Chinese New Year 2024 is coming! This year it falls on Saturday, February 10th, and celebrations will continue until the Lantern Festival on February 24th. Lunar New Year or Spring Festival (春节 - chūn jié) is the most important traditional holiday in China. This festival is full of rich customs and traditions, each with its own meaningful explanation, which we will share with you today! We are about to enter the Year of the Dragon, so let’s see what Chinese culture says about this creature?
The dragon, or lóng (龙) in Mandarin, is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck in Chinese culture. Chinese Emperors in the past were believed to be the reincarnation of the mighty dragons. According to a history writing, the Dragon was also an imperial symbol during the Tang Dynasty. It's a significant figure in Chinese mythology and is frequently represented in art, literature, and of course, during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
In order to add an educational component to our festivities, let's expand our Mandarin vocabulary with words related to the Year of the Dragon:
Dragon: lóng (龙)
Year of the Dragon: lóng nián (龙年)
To celebrate: qìng zhù (庆祝) / guò（过）
New Year: xīn nián (新年)
Main Traditions of Chinese New Year
Now that we've learned some facts and vocabulary related to the Dragon Year, let's dive into the main traditions of the Chinese New Year!
Cleaning and Decorating Homes
Before
the New Year arrives, it's tradition to thoroughly clean one's home to
sweep away any ill-fortune and make way for incoming luck. But once it’s
a New Year’s Eve, nobody cleans in those days, not to sweep away a new
luck and fortune. Homes are often decorated with red paper couplets ( 春联 chūn lián ), and special New Year paintings to usher in good luck and prosperity.
Reunion Dinner
The reunion dinner ( 年夜饭 nián yè fàn ) on New Year's Eve is a time when families come together to enjoy a feast. The meal often includes symbolic foods. For example, fish ( 鱼 yú ) is eaten to ensure prosperity, dumplings ( 饺子 jiǎo zi ) and spring rolls ( 春卷 chūn juǎn) for wealth, sweet rice balls ( 汤圆 tāng yuán ) for family togetherness, and good fortune fruits, like oranges, pineapples and pomelo, for fullness and wealth.
Designed by Freepik
Red Envelopes
One of the most well-known traditions of the Chinese New Year is the giving of red envelopes ( 红包 hóng bāo ), often decorated with gold symbols or characters representing luck, wealth, and prosperity. They are typically filled with money and given by elders to the younger generation to transfer fortune and blessings. These money also known as yā suì qián 压岁钱, which literally means to "suppress 祟 suì - evil spirit".
Dragon and Lion Dances
These are traditional performances that involve a group of dancers moving in a coordinated manner to mimic the movements of the respective creatures. The dragon dance ( 舞龙 wǔ lóng ) is believed to bring good luck and prosperity, while the lion dance ( 舞狮 wǔ shī ) is meant to ward off evil and bring fortune and longevity.
Lantern Festival
The Chinese New Year celebrations end with the Lantern Festival ( 元宵节 yuán xiāo jié ) on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Lanterns are lit and hung, and families enjoy sweet dumplings called 元宵 yuán xiāo, symbolizing family unity and completeness.
Designed by Freepik
As we welcome the Year of the Dragon, we encourage everyone to learn more about and participate in these beautiful traditions. Celebrating Chinese New Year is not only a way to usher in good luck and prosperity, but also a wonderful opportunity to appreciate Chinese culture and history. At SN Mandarin, we are thrilled to share these traditions with our students, fostering a deeper understanding of the language through cultural immersion. So, let’s celebrate the Chinese New Year together - 新年快乐 xīn nián kuài lè, 年年有余 nián nián yǒu yú — Happy New Year, may you have abundance every year!
