Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (Chun Jie)

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (Chun Jie) is the start of the lunar calendar and the coming of spring. It is the largest Chinese celebration, celebrated at about the same time worldwide. New Year is celebrated around the same time by Chinese people all over the world – on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Chinese New year primarily involves family, friends and food.

Celebrations are 15 days, ending with Lantern Festival on 1/15, a full moon night. It used to last 4 weeks but now it is 3 to 4 days. Many people in China get 5 days off to celebrate – although they may have to work the weekend before or afterward. Xin Nian Kuai le! Gong xi Fa cai! Chun Jie Kuai le! Gung Hay Fat Choy Every community has different ways of celebrating. In American many Chinese families celebrate on the nearest Saturday, being sure to clean the house, decorate with red, share a meal together, and perhaps wear traditional clothes.

The next 12 year cycle of Chinese New Years starts with February 7th, 2008, the Year of the Rat. The Chinese New Year dates are: January 26, 2009, February 14, 2010, February 3, 2011, and January 23, 2012. If you want to do something at school, tell your child's teacher sooner rather than later - especially when it is so close to Valentine's Day they need to plan how to spend their time. Some parents are unable to go in when the teacher can support it and just send in (red) hong bao "goodie bags" as if it was a birthday. If you go in a lantern craft or parade, or a dragon to parade under is wonderful. Bring in some background music if you can.

How did Chinese New Year come to be celebrated? According to an ancient legend, once a year people were tormented by a beast called a Nian (a ferocious creature with an extremely large mouth) which was capable of swallowing several people in a single bite. Relief from the Nian came only when an old man tricked the beast into disappearing. Or scared it away with loud noises and red. In reality, New Years festivities probably evolved from a desire to celebrate the end of winter and the fertility and rebirth that come with the spring, much like the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. Today, New Year is about family reunions and wishing everyone good fortune in the coming year. (Nian is Mandarin for year. Xin Nian Kuai Le!)

Some Chinese traditions for welcoming the New Year and creating good fortune in the year ahead:

• BEFORE New Year’s: Clean your home, sweep away the bad luck of the year that's ending, get new clothes, get your hair cut. Plan out the food! Round food (fruits like oranges which are also gold color) are good. Fish, long life noodles, … Pay off any debts so you can start the year fresh. Decorate your home in red, the Chinese color for good luck.

• During the first days of New Year: DO NOT clean your home. You do not want to risk sweeping away the good luck of the New Year. Don’t wash your hair the first day, or get it cut in the first week or so.
• An important tradition on New Year's Eve is for families to gather together and spend the evening preparing jiaozi or boiled dumplings. According to Chinese Culture Guide Jun Shan, it is common to hide a coin in one of the dumplings. Whoever gets the dumpling with the coin will supposedly have good luck in the coming year. (perhaps only in his community?)
• Try to see as many of your family and friends as possible during the New Year celebration to spread good wishes for the coming year.
• Give out money packets - On New Years day, children receive “lai see” or “hong bao”- red packets decorated with gold symbols and filled with "lucky money”. If your bank has crisp new bills they are best to use.
• Serve and eat as many lucky foods as possible on the New Year. Some of these foods are whole fish, noodles and mandarin oranges. If you're not ready to cook Chinese food, most Chinese restaurants offer special New Year menus.
• Don't cry on that day or raise your voice to your children or you'll be setting a tone of discord for the coming year.
• Some fruit or flowers or candy for your Chinese teacher would be appreciated.
• Lanterns and couplets written on red paper are common decorations. Fu means fortune, and it is shown here on a lantern and also in cursive.

Some Astrology
The Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years after an animal. (Someone said perhaps that the years should more properly be numbered from 0 to 11!) The cycle is: rat/mouse, ox/cow, tiger, hare/rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram/sheep/goat, monkey, rooster/chicken, dog, pig/boar. That is within a larger 60 year cycle that started in 1984. 1996 was the start of the current 12 year cycle, 2008 will start a new one. Two years later, Feb. 14, 2010 will start the Year of the Tiger. Remember if someone was born between January 19th and February 21st, you can not tell their zodiac year unless you know the date of the Chinese New Year for their birth year. You may not want to discuss this in preschool classes – unless you are prepared for a very noisy room of animal sounds.

