Almost all people of Chinese descent are definitely looking forward to the arrival of Chinese New Year. Of the many reasons, one of the reasons is because the atmosphere on that day will be very different from the atmosphere of togetherness on normal days.
Warm, affectionate, and other nuances full of positive feelings can be felt while celebrating this precious day. Some people may prefer to celebrate this happy moment with their family, but spending time with friends during Chinese New Year is also acceptable.
7 Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations That Are Worth Trying
Before Chinese New Year, people usually have prepared many things that they will do together with the people closest to them. Moreover, from the past until now there are many traditions that can be done to celebrate this precious moment of Chinese society.
When compared to other traditions, sharing angpao is the most famous. Apart from the angpao tradition, other traditions will always be interesting to try. Save time, here are some traditions worth trying:
- Playing with Fireworks in the Home Environment
Fireworks are one of the preparations that people need when they want to celebrate Chinese New Year. There is no need to do it in a far away place, because this activity can be done just from home, together with other friends.
The myth related to playing with fireworks begins with the emergence of the myth of the wild animal, Nian, which is feared by many people. This wild animal is famous for its giant body shape and often disturbs local residents. So, local residents decided to chase him away by playing with firecrackers to make a loud noise.
- Exchanging Angpao
Chinese New Year is the same as sharing red packets. Many people already know this statement, but not many people know that sharing red packets only needs to be done by married people. Then, what about those who are single? So sharing red packets is not an obligation.
In fact, there are some single people who ask their families for red packets. However, people who already have income are not actually obliged to be given red packets by their families. This is because the angpao given during Chinese New Year is more often aimed at small children than people who already have their own income.
- Watching a Lion Dance Performance with Family
To enjoy a lion dance performance, people usually wait for the Chinese New Year, the date of which always changes. Therefore, when Chinese New Year arrives, many people immediately look for the schedule and location of the performanceNot infrequently the location is outside the city, so make sure your beloved family is protected BNI Travel Insurance. Just like the first tradition, this tradition also has its own history.
The meaning of the lion dance performance held during Chinese New Year is to bring good luck in the new year. So, a lion dance performance is not just an ordinary performance that has no meaning, but this performance holds a very valuable meaning.
- Visit the Nearest Temple
There are many followers of the Confucian religion who come from China who choose to visit the nearest temple during Chinese New Year. To honor their ancestors in ancient times, Chinese Confucian believers would visit the temple and send fervent prayers.
So, after having fun at night playing with firecrackers and fireworks, you can send prayers for yourself in this new year. The tradition carried out at this temple is not only done by sending prayers, but people will also serve various types of food with incense.
- Fill Every Corner of the House with Decorations Full of Red Colors
Because red is the typical Chinese New Year color, you can redecorate your house with various types of red decorations. Every corner of your house can be decorated with red items, so that the Chinese New Year feel can be felt even more.
Why is the color red often associated with the new year? Because red not only symbolizes luck, but also abundant strength and happiness. So, the bright colors typical of Chinese New Year in every corner of this house can bring greater positive hope to the residents.
- Serving Chinese New Year Cakes and Dishes
Basket cake is a type of cake that is often served during Chinese New Year, but fruit is also usually served to receive guests at home. Later, this basket cake and fruit can be enjoyed together with the extended family who come to your house.
These various types of Chinese New Year dishes and cakes symbolize good luck and can be a source of hope for many people. Apart from cakes, you can also serve siu noodles which are synonymous with Chinese New Year celebrations.
- Reading Shio Predictions
The final Chinese New Year tradition to celebrate this special day is to read the Chinese zodiac predictions. Basically, shio can be interpreted as an animal symbol that represents the year, month and time of birth of each individual, so that each person will have a different shio.
By reading zodiac predictions like this, you can find out whether the new year will be your lucky year or not. Because, each zodiac has a different lucky year and not everyone can calculate their luck level accurately.
The many Chinese New Year traditions make it easy for you to get bored of doing them every year. By carrying out various traditions to celebrate Chinese New Year, you can better enjoy this precious moment that occurs once a year with your family, friends and partner.