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Celebrations » Chinese New Year » Eve
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Chinese New Year Eve |
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Chinese New Year eve is a time of gratitude and is celebrated by bidding farewell to old year at the same time welcoming New Year and thanking the God along with heavenly ancestors for their sacred blessings. People reunite to spend quality time with their loved ones and to celebrate the coming New Year.
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Chinese New Year 2011 started on feburary 3rd in the Chinese calender was the year of the rabbit. As per Chinese calendar, the upcoming year 2011 is a year of the Chinese animal-rabbit. Chinese New Year 2011 will start from 3rd of feburary.
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Chinese New Year Eve dinner is a celebration in itself. On the night of New Year's Eve, Chinese families use to have a delicious feast. The dinner starts only when all the family members are present at the table.
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In chinese calendar, names are repeated after every 60 years within a cycle of 12years denoted by Chinese animals which is a point of difference as compared to the western calendars.
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This ritual is also called "surrounding the hearth" as they eat the dinner around the family hearth. In this modern era, where nuclear families are becoming so popular, this ritual plays an important part in preserving the roots of Chinese tradition.
Many dishes that are been served on Chinese new year eve have auspicious meaning. Like "Long Year Vegetable" (mustard greens) represents "long life" whereas "Whole Chicken", symbolizes wealth for the whole family. They also prepare Chinese dumplings stuffed with meats and vegetables on Chinese New Year eve.
The celebration of Chinese New Year starts from Chinese New Year eve and this festival of togetherness continues till the 15th day when the moon is brightest. They burn fire crackers to keep ill fate away from them. People wear red clothes; decorated with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes and stick to their roots.
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