidied up and cleared of dust and dirt, getting rid of unwanted articles but you must never sweep and clean on New Year’s as that will clear out any good luck, that is the belief of the Chinese people. Another superstition is never to wash your hair on New Year’s Day, wash it one day prior to the coming year. People go to the barber to get rid of the old hair and getting their clothes ready to wear for the feast and the New Year. Because the first day can influence the rest of your year, people tend to stay away from behaving in a negative manner. That includes not swearing, never talking about death, no saying ghost stories and references to the previous year are also avoided, especially the unpleasant experiences. People are positive and have good thought and do not cry or be distraught or sad, await the new year with a smile and hope in their hearts.

As traditions say, the food should be prepared before the New Year’s Day and all the sharp instruments, knives and scissors should be kept away in order to avoid cutting the luck of the coming New Year. As traditions go, the well and kitchen are two things which should not be disturbed or used on New Year’s Day. The houses are decorated with pretty vases and plenty of colourful flowers. A tray is set out with candies of different varieties which are made out of coconut, red melon seeds, peanuts, lotus seeds, candied melon, etc. These candies are distributed from the eve of the New Year.

Preparing For Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Eve