Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox

Chinese new year 2009 falls on the 26th of January, 2009.  The Chinese New Year is celebrated as the symbol of spring’s celebration. In China the Chinese New Year is called the Spring festival. It is celebrated after the fall harvest and before the spring planting season. Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day every year.  Since it is dependant on the Chinese calendar, it is always changing. Historically speaking, the Chinese New Year Day has practically been regarded as the only day of the year when China’s hard-working peasants allowed themselves to rest.

How does the Chinese Calendar Work?

  • The Chinese calendar was invented by Emperor Huangdi in the year 2637 B.C.E.  The Chinese calendar is a combined solar/lunar calendar. When determining the dates of the Chinese New Year some astronomical calculations are made. First, the dates for the new moon are determined. The new moon is the black moon, when the moon is in conjunction with the sun. The date of the new moon is taken as the first day of the new month. Then, those dates are determined when the sun’s longitude is the multiple of 30 degrees. These dates are termed as Principal terms and are used for determining the number of each month.
  • There are 12 different animals to represent each year of the 12 year -cycle and the order remains the same throughout with the year of the rat beginning the cycle and the year of the boar/ pig ending the same. As the Chinese year 2008 was signified as the year of the rat, 2009, will be the year of the ox. Chinese New Year of OX on January 26th and will mark the 15 day long festivities beginning on the said date and going on till the 9th February.

Celebration

  • Preparations for the Chinese New Year of Ox, 2009 will begin months in advance so that the celebrations be observed in the highest magnitude and splendor. As the different years of the 12 year cycle are characterized by different animals, people born on the different years also feature different traits and characters and more often then not, they are believed to be influenced and inspired by the animals of the particular year they are born in. It is customary to wear red to ward off evil spirits.  Black and White are not traditionally worn as they represent mourning.
  • The eve of the Chinese New Year is perhaps the most exciting part of the event. As anticipation creeps in, traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing. Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings that signify good wishes. Delicacies include prawns, for liveliness and happiness, dried oysters (or ho xi), for all things good, raw fish salad or yu sheng to bring good luck and prosperity.
  • On the Chinese New Year day itself in history , an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place. Married couples give children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then the family begins to wish greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbors. It is much like the Western saying, “let bygones be bygones,” because at Chinese New Year grudges are easily cast aside.

Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.

For more Chinese New Year ideas check out our Chinese New Year party ideas.

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