Chinese culture and traditions

China is an extremely large country, and the customs and traditions of its people vary by geography and ethnicity. More than 1 billion people live in China, according to the Asia Society, representing 56 ethnic minority groups. The largest group is the Han Chinese, with about 900 million people. Other groups include the Tibetans, the Mongols, the Manchus, the Naxi, and the Hezhen, which is smallest group, with fewer than 2,000 people.

Chinese New Year

Of all the Chinese festivals, Chinese New Year is for kids of all ages the most loved and anticipated. In China, planes, trains, buses, boats, donkeys, and any means of transportation you can imagine, are jammed packed with people returning home to enjoy the celebrations with their friends and family. And all over the world, wherever there is a Chinatown, the festivities are a colorful display of dragon dances, lantern festivals, feasts, and of course firecrackers!

The History of Chinese New Year

This traditional fest has been celebrated for more than four thousand years. It came about from ancient celebrations to mark the end of the long winter season and the beginning of spring. It celebrates the earth coming back to life and the beginning of the growing cycle. This is why it is also called the Spring Festival. For Chinese people all over, the Lunar New Year is the celebration of the year, a time for happy reunions, family and friends, rich in colorful traditions and customs.

When is Chinese New Year?

In western countries, New Year's Day always falls on January 1st. In China, New Year's Day is also the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar! Therefore, Chinese New Year dates vary each year and could fall at the end of January or in February. The New Year celebrations begin on New Year's Eve, the big party is on New Year's Day, and the action continues for the next 15 days. It all ends with the first full moon of the year, fifteen days later with the Lantern Festival, another great carnival and the perfect ending to this great holiday season. As per long-standing Chinese customs, each year is assigned an animal according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Chinese New Year Decorations

Dazzling and glittering Chinese New Year Decorations never fail to capture the magic and energy of this fabulous season. Just like in the West at Christmas time, as Chinese New Year approaches, homes, businesses, shopping centres, offices, shops, airports, train stations... are dressed in their holiday best. A sea of red and gold, bright lanterns and auspicious plants and flowers are the hallmarks of the season, heralding the arrival of the largest and most important festival of the year.

Bright Red Lanterns

Bright red lanterns are perhaps the most popular way to add that spark to the celebrations. You see them popping up everywhere around town, the temples, the stores, homes, parks... Chinese lanterns come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, although for Chinese New Year, the traditional red and gold balloon lantern is one of the most popular ones. The red Chinese Lantern has become a symbol of Chinese Culture. To Chinese, it represents vitality and prosperity, you see them hanging year-round in Chinatowns around the world.

Banners and Scrolls with New Year's Greetings and Messages of Good Fortune

Red and gold banners with New Year messages of good luck adorn all all entrances offering a warm welcome and wishes of prosperity and good fortune for the upcoming year. And accordingly, you could decorate the entrance to your room, or put them up in the living room or near your main door as well as the entrance of your school or classroom. Red and Gold are lucky colors for the Chinese, red symbolizes vitality of life and happiness, gold represents wealth and prosperity.

Firecrackers

Rather than garlands and wreaths, you will see firecrackers made out of bright shiny paper hanging alongside door entrances, adorning walls and out at the park and plazas. They add to the lively atmosphere of the festivities since they represent the loud, happy, cracking noises of the season. According to the traditions, firecrackers (of the real kind), are lit in front of houses and stores so that the evil spirits are scared away.

Decorating with Plants, Fruits and Flowers for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is a celebration marking the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. This is why decorating with plants, fruits and blooming flowers carries special significance. They represent the earth coming back to life and wishes for prosperous new beginnings.

Bamboo: Chinese love their "Lucky Bamboo" plants and you will see them often in their homes and offices. Certainly during the holiday period, this plant is a must. Bamboo plants and stems are used frequently in fengshui and are associated with health, resilience, abundance and a happy home. Bamboo is considered a magnet for positive Chi energy. They are easy to care for and make great presents.

