Warm Impression of Spring Festival–Beijing
Just like Christmas in the West, Spring Festival is a great time for family gatherings and great food. The year 2008 is the year of the Rat in Chinese lunar calendar. As the year of the Rat draws to a close and 2009, the year of the Ox, approaches, all in China eagerly look forward to the Spring Festival (Jan. 25 to 31, 2009), the most cheerful holiday of the year.
So, let’s “travel” around China to experience the Spring Festival with our first stop–Beijing.
Beijing Impression of Spring Festival
Impression 1: Red lanterns everywhere
During Chinese New Year, Beijing is definitely in Spring Festival mode. Everything red… Fitting for the capital of China! Big Red Lanterns are hung from the trees or out of buildings during the Chinese New Year celebrations everywhere in Beijing.
Impression 2:Â Spring Festival Couplets & Chinese Character “Fu”
During the Spring Festival of every year, all families in both urban and rural areas traditionally handpick a pair of Spring Festival couplets to paste on the door, adding some joyous atmosphere to the festival.
During the Spring Festival, every household usually sticks posters of various sizes bearing the Chinese character “Fu”(meaning “good fortune”) on doors and walls. The character is a symbol of happiness, bliss and fortune. Sticking the poster upside down means the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity, because the Chinese word “Dao”, or “upside down”, sounds similar as “Dao”, or “arrive”.
Impression 3: Happiness of the New Year’s Eve
Family Reunion Dinner of the New Year Eve
The night before the Spring Festival is traditionally called “New Year’s eve”. The dinner for the whole family on this day is called “New Year’s Eve Dinner”. Every family member is expected to return home for the dinner. For someone really can’t make it, other family members will put an empty chair by the table and place an empty bowl and chopsticks on the table, indicating that he (she) is not forgotten. Â
Gift Money to Children
The gift money to children is wrapped in red paper. During the Spring Festival, when children send their wishes to elder people, elder people are expected to give some gift money prepared before hand to the children, wishing them a peaceful year. The earliest gift money appeared in the Han Dynasty. It was not the money circulating at that time, but a coin-shaped talisman especially cast for wearing on the body or for adornment. The gift money reflects elder generations’ good wishes for younger generations. It is a good Chinese tradition to give gift money to children during the Spring Festival.
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