The Three Major Chinese Holidays - Chinese New Year
Monday, October 12, 2009
Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often called the Lunar New Year and traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. Almost everyone pastes the Spring Festival couplets, which are red papers with fortunate couplets written on them in calligraphy, on the walls that surround the doors. The Chinese begin the day by worshipping their ancestors and going to temples to worship gods. They make New Year's visits to friends and relatives. They also go to watch dragon dancing, lion dancing and other folk activities. Children who have left their hometowns return on this day to share New Year's Eve dinner with their families. The dinner is the biggest meal in the whole year. We always have chicken, pork and fish. We also have special Chinese foods, such as tangyuan and rice cake. Tangyuan is a Chinese food made from glutinous rice flour. Glutinous rice flour is mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then cooked and served in boiling water. Rice cake, known as year cake or Chinese New Year’s cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice and consumed in Chinese cuisine. At the end of dinner, the parents and older generation give New Year's money to the children who have been waiting with growing anticipation for this moment to arrive. On average, I usually get $600 for New Year’s money each year. It is just like Christmas in the United States.
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