Some Chinese believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying: "This is the animal that hides in your heart." Others use the zodiac just for fun. One legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. Another legend says that the years are named, in order, for the animals that raced for the Green Emperor.

There are a number of sites on the web with more information on the Chinese zodiac, Chinese New Year, and Chinese date converters. There are also solar to lunar date converters available for Palm Pilots.

Updated: March 2007

Chinese New Year and the Zodiac

You may want to share this overview with your child's class or their teacher.

Chinese New Year is the second new moon after the winter solstice. The next Chinese New Year begins is Feb. 7, 2008, Year of the Rat. More dates are given below. The rat is first and the cycle is repeated every twelve years. (Some say that the years should more properly be numbered from 0 to 11.)

1........2..........3.....4.......5.........6........7.....8..........9........10......11.....12...
rat . ox . . . tiger hare dragon snake horse ram . . monkey rooster dog . pig
鼠 . . 牛. . . . 虎 . . 兔. . . 龍 . . . . 蛇. . . 馬 . . 羊 . . . . 猴 . . . . 雞 . . .狗 . . . 豬
shu3 niu2 hu3 . . tu4 . long2 . she2 . ma3 yang2 . hou2 . . ji1 . . . gou3 zhu1
shǔ . .niú . hǔ . . . .tù . . lóng. . .shé . . mǎ . .yáng . . hóu . . . . jī . . . . gǒu . .zhū

Rat can be rat or mouse. The Year of the Ram, can also be the year of the sheep or goat as all of those words are based on the same character in Chinese. Some prefer the last year to be the Year of the Boar. (Pinyin for the Mandarin is given. The number represents the correct tone since not all programs were displaying the tone marks.)

rat . . ox . tiger . hare . dragon snake horse . . ram hou ji/hen . . dog . . . pig
1919 1920 1921 1922 . . 1923 . . 1924 1930 . . 1931 1932 1933. . . 1934 . 1935
1936 1937 1938 1939 . . 1940 . . 1941 1942 . . 1943 1944 1945 . . 1946 . . 1947
1948 1949 1950 1951 . . 1952 . . 1953 1954 . . 1955 1956 1957 . . . 1958 . 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 . . 1964 . . 1965 1966 . . 1967 1968 1969 . . 1970 . . 1971
1972 1973 1974 1975 . . 1976 . . 1977 . 1978 . .1979 1980 . 1981 . . 1982 . . 1983
1984 1985 1986 1987 . . 1988 . . 1989 1990 . . 1991 1992 1993 . . 1994 . . 1995
1996 1997 1998 1999 . . 2000 . 2001 . 2002 . 2003 2004 2005 . .2006 . 2007
2008 2009 2010 2011 . 2012 . . 2013 . 2014 . 2015 2016 . 2017 . . 2018 . 2019

Since the lunar calendar does not line up with January first and is not on the same day of the solar calendar each year, if your birthday is January 1^st through 20^th, you are in the zodiac sign of the previous year. If your birthday is between January 21^st and February 19^th, someone will have to look up you zodiac sign. For example if you were born in 1975, you would need to know that the Chinese New Year that year fell on February 11th. (See more 1973-1984 Chinese New Year dates, Chinese New Year Dates from 1900, and Future Chinese New Year dates.)

Some Chinese believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying: "This is the animal that hides in your heart." Others use the zodiac just for fun. The Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years after an animal. One legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. Another legend says that the years are named, in order, for the animals that raced for the Green Emperor.

So, for example, if you were born between January 23, 1974 and February 10, 1975, you are a (green wood) Tiger. Tiger people are competitive (especially in business dealings) and must be careful not to create enemies during their quest for success. They are not easily influenced by others. Tiger personalities are also sensitive, emotional, and capable of great love, but have a difficult time understanding the meaning of moderation. They often approach love with as much ferocity as a good fight.

If you were born February 11, 1975 to January 30, 1976, you are a (wood) green Hare. Other rabbits include Michelangelo, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Walt Whitman, and Marie Curie. Hares (rabbits) are happiest with friends and do not like to argue. They typically have beautiful homes, love of good conversation, reading, and intellectual discussions. Hares are sincere and are often make gifted healers, herbalists, and doctors. They are traditionally associated with clear-sightedness, excellent judges of character and have the ability to recognize when others are lying.

