Happy Lunar or Chinese New Year?

Yes, friends, the time has come to the end of the week-long holidays of the "Lunar" New Year.

Let's get back to reality!

Though it has become accustomed to many people of the saying, we are here to emphasize that it is more "Lunar New Year" to us than that of "Chinese". Can this be due to the word "Chinese"? Definitely. However, there's more to this simple greeting.

To put it simply, there are different new years depending on where you are and what cultural background you inherit. The reason people say "Chinese New Year" may be because of the celebration's origin from the Han Dynasty, China but the reason we say it otherwise is that both the meaning of China has far changed and the holiday is celebrated by more than Chinese people.

Though to say "Lunar New Year" in this case may not be completely correct since the Chinese New Year is not really the Lunar New Year as the Muslim New Year, we'll be honest and biased that we still like it better than making it "Chinese".

The week-long celebration has its variations such as the one in Korea, Vietnamese, Japanese, Tibetan, Mongolian... and there are different origins such as that from West Asia such as the Islamic New Year and that from North America such as Hobiyee. We've never heard of that last one! You are very welcome to do a little research on them!

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OK, enough redundant explanation!

What are the official traditions and their translations? Here's a list of 7 commonly known items. We will not explain much about each since most of our readers are Taiwanese English learners. THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN BY NOW.

Spring couplets (red scrolls)

At this time of the year, people are especially prone to "good phrases" either saying them or writing them, mostly because related to wealth and fortune. Well, who doesn't want them? You'll also see people writing a single word "spring" or "full" on the red paper and put stick them on doors or closets. Interestingly, some of them are stuck upside down to mean that the word you wrote has come and you shouldn't do so because it means you will lose it. People are so obsessed with money, luck, and other items that they think guarantee happiness that they become obnoxious.

The New Year’s Eve meal

It marks the beginning of the celebration as most people either get off early from work, finish on time or don't work at all on that day. Those who have to work on shifts are likely getting some compensation. Ironically, some people would rather go to work and make some extra money than going back to a family meal where all the elders ask inappropriate questions and call it love and care. Questions such as school, job, salary, marriage, and children will never be absent.

Red envelopes

At about the end of the New Year meal, depending on families, someone will activate this tradition by starting to hand out "lucky money" and everyone will follow. The money always goes downwards so the younger you are the more you get old as well. As the tradition of "giving back" becomes a rule and not a virtue, people need to give a certain amount of money to mean that they're giving "enough" back.

Firecrackers

It is "usually" illegal to shoot firecrackers or buying them but during the Lunar holidays, it is overlooked. It is likely the first encounter of gunpowder for children or their first burn. This is the time to show that you don't care about people who sleep earlier than you, nor the public property that you burn, not to mention all the trash that cannot or will not be collected from the firecrackers.

Mahjong and dice

It is sometimes said in the movies that the Chinese like to gamble though, in reality, Las Vagas is better known, and in the movies... you don't see a lot of Asians there. That said, just like firecrackers, during the holidays people like to warm it up by having some excitement. Same as the firecrackers but more specifically about noise, mahjong is a very loud entertainment that lasts for a long time and may cause loud disputes.

Family gatherings and visits

A sense of clan or family is something that we see as pride. We use this time to strengthen the bond that was softened by our jobs and distance. If you didn't get enough "inquiries" from your own family, you sure will get more than you can bear once you meet the rest of the relatives.

Spring cleaning

Having a clean house after all the partying seems more than normal but there are some interesting customs in order to maintain all the wealth and luck such as keeping everything in instead of out, namely keeping all garbage until the last day of the event, sweep inward, and not splashing out water. It happens before and after the holidays and you'll see it because people just put what they don't need anymore out on the streets.

What are other traditions that you know of?

#selfreflect