Happy Lunar New Year to all

[Ramius75]

Happy Lunar New year to all the forumer here.

Wishing All of you people a wonderous, prosperous and healthy New Year !!

Traditional, the Chinese will celebrate the New Year on the first month of the Lunar Calander. So on this day, we will normally have a reunion dinner on the eve of CNY and then at night, the young in the family will stay up long into the night symbolic "praying" for the longevity of the elders.

Also on the New year night, the Chinese will offer offering to the Chinese Dieties and also welcome the god of fortune.

For the reuion dinner, it is common for them to prepare large among of food, with chicken, ducks, fish (Which symbolis abundancy),pork, vegetable and many many other dishes. It is also normal for them to be NOT able to finish the foods as it means the there are still many to "spare" till the next year.

a typical chinese family (not mine)

On the New Year Day itself, the young will pay their respect to the elders and to the ancestors. And the elders will in turn give the young a Red Packet (Hong Bao) Which contain some money.

Then wearing new clothes, the chinese will begin to visit their relative and friends. Where the young will visit their parents and elder brothers and sisters acoring to the "rank" in the family. The young will offer 2 Mandarin(Citrius fruit) which symbolic good blessing and then in turn get more Red packets.

Vegeterian Meal is normally served on the first day on CNY.

Chinese market In Singapore Chinatown

The celebration will last 15 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_new_year

GONG XI FAI CAI !!

 

[Ramius75]

Chinese sausage stall.

Chinese rice cake (Nian Gao)
It symbolise Bu Bu Gao Seng meaning Progress with every steps

It is normally fried with egg and have a very sweet taste.Also was use as an offering to the kitchen god which will say "sweet" things about the family he visited.

Rice cake shaped like a fish.

 

[Bluemofia]

Is the New Year on Wednesday? My parents say it is.

 

[Ramius75]

Dragon Dance to ward off evil spirits

Lion Dance
In Singapore A lion dance is perform before every family to both ward off evil spirts and also bring in the good luck. It is normally accompany by loud drum and in some countries, fire crackers.

A lion dance in Singapore

 

[Ramius75]

Is the New Year on Wednesday? My parents say it is.

yeah it is on this Wednesday, 09 Feb 2005. So tomorrow it will be New year eve for me



ChingGay Festival in Singapore

The ChingGay Celebration is special im Singapore as in Singapore the lighting of Fire crackers is not allow so the Governors organize a display of floats and progressions.

 

[Ramius75]

Chinese Tossing salad. on the "ren Ci" meaning Men's birthday. on the 7th day of Lunar new year. This is the day they claim that men was created.

 

[Goober]

I doubt a typical Chinese family would have that many kids, given the 1 child policy, and whatnot . . .

 

[Ramius75]

I doubt a typical Chinese family would have that many kids, given the 1 child policy, and whatnot . . .

well, a chinese family doesnt mean u have to be in China, hehehehe. There are large chinese population in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Phillipine, Canada, Australia and many parts of the world.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Happy Chinese New Year!

I'll be celebrating it, of course.

@Goober - The prior generation to mine, the Chinese families were larger. Like my mom's side, there're 12 kids.

 

[hbdragon88]

Uh, yeah.

Our Chinese school put on a Chinese New Year's performance. Absolutely horrible and humiliating. We had to do some really bad ribbon-dance - twiriling bright, turoquoise ribbons....ARRRRGH. I'm not anti-Chinese or hate my own culture; I liked other previous performances that I have done, but this was too far.

Oh, and BTW - This year's a bad year to marry! There's no spring this year (the calenders run on different systems), DON'T MARRY! That is, if you're traditional enough (and love each other enough) to wait another year.

 

[stratego]

I doubt a typical Chinese family would have that many kids, given the 1 child policy, and whatnot . . .

That's actually 7 generations. The little girl in pink in the middle...she's actually 50 years old. Asian people look young.

 

[Goober]

Crickery, never mind, im going blind. That is not a bunch of kids, that is a bunch of aunts, and uncles, and things. I blame everything on the poor lighting . . .

And yes, I know that Chinese people in places other then China have large families . . . just that most of the Chinese people live in, uhh, CHINA!

 

[fe3333au]

Nee How (phonetical) Happy year of the Rooster

I was recently discussing this with a Chinese friend, she told me that Roosters would have an unlucky year

- Is it lucky or unlucky for a person to live in the year of their sign?

 

[Babbler]

The celebration will last 15 days.

Could you imagine if the Western new year was 15 days long? There would be a month long hangover.

Happy Chinese new year!

 

[Ramius75]

Nee How (phonetical) Happy year of the Rooster

I was recently discussing this with a Chinese friend, she told me that Roosters would have an unlucky year

- Is it lucky or unlucky for a person to live in the year of their sign?

Hi Happy new year to u too.

Yeah this is the year of the Rooster, it is some chinese belief that it will be good luck to some sign(e.g Dragon) and bad luck to others (e.g. Rabbit).

So those who think they are getting bad luck will normally go to the temple to appease to the god and dieties by offering them fruits and incense.

 

[Ramius75]

Could you imagine if the Western new year was 15 days long? There would be a month long hangover.

Happy Chinese new year!

yeah, hehehe, but its almost like the Western Christmas. that last 12 days, hehehe.

People normally use this long holiday to visit their hometown and relative so 15 days is just ok for some China(chinese) in singapore we only have 2 days of holiday.

 

[fe3333au]

Bad luck for Rabbit ... Damn

 

[Narz]

Thanks!

Happy New Year!

 

[Quentin]

Happy Chinese New Year! Personally I'm hoping I'd win the lottery so I'd be FILTHY RICH!!! But I digress... I'll be visiting many relatives during this period since both my parents are the youngest in their families.

 

[King of England]

Happy Lunar New Year!
Its Tet in Vietnamese.

You know, my friend tried to get me to celebrate by trying to teach me some Chinese. I can't even say "Gung Hay Fat Choy" in Mandarin. So frustrating!