Monkey celebrities include Julius Caesar, Leonardo daVinci, Captain Cook, Elizabeth Taylor and Edgar Faure. Monkeys are inventive, quick-thinking and never at a loss for words. Charming, they are often popular but not always taken seriously which can lead to frustration. They crave knowledge and are good at problem-solving.

There are a number of sites on the web with more information on the Chinese zodiac, Chinese New Year, and Chinese date converters. There are also solar to lunar date converters available for Palm Pilots. They are also useful if you want to know when the next Chinese New Year will be. (Or if you want to look up the date for Autumn Moon Festival, or any of the Chinese festivals that are celebrated according to the lunar calendar.)

1993 January 22 - February 9, 1994 (Water) Chicken 4661
1994 February 10 – January 30, 1995 (Wood) Green Dog 4662
1995 January 31 – February 18, 1996 (Wood) Green Pig 4663

1996 February 19, 1996 – February 6, 1997 (Fire) Red Rat 4664
1997 February 7, 1997 – January 27, 1998 (Fire) Red Ox 4665
1998 January 28, 1998 – February 15, 1999 (Earth) Brown Tiger 4666
1999 February 16, 1999 – February 4, 2000 (Earth) Brown Hare 4667
2000 February 5, 2000 – January 23, 2001 (Metal) White Gold Dragon 4668
2001 January 24, 2001 – February 11, 2002 (Metal) White Snake 4669
2002 February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003 (Water) Black Horse 4670
2003 February 1, 2003 – January 21, 2004 (Water) Black Sheep 4701
2004 January 22, 2004 – February 8, 2005 (Wood) Green Monkey 4702
2005 Wed. February 9, 2005 – (Wood) Green Chicken 4703
2006 Mon. January 29, 2006 - (Fire) Red Dog 4704
2007 Sunday, February 18, 2007 - (Fire) Red Pig 4705

2008 Thursday, February 7^th - (Earth) Brown Rat 4706
2009 Monday, January 26^th - (Earth) Brown Ox 4707
2010 February 14^th - (Metal) White Tiger 4708
2011 February 3^rd - (Metal) White Hare 4709
2012 January 23^th - (Water) Dragon 4710
2013 February 10^th - (Water) Snake 4711
2014 January 31^st - (Wood) Horse 4712
2015 February 19^th - (Wood) Sheep 4713
2016 February 8^th - (Fire) Monkey 4714
2017 January 28^th - (Fire) Chicken 4715
2018 February 16^th - (Earth) Dog 4716
2019 February 5^th - (Earth) Pig 4717

To check your zodiac animal; and element for other years, check Chinese New Year Dates from 1900.

(Traditional) Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China who completed the Great Wall). The Yellow King became king in 2697 B.C.; therefore China entered the 4701^st year on January 22^nd, 2004.

What is the stem-branch system? In addition to the Chinese zodiac animals (the 12 branches) there are 10 Stems. The stems are named for with Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water.

Branches use the animal names. The Branch sequence order is Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60, which begins with Wooden Rat and ends with Water Pig. A complete cycle was from 1924 to the year 1983. Our current cycle started in 1984.
[I have not tried this but] There is an algorithm online now to determine the stem and branch for any year at:
http://www.hermetic.ch/cal_stud/ch_year.htm

You may remember that there was a boom of Chinese babies in 2000. The Chinese New Year in 2000 was a year of the Metal Dragon – a Gold Dragon - which is a very auspicious time to be born. [Personal note: Many said it is especially auspicious for a boy to be born, but I have not been able to confirm that in writing.]

Some web sites say the year 2004 is the 4702nd Chinese year. If you cannot find the explanation, here is one possibility: The Yellow King's inauguration was held in the spring of 2697 B.C. But the calendar of Yellow King used the winter solstice day as the first day of the year. So the first winter solstice was on around December 23rd, 2698 B.C. The Gregorian calendar January 1st meant nothing to the Yellow King. If we count that extra eight days in 2698 B.C. for a year, then year 2004 is the 4702nd Chinese year.

