Chinese New Year Around the World

hinese New Year AROUND THE WORLD 252 As one of the world's most widely celebrated holidays, the Chinese Lunar New Year is a time for joyous revelry for millions of people both in and out of Asia. Let's find out what beliefs and traditions have becomes an indispensible part of the holiday in many Chinese communities. 福 The Year of That Fluffy Preparing the Home Horned Animal with Hooves Giving your house a thorough cleaning is an integral part of New Year preparations, as the Chinese believe that cleaning will drive away This 2015 shall mark the Year of the Wood Goat.. or is it Sheep? Since the Chinese language uses the same character (# or yáng) for both goats and sheep, either animal is acceptable in reference to the Chinese zodiac. bad luck. It is also common for Chinese families to adorn their households with traditional decorations like paper-cuts, pictures, banners, and knots. Makes you wonder about the origins of the phrase "spring cleaning", doesn't it? 252525 The Prosperity Toss Also known as Yusheng or Yee Sang, this tossed salad dish originated among Chinese communities in Singapore, later spreading to other parts of Southeast Asia. The "toss" part is quite literal, as diners must throw the ingredients in the air with their chopsticks while shouting greetings for good fortune and prosperity. The salad's key ingredients usually include the following: pok chui crackers raw fish shredded plum sauce five-spice powder lime or pomelo sesame seeds peanuts Lion Dance Dragon Dand Holiday Eats Lions and Dragons and Dance, Oh My! Family plays a big role in the holiday, as shown by the importance of the Reunion Dinner during Chinese New Year. Aside from yusheng, other traditional dishes that make an appearance during the holiday include steamed fish, uncut noodles, jiaozi (dumplings), Buddha's Delight (a vegetarian dish) and niangao ("year cake" made of glutinous rice). The biggest celebrations usually start on Chinese New Year's Eve. Head down to your nearest Chinatown on the day itself, and you're bound to see streets filled with traditional lion and dragon dancers. Ever wondered about the difference between the two? The lion dance is composed of two highly athletic performers, while the dragon dance requires larger teams of up to 30 people. Enter The Dragon During Chinese New Year, one of the most popular (and considered lucky) dishes is Tikoy, otherwise known as niangao. This delicacy is nominally sold out at stores in Binondo, Manila days before Chinese New Year. Other dishes considered Ilucky during this time include pancit (symbolizing long life), whole fishes (invites wealth and prosperity), and various round fruits and vegetables. The Guinness World Record holder for the longest dragon dance was 5,568.46 kilometers long, and was performed in 11 minutes by over 3,000 volunteers. The dragon itself was donated by the city of Zhongshan, China to the city of Markham, Ontario, Canada as part of a joint cross-cultural activity. 6525 L5252 5721 S252 15252525 권 525 25252 Lahtern Festival Red Envelopes The Lantern Festival Those little decorated red envelopes filled with money are a time-honored tradition of Chinese New Year. Also known as "hong bao" or "ang pow", these red packets are often given out to children - and, in some cases, unmarried adults - as presents. The custom is to fill the packets with an amount ending in 8, 9, or any even number (except for 4 - that's an unlucky number in Chinese culture!). The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday lasts a total of fifteen days, ending finally with the annual Lantern Festival. Held during the first full moon of the new year, the Lantern Festival is so named because of the colorful paper lanterns people light and send to the sky. In some places the Lantern Festival is also observed by lovers as a holiday similar to Valentine's Day. T2525 2525252525R5252 5 525525 Commonly spelled as Ang Pao, it is common for children and unmarried Filipino-Chinese to receive envelopes containing crisp currency. Designs mostly include dragons and lions, children and the character for "fortune". Non-Chinoys also use the ang pao to give cash gifts on other occasions (usually Christmas, someone's birthday). Start building better money habits this Year of the Goat! Try CompareHero's fast and accurate online comparison tools to find the best credit cards, personal loans and insurance plans that work with your budget. 5252525252525252525252525252525 리 5252525 25 25252525 MØneyMax.ph We compare, you save http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/118206-chinese-character-goat-sheep-%E7%BE%8A/ http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year-traditions http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/tp/Chinese-New-Year-Guide-Prepare-And-Celebrate-Chinese-New-Year.htm http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/new-year/customs.htm http://www.honeyandsoy.com/yu-sheng-chinese-new-year/ http://www.chinatownology.com/lion_dance.html http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/96Arts8434.html http://www.rising-dragon.co.uk/feng-shui/dragon-dancing_lion-dancing.htm http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-dancing-dragon/ http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1424433-markham-dragon-dances-into-record-books/ http://gochina.about.com/od/chinesenewyear/p/Giving-Hong-Bao-Red-Envelopes-At-Chinese--New-Year-And-Other-Occasions.htm http://asianz.org.nz/our-work/arts-and-community/festivals/chinese-lantern-festival/background http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/lantern.htm http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Food/Holiday-Food/filipino-food-during-chinese-new-year-in-the-philippines.html http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Culture/Holiday-Celebrations/chinese-new-year-in-the-philippines.html 25252525 25252525252 252525