Chinese New Year Has Begun.
Posted: 12-02-2013 09:38
Views: 2356
Synopsis:
The celebrations for Chinese New Year have started and 2013 is The Year Of The Snake. We have been looking at the various celebrations for the biggest holiday in the Chinese Calender. These incude putting up Chinese Decorations such as Door Panels and Cutouts, a Lantern Festival, Colourful Dance Parades and a market selling Decorations, Oriental Fans and Clothing. We would love to know what you will be doing over the next two weeks if you are celebrating Chinese New Year.
Sunday saw the start of Chinese New Year. This year 2013 is the Year Of The Snake also known as the Junior Dragon as it looks similar. The Chinese calender is lunisolar which is a combination of of solar and lunar and it is thought that people born in the Year Of The Snake are keen and determined. This is the most important holiday in the Chinese calender. It lasts fifteen days and concludes in a Lantern Festival with families coming together in the streets carrying Lanterns. The days that follow include celebratory dance parades in vibrant colours showing Dragons and Lions, children are given money in red envelopes, gifts are exchanged and there is a lot of customary feasting. On New Years Eve people clean their homes to clean away bad luck and to bring in good fortune for the coming year. Once this is done they then decorate with Lanterns and Cutouts. Families then gather together for festive feasts and fireworks at midnight. Temporary markets are also set up, they are decorated with Lanterns and sell Fans, Decorations, Clothing and fireworks. Celebrations for Chinese New Year also take place outside of China in Chinatowns across the world.
Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? How will you be spending the next two weeks?