Much of stem and branch information is from Chinese Astrology Online from 2003 and 2004. To learn about 2007, see: www.chineseastrologyonline.com/2007.htm

There are many good websites on Chinese New Year (in English). I am not saying that the ones above are the best. They are listed because they give the most detail on the 60 year zodiac cycle (although I suspect that is more detail than your readers will be interested in, and it is more background information for you). The ntdttv also gives coverage of their New Year Global Gala but you may have to register to see it.
2005 New Year's Gala Coverage
2006 New Year's Gala Coverage

For more on the Chinese Zodiac, see these lesson plans. They have good background material even if your students are older:

• Animals of the Chinese Zodiac (K-2nd)
• Lions, Dragons, and Nian: Animals of the Chinese New Year (K-2nd)
• Chinese Zodiac and Paper Cuts (grades 5 & 6)

Or, see Chinese New Year Lesson Plans.

These links were correct and working as of March 2007.
Last updated: April 2007

Lantern Riddles

Riddles on the Lantern Festival may be more popular in Taiwan today than they are in China.

Little boy red-jacket, whither away?
To the house with the ivory portals I stray.
Say will you come back again, little redcoat?
My bones will return, but my flesh will remain.

But if you want some that can be used in elementary school, try these:

1. When you cry, she cries. When you laugh, she laughs.
When you ask her who she is, She says, “You know.”

2. It looks green, it opens red.
What you eat is red, but what you spit out is black.

3. Had at work day and night, it counts the numbers over and over.
Although it counts all its life, it never gets past twelve.

4. Branches grow on its head; it wears spotted clothes.
Not a donkey of a horse, it runs like the wind.

5. They are twin sisters, same height; they work in the kitchen, arm in arm. Whatever is cooked, they always try it first.
- OR - Brothers, all pair up; Bodies firm and tall. You only care to eat the solid food, and don’t care to eat the soup.

6. Red through and through, it has no mouth
But it eats many things; it fears water but not wind.

7. From far away it looks like a city wall. Up close it looks like a row of houses. In a day it can travel 1,000 miles, & it can carry 1,000,000 bushels of food.

8. For me, I slap you. Because of you, I slap me. Hitting your skin, my blood flows.

9. This guy runs fast but cannot stand. People ride this horse that never eats grass. - OR –
A strange horse, Two round, round legs;
Step on its frame, Grasp its two horns.

10. 2 small boats, 5 guests in each; sail on land but never on water;
Busy during the daytime, anchored at night. - OR -
Two small boats go west and east, Ten passengers ride inside;
Daytime they come & go, Nighttime they leave & boat’s empty.

11. Wash it and it isn't clean. Don't wash it and then it's clean;
Wash it and you can't eat it. Don't wash it & then you can eat it.

12. If will follow you for 1000 miles but not miss home.
It desires neither food nor flowers. It fears not water, fire, knives, nor soldiers. But it disappears when the sun sets behind the western mountains.

13. No one goes through the red door, inside lies a red stone,
It swings back and forth. It is very wet and never gets dry.

14. Half is on the ground, half is in the ground,
Half is solid, and half empty, Half is white, and half green,
Half is eaten, and half thrown away.

15. Now to the left, now to the right.
I can only tell day and night. But spring and summer I care not.

16. Looking at it, there are divisions; feeling it, there are no divisions. The two ends are cold as ice; the middle is as hot as a flame.

17. Has a head but has no neck, its body is as cold as ice; It has no feet but can travel thousand miles, has wings but cannot fly.
- OR - On his body he wears a robe. He has eyes, but no eyebrows. He has wings, but he can’t fly. He has no feet, but he can travel one thousand miles.

18. Ten children together play,
And each has a tile on top of his head.

19. One east, One west,
They die without seeing each other.

20. Ten plus ten, Still is ten,
Ten minus ten, Again is ten.

21. It is a very tiny dragon, whose whiskers are as hard as palm trees. While living, it has no blood, after it dies, its whole body turns red.

22. On the grass, there are many tiny pearls. Round so round! Bright so bright! Alas! They cannot be strung.

23. Seen from after, it looks like a pair shoes; Seen up close, there are no laces. Don’t enter it casually, because once you enter, you can never come out again.

