CHINESE NEW YEARBy Carrie Aldrich

Summary

There are several myths and traditions

about how Chinese New Year started. It is

used to honor ancestors. One of the myths

is that a beast called the Nian came the first

day of the New Year and ate all the crops,

livestock, and even villagers. They noticed

that Nian was sacred away by the color red,

and that is why today people hang red

lanterns and scrolls outside their house.

The Decorations

Decorations are put up on the New Year but left up

all year long for luck, health, and prosperity. Most

decorations are red. Red symbolizes joy, truth,

virtue, and sincerity. A lot of decorations are also

gold because it symbolizes wealth. Just before the

New Year people take down the decorations from

last year and put up the new ones for this year.

People also decorate with wood block prints.

The Decorations

The Decorations

The Entertainment

There are variety of ways people celebrate

Chinese New Year, but all focus on family and

prosperity. Many people celebrate with dinners and

parties. Many people also have family reunions.

There are a lot of fireworks and there is a Lantern

Festival which is when they carry lanterns in an

evening parade.

The Entertainment

Entertainment

Chinese New Year Celebration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xtp9M5eU1s

Food

There is a lot of food served on Chinese

New Year. A whole chicken is served to

symbolize family togetherness. Noodles

represent long life, and spring rolls represent

wealth. There is a lot of fish served on the

New Year, as well as sticky rice cakes.

Food

Food

Traditions

There are many traditions on Chinese New Year. One of

them is a big dinner, which is an important family reunion

dinner, especially for those away from home. Fish is

normally served. There are also fireworks, which are used

to drive evil away from the home. There are red packages

which are filled with Chinese money ranging from one to

thousands of yuan. There is the New Years Markets which

are set up so people can go and buy the New Years goods.

Finally people completely clean all of their house to get rid

of the old and welcome the new.

Traditions

Traditions

Past v. Present

Past

• Dinner at parents house

• Markets sell food

• Envelopes had small

amounts of money

Present

• Dinner at resturaunt

• Markets sell cheap toys

• Envelopes have large

amounts of money

Celebrated all over the world

New York

Celebrated all over the world

China

Celebrated all over the world

Sydney

Celebrated all over the world

Europe

Citations

• http://www.chinesenewyears.info/chinese-new-year-

traditions.php

• http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesenewyear/a/symb

olicnewyear.htm

• http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html

• http://events.gigmasters.com/planning/chinese-new-year-

party/

• http://www.sydneychinesenewyear.com/entertainment/

• http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Chi

nese-New-Year-Chinese-New-Years-Decorations.htm