Qinshihuang was the first emperor to order splendid ceremonies each year to please Taiyi and would ask Taiyi to shower favorable weather and good health to him and his people
lanterns and eat yuanxiao
According to one legend it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times.
ancient times people called
Another myth associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism. Tianguan is the Taoist god responsible for good luck and fortune. His birthday falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is said that Tianguan is fond of all types of entertainment. So followers organize various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.
The third tale about the origin of the Lantern festival is associated with Emperor Mingdi
On one day, Emperor Mingdi dreamt about a gold man in his palace. But when he was about to ask the mysterious figure who he was, the gold man suddenly ascended to the sky and disappeared in the west.
So Emperor Mingdi ordered the folks of the country to display lighted lanterns during the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar.
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}The Chinese really like to go all out when the moon indicates that the year is over and the new one is on its way. The New Year in China is based on the cycle of the moon because they make use of the lunar calendar. Although it’s never a full moon when it’s the new year you will still be hearing some howling in the form of Chinese new year songs.
It is no surprise that they have a selection of Chinese New Year songs that have been composed for the purpose of celebrating the coming of the New Year
aim to capture the nationalistic spirit of the Chinese people on the one side whereas on the other you have songs that are trying to describe the Chinese perspective of life and the way that they live it.
With regards to the songs that the Chinese people have composed in order to welcome the New Year, they are basically termed as an expression of happiness and love.
he songs are sung everywhere during the festive seasons from street corners to the insides of people’s homes. Families often gather together and engage in a chorus performance of traditional hit numbers for New Year.
he singing and dancing is also accompanied with some costume dressing. Well, the dressing up in costumes may seem strange to anyone from outside the Chinese culture but it is all part of the parcel of Chinese tradition
the majority of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood, the timely arrival of rains is a necessity.
governors of rainfall.
The New Year in Chinatown ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month.
In the dragon dance, a team of dancers carry the image of dragon on poles. The lead dancers of the troupe lift, dip, thrust, and sweep the head which may display animated features controlled by a dancer. The dance troop mimics the supposed movements of this winged spirit in a wicked and undulating manner.
As a result, Chinese communities make every effort to have very long dragons dancing during the New Year.
Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is celebrated as the Spring Festival
The Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese Calendar which complies with the phases of the moon. According to this, Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese Calendar
Traditionally the festival is a family event, everybody travels back home to meet the family and to visit relatives and friends, a practice known as "new-year visits" (Chinese: 拜年; pinyin: bàinián).
deity
paper image or a picture of the deity hung throughout the year near the family's stove
Traditionally houses are cleaned on the 28th day (of the last month) of the (old) year, prior to the Chinese New Year
red trimmings are placed on doorways and windows to scare away the
monster Nian
This practice diverted from hanging peach-wood charms on doors, since peach-wood is considered to keep away ghosts and evil spirits and enhance immortality.
bamboo leaves are used to clean the house
Cleaning the house symbolises sweeping out any misfortune or traces of bad luck.
but new cloth symbolise a new start.
New cloth in the auspicious red colour are bought and will be worn for the first time in the early hours of the new year.
sweeping the house should be avoided- especially during the first three days-, since otherwise upcoming good luck would be swept out
as well a fresh start.
bad luck to wash one's hair during the first three days of the New Year as good fortune would be washed out.
as the fruit is considered to enhance abundance, prosperity, having children, and good health in the year to come.
to start a new year with unpaid debts
Lunar New Year is a time for settling debts.
a way to show respect and pay tribute to the departed souls.
as sharp instruments such as knives and scissors used for the preparation can be put away to avoid the 'cutting' effect of these.