24. A small, small little boy of silver, Wears red, green, or yellow,
With a lazy woman he’s quite comfortable, but with an industrious woman he is always in hurry.

25. This is truly a strange object; naturally produced, yet it fears the sunshine. If the sun doesn’t shine, it won't get wet; the more the sun shines, the quicker it gets drenched.

26. In youth, it has two horns; reaching maturity, its horns disappear. Aging past twenty, it has two horns as before.

27. A red maiden, clever and petite. Sometimes she comes short, sometimes tall. When tall, people wear light linen. When short, people wear padded cotton. - OR –
The red maiden, Lives in a small lane; Short in the winter, Long in the summer.

28. Young its hair is white. Come old age its hair is black;
Idle it wears a hat. And busy takes it off.

29. Like a cloud but not a cloud. Like smoke but not smoke;
The wind's breath sends it floating lightly by. The sun slowly breaks it apart.

30. His body’s draped with a large skin cloak. He eats the grass on the mountain slope. So that others may warmly bundle up, he gladly takes off his body's fur coat.

31. Goes out the door fat and plump; Comes in as thin as a stick.
Resting against a wall, Its tears drip and drip.

32. In winter, you see it frequently; In summer, it is rarely seen.
Use it and you don't see it; See it when you don't use it.

33. The house is dark and black inside; the window is not opened often. Once the window is thrown open, you will be pulled into the house.

34. Water can't move it. Fire can't burn it.
Eat it and you are not full. But everyone needs it.

35. Yellow gold clothes. Wrap a silver bar;
The middle bends, Upward turn both ends.

Resources

Books do not change significantly from edition to edition but websites can and do. The links below were good as of February 2005.

Professor Roth's Chinese New Year description

Kids' Domain links for Chinese New Year (resources, crafts, food, games)
http://holidays.kaboose.com/what-is-chinese-new-year.html
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/chinese-new-years/chinese-new-years-crafts.html

Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco's Celebrating Chinese New Year
www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/festival/newyear/newyear.html

List of Links on Chinese New Year:
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/topicsub1.htm

Natalie Walker's Lesson Plan for 2nd & 3rd graders

Web Holiday's CNY Page

Updated: 2009

More Lantern Riddles

Riddles on the Lantern Festival may be more popular in Taiwan today than they are in China. I find these harder than the ones I considered for elementary school.

Little boy red-jacket, whither away?
To the house with the ivory portals I stray.
Say will you come back again, little redcoat?
My bones will return, but my flesh will remain.

A thick-skinned face. A stomach all empty;
Whack it with a stick; it cries tong, tong, tong.

When small, it walks on four legs. When grown, it walks on two legs.
When old, it walks on three legs.

It fears not water, fire, knives, nor soldiers. But it disappears when the sun sets behind the western mountains.

Brothers, all pair up; Bodies firm and tall.
You only care to eat the solid food, And don’t care to eat the soup.

An old man with long hair on his feet, Gets up early in the morn;
And creeps all over the floor.

Eight brothers carry a drum, Carry it to the city to see my mother-in-law,
My mother-in-law says we brothers are many, The two behind she does not count.

The sun escorts me on up to the sky, Lord wind escorts me to the four quarters,
Pitiable, I cry with tearful eyes; I can’t return to my old home.

A picture, bright and clear; With trees, grass, and flowers.
Elsewhere, they all upward stretch; Here, they all reach down.

Red, yellow, blue and white, they can change their shapes;
They take forms like phoenixes and dragons.
Coming and going a thousand li, they do not stop to rest;
In one gust, a light breeze blows them dry and clean.

On the grass, there are many tiny pearls. Round so round! Bright so bright!
Alas! They cannot be strung.

A ball, round, it rolls along.
At night, no one sees it;. By day, it is there for every house.

Shaped like a rat, Acts like a monkey.
Climbing on the tree branches, Busily picking nuts.

The oldsters have feet, but no tails; The youngsters have tails, but no feet.
When the youngsters grow as big as the oldsters. They have feet, but no tails.

Tiny little town, Billets an encampment of soldiers;
Marching out of the town. A red lantern dots each head.
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Answers:
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?, drum, person, shadow, chopsticks, broom, crab, reflection, clouds, dew, sun, squirrel, frog, matches