by Alejandro Katerina and Mateo What is Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday for the Chinese It starts on the first day of the first month based on the lunar calendar The date changes each year but it always falls on the second moon after the winter solstice ID: 449761
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Chinese New Year" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Chinese New Year
by Alejandro, Katerina, and MateoSlide2
What is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday for the Chinese. It starts on the first day of the first month based on the lunar calendar. The date changes each year, but it always falls on the second moon after the winter solstice.
The celebration usually consists of family reunions, fireworks, and the traditional dragon and lion dance. It ends with the Lantern Festival fifteen days later. It is also known as the Spring Festival and everything done during this holiday is meant to bring luck and good fortune for the coming year.Slide3
Lantern FestivalSlide4
History
Chinese New Year dates back to many centuries ago. The celebration originated when a mythical monster, Nian, would prey on villagers, livestock, and crops. In the Chinese language, the word “
Nian
” means “year”. One wise old man decided to scare off the dragon with drums, firecrackers, and by hanging red paper cutouts on doors. The dragon had a fear of loud noises and the color red. He was scared away until the next year!Slide5
Traditions
During the festivities, families and friends get together for reunions. People clean their homes and place welcoming decorations on their doors such as banners. The decorations are red and gold. These colors symbolize joy, loyalty, truth, and wealth. It is traditional to give red envelopes filled with money to children. The money is believed to keep evil away from children and bring them health and long lives. The tradition of
Shou
Sui (after the New Year’s Dinner) is when people stay awake for the whole night to fight off the evil forces of
Nian
. People launch fireworks and the first person to do so is supposed to receive good luck. The slide below shows firecrackers and
yuanbaos
, ancient Chinese currency displayed to attract wealth to a house. Slide6Slide7
Foods
There are various traditional foods that are eaten during New Years to give good fortune. Two very important dishes are dumplings and fish. These courses represent prosperity. Some others include New Years Cake, Tang Yuan (small rice balls), and
LaBa
Congee (a mixture of rice, nuts, and beans). These last two foods are typically eaten during the Lantern Festival. Oranges, whose Chinese name sounds like the word for wealth, and tangerines, whose name sounds like the Chinese word for luck, are also very popular foods. Slide8Slide9
Sources Used
www.chinesenewyears.infowww.chinesefood.about.com
www.topmarks.co.uk/chinesenewyear/decorations.aspx
www.chineseculture.about.com