CHINESE EMBASSY SUPPLEMENT / THE INTERNATIONAL - JANUARY 2018
THE CHINESE Spring F estival
The Spring Festival is marked during the Chinese New Year in the lunar calendar, commonly referred to as ‘Guo Nian’ (spending the New Year). Falling on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar, the Spring Festival is the most ceremonious and joyfully celebrated traditional festival in Chinese folk culture. It is also regarded as an intangible cultural heritage of China.
W
WELCOME IN THE YEAR OF THE DOG In China, the four seasons of the year are subdivided into 24 solar terms. Farmers seed and reap in accordance with these solar terms. When the Chinese New Year comes, it signals the coming of springtime and the beginning of another cycle of seeding and reaping. People naturally welcome this festival with singing and dancing joyfully. As a significant part of Chinese traditional culture, the 12 Chinese zodiac signs are composed of the national totem of the ‘Dragon’ and 11 other animals in the natural world. Also known as ‘animal zodiac’, it is an ancient Chinese zodiac cycle that ranges 12 years, following the signs of Rat, Cow, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig in succession. The year 2018 is the Year of the Dog which starts on 16 February. In Chinese culture, the dog is the symbol of loyalty and honesty. People born in the Year of Dog are supposed to be friendly, faithful, and have a strong sense of responsibility. With the approach of the Spring Festival each year, many Chinese make the journey back home in order to spend the festival with family members and pay tribute to their ancestors. On New Year’s Eve, the whole family will get together for the most important meal of the year. When it comes to the Spring Festival every year, approximately one billion Chinese people are on the go for this homecoming. With rich New Year food being served such as Jiaozi (dumplings), the indispensable food of the Spring Festival, the whole family will enjoy the reunion, engaged in pleasant conversation and share the beautiful prospects for the coming year. On the very first morning of the New Year, firecrackers are set off as soon as the door is opened in order to invite good luck. After that the ground is covered with red fragments from the exploded firecrackers like a floor of brocade. It’s called ‘Full House Red’. Temple festivities and celebration activities are held on the streets or in the parks. The whole block will be shrouded in an auspicious atmosphere with plenty of jubilation which will last until the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. In addition to traditional folk activities in celebration of the Spring Festival, Chinese people have recently developed such activities as travelling, planting trees, watching movies, among others, to spend a healthy, fashionable and environmentally friendly New Year. THE-INTL.
THE YEAR 2018 IS THE YEAR OF THE DOG, WHICH STARTS ON 16 FEBRUARY 2018.
11