Chinese New Year--超急-十分

太古時期，有一種兇猛的怪獸，散居在深山密林中，人們管它們叫“年”。“年”的形貌猙獰，生性兇殘，專食飛禽走獸、鱗介蟲豸，一天換一種口味，從磕頭蟲一直吃到大活人，讓人談“年”色變。慢慢地，人們掌握了“年”的活動規律，原來它每隔三百六十五天竄到人群聚居的地方嘗一次口鮮，而且出沒的時間都是在天黑以後，等到雞鳴破曉，它們便返回山林中去了。算准了“年”的肆虐日期，男男女女便把這可怕的一夜視爲關煞，稱作“年關”，並且想出了一整套“過年關”的辦法：每到這一天晚上，家家戶戶提前做好晚飯，熄火淨竈，再把雞圈牛欄全部拴牢，然後把宅院的大門封住，躲在屋裏吃“年夜飯”——由於這頓晚餐具有凶吉未蔔的意味，所以置辦得很豐盛，除了要全家老小圍在一起用餐表示和睦團圓外，還須在吃飯前先供祭祖先，祈求祖先的神靈保佑他們平平安安地度過這一夜。吃過晚飯後，誰都不敢睡覺，擠坐在一起閒聊壯膽。
天色漸漸黑了下來，“年”從深山老林裏竄了出來，摸進人群聚居的村落。只見家家戶戶宅門緊閉，門前還堆著芝麻杆，街上卻瞧不見一個人影兒。轉了大半個晚上的“年”毫無所獲，只好啃些芝麻杆充饑。再過些時，公雞啼曉，這些兇殘而又愚蠢的怪物只得怏怏返回。熬過“年關”的人們欣喜不已，要感謝天地祖宗的護佑，要互相祝賀沒有被“年”吃掉，還要打開大門燃放鞭炮，去同鄰里親友見面道喜……，人們見面互相拱手作揖，祝賀道喜，慶倖沒被年獸吃掉。這樣過了好多年，沒出什麽事情，人們對年獸放鬆了警惕。就在有一年三十晚上，年獸突然竄到江南的一個村子裏。一村子人幾乎被年獸吃光了，只有一家挂紅布簾、穿紅衣的新婚小兩口平安無事。還有幾個童稚，在院裏點了一堆竹子在玩耍，火光通紅，竹子燃燒後“啪啪”地爆響，年獸轉到此處，看見火光嚇得掉頭逃竄。此後，人們知道年獸怕紅、怕光、怕響聲，每至年末歲首，家家戶戶就貼紅紙、穿紅袍、挂紅燈、敲鑼打鼓、燃放爆竹，這樣年獸就不敢再來了。在《詩經·小雅·庭燎》篇中，就有“庭燎之光”的記載。所謂“庭燎”就是用竹竿之類製作的火炬。竹竿燃燒後，竹節裏的空氣膨脹，竹腔爆裂，發出劈劈啪啪的響聲，這也即是“爆竹”的由來。可是有的地方，村民不知年獸怕紅，常常被年獸吃掉。這事後來傳到天上的紫微那兒，他爲了拯救人們，決心消滅年獸。有一年，他待年獸出來時，就用火球將它擊倒，再用粗鐵鏈將它鎖在石柱上。從此，每到過年，人們總要燒香，請紫微星下界來保平安。
這種現象逐漸蔚成了綿綿相傳的“過年”和“拜年”的風俗，“拜年”的風俗內容豐富，通常的順序是：“先拜天地，次拜祖宗，再拜高堂，然後出門去拜親朋友好，亦有初一拜本家、初二拜岳家、初三拜親戚……等各種講究，直至拜到正月十五，所謂拜個晚年。”

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year's Day, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. Traditionally, red packets (利是) are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples to unmarried people, especially children. The envelopes contain money, usually varying from a dollar to several hundred dollars. Chinese New Year is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and lion dances. Typically the game of mahjong is played in some families. New clothing is also worn on the first day.

1.

Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival/Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The Chinese New Year period lasts for 15 days, beginning on the first day of the first lunar month (正月 Zheng Yue) of the Chinese calendar. The holiday period ends with 元宵节 （Yuan Xiao Jie), on the 15th day of the festival.

It is possible that the beginning of the year began with month 1 during the Xia Dynasty, month 12 during the Shang Dynasty, and month 11 during the Zhou Dynasty in China, but intercalary months were added after month 12 during both the Shang Dynasty according to surviving oracle bones and the Zhou Dynasty according to Sima Qian. The first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang changed the beginning of the year to month 10 in 221 BC. Whether the New Year was celebrated at the beginning of these months or at the beginning of month 1 or both is unknown. In 104 BC, Emperor Wu established month 1 as the beginning of the year where it remains.

According to legend, in ancient China, nian ("Nyan"), a man-eating beast from the mountains, could infiltrate houses silently to prey on humans. The people later learned that nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the color red. So guo nian actually means surviving the nian. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations.


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Features / Common Practices

Red Packets

Traditionally, red packets (Mandarin: 'hóng bāo' (紅包); Hokkien: 'ang pow' (POJ: âng-pau); Hakka: 'fung bao'; Cantonese: 'leih síh' (利市)) are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples to unmarried people. It is also common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian lit age suppressing money)

The key idea is to distribute the red paper, however the red envelopes will always contain money, usually varying from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (白金 : Bai Jin)

New Year Markets

Markets are set up near the New Year especially for vendors to sell New Year-related products. These usually open-air markets feature floral products, toys, clothing, for shoppers to buy gifts for new year visitations as well as decor for their homes. The practice of shopping for the perfect plum tree is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a Christmas tree.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers come individually or strung on a long string. They are cased in red paper, as red is auspicious. The loud popping noise created by the explosion is thought to scare away evil spirits.

Fireworks

Fireworks are banned in Hong Kong for safety reasons, but the government will put on a fireworks display in Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Chinese New Year. Similar displays are also held in many other cities in and outside China.

Clothing

Red clothing is worn throughout the Chinese New Year, as red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. Also, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting anew in the new year.

Food

Fish, dumplings, candy, Kwatji, Turnip/Taro cakes

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