CHINESE NEW YEAR

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

(a.k.a. "Lunar New Year")

2009 IS THE YEAR OF THE OX

for fun facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

SEE SLIDESHOW OF TRIP TO CHINATOWN UNDER "PAST POSTINGS"

(*double click to view full screen).

Tangerines & Oranges:
Tangerines and oranges are frequently displayed in homes and stores.
Tangerines are symbolic of good luck, and oranges are symbolic of wealth.
These Chinese New Year symbols have developed through a language pun,
the word for tangerine having the same sound as "luck" in Chinese,
and the word for orange having the same sound as "wealth".

Mythology:
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started
with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese.
Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops,
and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers
would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year.
It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t
attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared
away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the
Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year
was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls
on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.
From then on, the Nian never came to the village again.