Branches of Cherry or Plum Blossoms: The beautiful and delicate long stalks covered with the fragile pink-hued buds make fantastic decorations. Branches are used as is, or often decorated with gold and red ornaments or red envelopes. The cherry and plum blossoms have a special significance to the Chinese. The trees are the first to bloom even as snow is melting after a harsh winter. They represent the promise of spring and a renewal of life. There are many other blooming plants traditionally used during this period.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, or around June in our Calendar, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival takes place. There are many legends as to the origin of this festival. One states that it probably got started as a celebration for the planting of the rice crop and to pray for a good rainfall since it was believed that Dragons controlled the rain and rivers. People would put offerings in the river so that the dragons would bring rain for their crops. Another legend tells the story of Qu Yuan, an old man that drowns himself by jumping from a boat, because he couldn’t stand to see his country being destroyed by the poor leaders. When the village people went to look for him, it was too late. They threw offerings of rice into the water to calm the man’s spirit. One day, Qu Yuan’s spirit returned and told them the rice meant for him, was being devoured by the river dragon. He asked that they wrap the rice in leaves, in shapes like small pyramids. Today, people eat these rice dumplings, known as zongzi in memory of the old man.

Chinese Dragon Boat Racing

Nowadays, what characterizes the festivities is the Dragon Boat Races. These are very noisy and exciting events with hundreds of teams competing against each other in this great tradition. Chinese Dragon Boats are long, narrow boats with a dragon's head at one end and a tail at the rear. Teams of rowers paddle together in unison as they race to the finish line. A leader sits in the front by the head, facing the paddlers, and sets the pace by pounding a large drum.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in October in Gregorian calendar.

The festival has a long history. In ancient China, emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full, bright moon on that day, worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed, which became even grander in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, it grew to be a major festival of China.

  

Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this: In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this, he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and, directing his superhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.

Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends, he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir, by taking which, it was said, one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being. Hou Yi, however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E hid the parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when, unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng Meng. One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting, Peng Meng, sword in hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment. She turned round to open her treasure box, took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped.

When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew from the maidservants what had happened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when, to his surprise, he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and on it there was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife. He tried his best to chase after the moon. But as he ran, the moon retreated; as he withdrew, the moon came back. He could not get to the moon at all.

Thinking of his wife day and night, Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon. When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being, they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.

People in different places follow various customs, but all show their love and longing for a better life. Today people will enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day. The moon looks extremely round, big and bright on the 15th day of each lunar month. People selected the August 15 to celebrate because it is a season when crops and fruits are all ripe and weather pleasant. On the Mid- Autumn Festival, all family members or friends meet outside, putting food on tables and looking up at the sky while talking about life. How splendid a moment it is!

Lucky Numbers and Colors in Chinese Culture

In Chinese culture, certain numbers are considered "lucky" because their pronunciations sound similar to words that have "lucky" meanings.

Lucky numbers are very important in Chinese culture. People select lucky numbers when choosing residences, telephone numbers, business addresses, wedding dates, festivals and other celebratory events.

·        Number 8 indicates prosperity, Wealth, success or social status. Number 8 sounds similar to the word "Fa" in Cantonese. "Fa" can mean prosperity, wealth, success, or social status. One example of its use was the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony held on August 8, 2008 (8/8/08), at 8:08 pm.

·   Even numbers are preferred over odd numbers. Chinese believe in harmony and balance. Therefore, even numbers are preferred over odd numbers. Number 2 represents harmony, and number 6 success. The pronunciation of number 9 sounds similar to the word for permanence.

·        Lucky numbers in business. Lucky numbers are also extremely important in Hong Kong. In this industrial and commercial city, competition is fierce and merchants vie for success. Often, they will select "lucky" days to celebrate grand openings or sign contracts. If the day has an 8, it is believed to bring luck. If the day has a 9, the business will have permanence. If the day has a 6, the venture will be successful.

Yellow, Red and Green are Considered Lucky Colors

·        Yellow symbolized royalty and power of the throne. The first Emperor of China was known as the Yellow Emperor. China was often referred to as Yellow Earth, and its mother river is the Yellow River. The skin color of Chinese people is yellow. During the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), yellow glazed tiles were used to build imperial palaces. During Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1636 - 1911) Dynasties, emperors were dressed in yellow imperial robes. They rode in "Yellow Palace" carriages and traveled on "Yellow Paths". Official flags were yellow. Official seals were packaged in yellow fabric. Overlooking the Forbidden City from Beijing Jing Mountain, one can see a sea of yellow glazed tile roofs. Gilded copper urns and animals adorn many palaces.

·         Red is the Chinese national color and represents happiness, beauty, success and good fortune. Red is used extensively in everyday life. Red lanterns adorn businesses and residences. Double rows of red "Xi" (happiness) letters are pasted on gates and doors. People wore red during weddings, festivals and other celebratory events. Red envelopes stuffed with money are given as gifts during Chinese New Year.

·         Green symbolizes money. Buildings, banks and restaurants are often painted in green and red.