Chinese New Year: Common Practices and Beliefs

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2014 is the Year of the Yang Wood Horse (Jia Wu). In preparation for the start of Chinese New Year, Chinese lanterns and other decorations have been popping up and displayed in most Chinese countries and Chinese community areas around the globe to herald the new year.



Chinese New Year is known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival which usually lasts 15 days. This year, the date of the Chinese New Year 2014 is on Jan. 30, 2014 (Chinese New Year's Eve) to February 13, 2014 (Lantern Festival). As a tradition, weeks before the New Year celebration, enormous preparations has been made as the Chinese people consider Spring Festival accompanied by good fortune.


The Lunar year celebration involves not only decorations, food and dragon dance celebrations but of century- old rituals, social customs and beliefs as well.

Customarily, people clean their entire house before the New Year to get rid of the negative energy and bad luck gathered by the previous year. On New Year’s Day, they will not sweep nor clean their house or else the new luck and good fortune will be brushed off.

Decorate in red and 8. In the Chinese culture, red is the symbol of good luck, happiness and vitality in life while number 8 symbolizes prosperity and wealth.

Before the New Year and on New Year’s Day itself, Chinese celebrators head to the temples to pray and burn incense sticks. They also bring food to offer to the spirits of the departed - their way to pay respect to their ancestors and such act they believe will bring good luck to their lives.

Traditional Dinner and Custom outfit. Traditional foods are served and eaten on the family table at this time of year.  Foods that have  traditional meanings like shrimps to bring abundance, apples to bring peace, oranges to bring money, sweet rice cakes to bring harmony and close family ties, meat dumplings to bring wealth and more. Wearing the traditional Chinese clothing is also still practiced these days. Some wear the all red traditional outfit, while others wear a combination of red and gold clothing, not only for an elegant look but to bring happiness and luck as well.

Feng Shui masters recommend wearing red undergarments for those who are born in the Year of the Horse turning 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 this year.

The second day is considered the beginning of the year; Chinese people visit and hang out with their family, friends and relatives.

Loud noises from the spectacular fireworks display is believed to entirely drive away all the bad luck from the previous years.

The colorful lion and dragon dance that roar on the streets is believed to scare off the bad spirits.

Giving off Ang paw or red packet envelopes with money enclosed to your children will bring continuous prosperity.

It is only a couple of days ahead and the festivity begins – “Gong Xi Fa Chai”


Comments

  1. Grace MJanuary 29, 2014 at 3:06 PM

    I'm not overly familiar with the Chinese zodiac/their beliefs. Sometimes I skip reading them for fear I'd fall under the bad luck category. Lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. onlinepublisherJanuary 29, 2014 at 3:29 PM

    Carlo: I hope that I will be lucky this year. Financially, Relationship, Good Health and Career

    ReplyDelete
  3. Franc RamonJanuary 29, 2014 at 5:08 PM

    It would be nice to see the elaborate Chinese tradition come this Chinese New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Janine DaquioJanuary 29, 2014 at 5:28 PM

    Since we are not Chinese, we do their traditions during Dec 31. haha. like cleaning the house.. the fruits, the red clothes, the fish dishes..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rochkirstin SantosJanuary 30, 2014 at 9:39 AM

    We are Chinese and practice all these traditions and practices throughout the years. It's never too bad to follow them. Gong xi fa cai, hong bao na lai. :P

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jessica CassidyJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:05 AM

    It looks beautiful Sis :-) I like the design, it's simple yet classic as well :-)

    http://www.jessysadventure.com/2014/01/tmart-mp4-digital-player-reviews.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. cheJanuary 30, 2014 at 8:26 PM

    I used to work in a bank owned by Chinese and now I miss the kainan and celebration we always had. Sadly I don't see anymore of Chinese celebration here. :/

    ReplyDelete
  8. RosselJanuary 30, 2014 at 8:47 PM

    We inherited too many beliefs from Chinese. Although I don't really believe in most of them, I practice some of them like cleaning the house before New Year, wearing red and serving traditional food. By the way, it's only now that I learned about the red underwear.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kaye - I Love KeishaJanuary 30, 2014 at 11:03 PM

    I'm not a Chinese, but today, I bought fruits and tikoy here at home.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LainybelleJanuary 31, 2014 at 7:58 PM

    Lovely! I love the unique nautical idea that's perfectly put together :-)
    http://dfoolonthehill.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. ralphJanuary 31, 2014 at 11:16 PM

    seen a lion dance last thursday... as it entered the resto where we were dining. there' just a lot of chinese practices we filipinos are doing. Yahweh bless.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Peachy @ The Peach KitchenFebruary 2, 2014 at 10:31 PM

    Belated Kung Hei Fat Choi, mommy Joy! We don't really practice anything during Chinese New Year.. pag January 1 lang.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Angie VianzonFebruary 12, 2014 at 10:37 AM

    I'm not Chinese pero we practice some of the Chinese beliefs besides wala naman mawawala and malay mo swertehin pa nga diba.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Shiene LopezJune 19, 2014 at 3:06 PM

    Love the design. Perfect for my new house. Thanks for inspiring! :)

    http://www.ayalalandpremier.com/philippine-properties

    ReplyDelete

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