Chinese New Year

Westerners celebrate Christmas. Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year. There are different dates, but the same meaning.

For Chinese, Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the year. Everyone, adults or children, all look forward to this date and celebration.

There are many traditions and customs of New Year celebration. With five-thousand years of history, there were many old superstitions with regard to Chinese New Year.

The actual New Year celebration lasts 3 weeks, from December 24th to January 15. December 24th is the so-called ‘小年夜‘ (the ‘Little New Year’s Eve’) which kicks off the celebration; and the celebration ends at January 15th, the so-called ‘Lantern Festival’.

According to some customs, one the 24th, you clean the house, 25th, grind soya beans to make Tofu, 26th make stewing pork, 27th kill chickens, 28th make the dough, 29th steam the buns, 30th stay the midnight, the 1st, celebrate the New Year.

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There are many old phrases related to the New Year, like:

• 有錢沒錢，團聚過年 Rich or poor, everyone goes home for New Year.
• 瑞雪兆豐年 White snow signals a good harvest year.
• 小孩盼過年，大人憂無錢 Children look forward to the New Year celebration, and adults worry about the money.
• 每逢佳節倍思親 You miss your loved ones at festivals.
• 人多好種田，人少好過年 More people are good for planting, less people are good for New Year celebration.
• 有錢沒錢，剃頭過年 Rich or poor, having a new haircut for New Year’s Eve.
• 有錢沒錢，買件新衣過年 Rich or poor, buy a new set of outfits for the New Year.
• 金窩銀窩不如自己的窩 My own home is much better than golden or silver nest.
• 寧與他人賽種田，不和他人比過年 Rather compete with others in plowing the rice field than comparing how to celebrate the New Year.
• 年年錢壓腰，一輩生活不用焦 Having enough red packs at New Year would ensure a good lasting life.
• 家有一老，如有一寶 Having an elderly at home is one’s treasure.
• 一年之計在於春 A good year starts at Spring.

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During ‘New Year Period’, many relatives and friends would come by to say well wishes, each family will prepare some treats to welcome their visit. Among them, nuts are the popular choices. Seven of nuts are the ones most people love to have:
• Pistachio
• Large Almond
• Cashew
• Macadamia Nuts (Hawaiian Nuts or Australian Nuts)
• Pecan
• Torreya Grandia Fruit
• Brazil Nuts

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