Table of Contents
- 1 Why do the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year?
- 2 What do Chinese people not do on Chinese New Year?
- 3 Why can’t you wash your hair on Chinese New Year?
- 4 What is taboo during Chinese New Year?
- 5 What do oranges mean in Chinese New Year?
- 6 Do Chinese celebrate two birthdays?
- 7 Can you take a shower on Chinese New Year?
- 8 What do you eat on the first day of Chinese New Year?
Why do the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important celebration observed in China, with cultural and historic significance. The festival signals the beginning of spring, and the start of a new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
What do Chinese people not do on Chinese New Year?
Don’t: Swearing, saying words with negative meanings (e.g. death, poverty, ghosts) and bad-mouthing are things not to do on Chinese New Year as they will bring you bad luck all year long. The word “sì” for “4” is also considered a bad word since it sounds similar to “death” in Chinese.
Who is involved in Chinese New Year?
| Chinese New Year | |
|---|---|
| Also called | Spring Festival, Lunar New Year |
| Observed by | Chinese people, Sinophone communities within the Sinosphere and non-Chinese people worldwide |
| Type | Cultural Religious (Chinese folk religion, Buddhist, Confucian, Daoist, some Christian communities) |
Why can’t you wash your hair on Chinese New Year?
Hair must not be washed on Chinese New Year’s Day. In Mandarin, hair (发, fa) has the same pronunciation (and indeed is the same character) as fa in facai (发财), which means ‘to become wealthy’. Therefore, it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.
What is taboo during Chinese New Year?
Taboo Words: Words with negative meaning should be avoided in daily conversation, such as breaking, running out, death, ghost, killing, sickness, pain, losing, and poverty. All these words should be replaced by euphemisms during the whole of Spring Festival.
How do Chinese celebrate New Years at work?
6 Ways To Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Office
- Clean your workspace.
- Decorate with lanterns, flowers and lights.
- Exchange money in red packages.
- Eat mandarin oranges (and other Chinese snacks)
- Hire a lion dance performance.
- Have a reunion lunch when your team returns.
What do oranges mean in Chinese New Year?
The words for tangerine and orange in Chinese resemble the words for luck and success, respectively. Their bright color also symbolizes gold, hence the fruits have a meaning of bringing good luck and wealth.
Do Chinese celebrate two birthdays?
One is the common calendar that is used around the world, i.e. the Gregorian Calendar, and the other is the traditional Chinese calendar, also known as the Lunar Calendar (Nong Li, the farming calendar or Yin Li). Therefore, Chinese people get to celebrate their birthday twice a year, one birthday in each calendar.
Can you spend red envelope money?
Yes, you could spend “lucky money” on a $398 beige Chinese New Year sheep-shaped clutch by Kate Spade. The red color of the envelope symbolizes wishing the recipient good luck; the money symbolizes the wish for good fortune for the next generation. It’s a gift for the young and unmarried.
Can you take a shower on Chinese New Year?
Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year. The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosper. Actually, LNY fundamentalists will tell you taking a shower is also off-limits on the first day for the same reason.
What do you eat on the first day of Chinese New Year?
The most common Chinese New Year foods include dumplings, fish, spring rolls, and niangao. We’ve rounded up 7 essential Chinese, or Lunar, New Year dishes, and included the symbolism behind them all.