One of the most important celebrations in China and some other Asian countries has just ended for this year: Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. The holiday, which celebrates the start of new life and the growing season, begins on the first day of the first lunar month of the year and ends on the full moon fifteen days later, which this year was Feb. 10 through 24.
Before the holiday, people clean their houses to sweep away any bad luck, then hide the cleaning tools so the good luck will remain. Homes are decorated inside and out. Lunar New Year messages on red paper and pictures of the god of doors and wealth are posted on exterior doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance. People wear red clothing because red symbolizes fire, which scares away evil spirits. Families gather on New Year’s Eve for a large, traditional meal and stay up until midnight to see the new year in. (Traditionally this was a time to set off fireworks, but these are now often banned in urban areas; some substitute balloon-popping, or put up firecracker decorations). Parents and grandparents fill red envelopes with money and sweets for children to find under their pillows on New Year's Day.
A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals, and temple fairs is held during the two weeks of the holiday. Lunar New Year ends with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, when lanterns with hand-painted scenes are hung in house windows and carried in the streets to accompany a dragon dance. Chinese minority groups usually celebrate Lunar New Year according to the same calendar, but practice some different customs from the Chinese Han majority.
This article is part of a monthly series from the Diversity Council about topics related to diversity and multiculturalism.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/events/chinesenewyear/
https://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Festivals/78322.htm
Follow-up to the November 2012 Diversity Dispatch article, “Domestic Violence and Diversity:”
MCC participates in Enough is Enough Week, a campaign to stem societal violence organized by NASPA (Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education) and sponsored by MCC’s Civility Committee, the week of March 4-7 (see https://tinyurl.com/a22v8mg for a full schedule of MCC events).
Debbie Mohr
Diversity Council (ETS: Libraries)
02/28/2013 |