Lunar New Year
(Chinese
New Year, Korean Sol-nal & Vietnamese Tet)
The
Lunar New Year celebrations (Year of the Tiger) begins
on February
14, 2010
The Lunar New
Year is an important time for celebrations and fresh starts for
many around the world. The Chinese New Year, Vietnamese New Year
(Tet-Tet Nguyen Dan) and Korean New Year (Sol-Nal) are filled with
similar customs that date back thousands of years, from honoring
ancestors to cleaning house to colorful parades.
The
Lunar Calendar is based on the movements of the moon,
with each month beginning a new moon. The Lunar New
Year starts on the first new moon, generally between
Jaunuary 21-February 19. February 14, 2010 is the beginning
of the year of the ox.
Like Koreans
and Vietnamese, Chinese families rejoice in the New Year over days
or weeks with unique food, decorations, and other traditions for
good luck in the coming year. Houses are given thorough cleanings,
new clothes are bought, debts are paid, and family and friends gather
to begin the New Year with a clean slate. It is of great importance
to think only the best thoughts and say only kind words to those
around you, so that the New Year begins in a positive atmospere.
Before the big day, Chinese families paste red scrolls with good
luck words such as "peaceful" and "safe" around
their houses, and on Year's Day, children receive red envelopes
with money inside. They pay respects to their grandparents ten times
back, visit friends and family bearing gifts of candies, oranges,
and pomelos, and feast on good luck dishes to further ensure prosperous
futures.
Firecrackers
are set off to drive away evil spirits with loud noises
and to anticipate the upcoming parades. Business owners
invote lion dancers to come celebrate up and down the
streets in the Lion Parade, but the Dragon Parade is
the highlight of the festivities. An enormous dragon
fashioned out of paper mache is painted in brilliant
reds, golds, and greens, and it is thought the dragon
comes alive when a martial arts master paints the dragon's
eyes. The celebrations end on the fifteenth day when
people hang paper lanterns, lit with candles and attatched
with riddles, for the Lantern Festival
(February 28, 2010).
The Vietnamese
New Year, called Tet, lasts from three days to a week and includes
much of the same traditions as the Chinese New Year, including a
Dragon Dance. To bring extra good luck, a child or relative is sent
out just before midnight and is invited to reenter a few minutes
later, being the all important visitor of the new year.
Sol-Nal, the Korean New Year
lasting for three days, embraces "filial piety".
or respecting one's parents. Children make formal bows
called "se-bae" to their parents to show their
gratefulness to them. They are given "se-bae-ton,"
money which they keep in a "bok-ju-mo-ni,"
or good fortune pouch. Games such as Yut and kite-flying
contests are part of the festivities, which last until
Tae-Bo-Rum, the first full moon festival on February
28, 2010.
No matter how
you celebrate, the New Year is a special occasion full of warmth,
cheerfulness, and reflection. Most importantly, families and friends
of all cultures can keep alive the traditions of coming together
to share in the hopes for a new beginning. We hope we can help you
celebrate with resource materials and party ideas.
Recommended
resources:
Books
about Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year
Celebrating
Chinese New Year
Sam
and the Lucky Money
Dancing
Dragon
D
is for Dragon
Moonbeams,
Dumplings and Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday
Tales, Activities & Recipes
Story
of Chinese Zodiac
Chinese
Feast and Festivals
Legends of Ten Chinese Festival
Ten
Mice for Tet (Vietnam)
Dumpling
Soup
New
Clothes for New Year's Day (Korea)
Activity
Kits and games
Chinese
New Year Activity Book
Fortune
Cookies Craft Kit
Chinese Dragon Craft Activity
Chinese
New Year Decoration Garland Set
Paper Dragon
Yut-Korean Game
Chinese
Red Lucky Money Envelopes
Chinese
Yo-yo
Good
Fortune Pouches - Korean
Music
Gongs
and Drum Celebration Music CD
12
inch Authentic Chinese Gong
6
inch Authentic Chinese Gong
Happy
Songs for Chinese Festivals Music CD
Video
Chinese
New Year DVD
Families
of Vietnam DVD - features Tet celebrations in Vietnam
Stationeries/Gifts
Tiger
Zodiac Rubber Stamp
Happy
New Year Rubber Stamp
Happy
New Year/Blessings Greeting Cards (Can be used with
Chinese and Korean culture)
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