Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Om Shen Yun
    The Performance
    Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
    Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun
    Klassisk kinesisk dans
    Symfoniorkester
    Factsheet
    The Company
    Vår historie
    Life at Shen Yun
    Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Artistene
  • Videoer
  • Siste nytt
    Siste nytt
    Nyheter
    Blog
    I media
  • Pressemeldinger
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Publikums reaksjoner
  • Lær mer Nyhetsbrev Søk
    Norsk
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • Melayu
  • עברית
  • Tickets & Info
    Meny
    Shen Yun Logo
    Billetter
    Siste nytt
    Meny
    • Om Shen Yun
      • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg? Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun Vår historie Life at Shen Yun Shen Yun Factsheet Utfordringer vi står ovenfor Klassisk kinesisk dans Symfoniorkester
    • Artistene
    • Videoer
    • Siste nytt
      • Siste nytt Nyheter Blog I media
    • Pressemeldinger
    • Ofte stilte spørsmål
    • Publikums reaksjoner
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    What Makes Us Unique?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Lær mer
    • Nyhetsbrev
    • Søk
    Språk
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • Melayu
    • עברית
      Nyheter
      Back Nyheter > How To Enjoy the Lunar New Year at Home

    How To Enjoy the Lunar New Year at Home

    ADVANCE THOSE ALLOWANCES, SWEEP THE FLOOR, BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FLIP THE FISH!

    The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is not only the longest Chinese holiday—it’s a full 15 days!—but it is also the most important. It’s a time for cleaning and celebration, new clothes and new beginnings. Thanks to the lunar calendar, it falls on different dates every year, somewhere in January and February.

    This year, the Lunar New Year begins Jan. 22. Traditionally, this is a time for honoring deities as well as ancestors, and for observing unique rules. Here are a few that you can join in on, and be part of one of the world’s most popular holidays, right in your own home (or apartment, or dorm, as the case may be):

    Rule #1: Clean Up and Cook Ahead

    The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and everyone likes to start off fresh. So the nine days before the new year are reserved for a massive top-to-bottom cleaning of the house. Now, before you belittle this form of celebration, you should know that brooms sweep out not only dust, but also bad luck. It’s important to work from the corners to the center of the room, then toss the misfortune out via the back door. On New Year’s Day, though, the brooms and dustpans are carefully left untouched so the freshly arrived good luck can stay in the house and not be swept out by mistake.

    It’s now time to dress up in new clothes, and gather the family at home for a reunion with lots of food and goodwill. Most of the food will be prepared or cooked before New Year’s—this time to prevent “cutting up” your good luck with your kitchen knives.

    Rule #2: Bring On the Firecrackers

    According to ancient legend, thousands of years ago the new year was marked by the arrival of a fearsome monster called Nian. This monster would terrorize villages, scaring everyone away and feasting on those not quick enough to flee. One day, a wise monk arrived at a village on New Year’s Eve and awaited the beast. When the hideous Nian appeared, the monk suddenly lit firecrackers. Their smoke and loud crackling scared Nian away. It worked so well that the villagers made it an annual tradition, and the Nian monster never appeared again.

    Ever since, the word for year in Chinese is nian, and to pass from one year to the next is to (safely) pass Nian, or guo nian.

    The classic Chinese firecracker is a long string of small, bright red cylinders. Rather than being shot off into the sky, they are lit and left to explode in a rambunctious cloud of smoke, paper, and sparks right on the street. This is to make enough noise to scare off any evil monsters trying to grab a personal snack or two. Of course, fireworks take this to a whole ’nother level.

    Rule #3: Advance Those Allowances

    Are you married or are a grandparent? If yes, get your wallet ready. During the Chinese New Year, couples and grandparents have the traditional pleasure of handing little red envelopes filled with money to single people (mostly children). It was believed that such “lucky money” would bring children good fortune in the coming year, while protecting them from evil. For maximal luck, it’s recommend sleeping with the envelope under your pillow for seven days before finally opening it.

    But you can’t give any amount. More than generosity, it’s important to give money in even amounts. Whereas Jews traditionally give in multiples of 18, Chinese especially like eight and its variations—$88 or $88,888 are good choices (though most Chinese experts would agree the latter is about a thousand times better). Why eight? Because in Chinese the word for eight (ba in Mandarin, and especially fa in Cantonese) sounds like the word for prosperity (fa). Avoid giving out odd-numbered gifts of money at all costs—those are usually reserved for funerals!

    Rule #4: Hold Your Temper

    Another traditional Chinese belief is that what you do during New Year will affect your next twelve months. For this reason, the two weeks of celebration are a good time to keep tempers strictly in check. It’s also best to avoid swearing, unlucky words, crying, and even scolding children (this should be a little easier if they also follow these rules). To set a solid monetary foundation, no money is lent or borrowed on the first day. If your Chinese friend owes you money, best to wait a few days (perhaps until the red envelopes are opened).

    Rule #5: Eat Well, But Don’t Flip Your Fish!

    Like Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners, the Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner is a veritable feast of fantastic food, celebrating the family’s reunion. Menus differ based on geographic location, but fish is a regular favorite. Why? Because, of course, the Chinese word for fish, yu, is a homophone (sounds exactly the same as) abundance. Therefore, if someone wishes you: “nian nian you yu,” you don’t know if she is blessing you to have abundance every year, or to have fish every year. Probably a little of both.

    In Chinese cuisine, fish is often served whole (head, spines, and, yes, eyes too) on a plate, and eaten one side at a time. After the top half is eaten, the spine should be removed rather than flipping the fish, to prevent turning your surplus upside down into a deficit.

    Other popular foods:

    -       Dumplings, especially in northern China, where the dough is kneaded to resemble gold ingots and stuffed with filling representing packed luck.

    -       Mandarin oranges, as the character for orange, ju, sounds like ji (lucky).

    -       Melon and sunflower seeds, symbolizing fertility.

    -       Niangao, also known as New Year cake, is popular in eastern China. A sticky, chewy condition of glutinous rice flour that is a homophone of “fortunate year.”

    All in all, the New Year celebration is a time for families to enjoy each other’s company and have high hopes for the year ahead. So, if you want to join the Lunar New Year party, pick up the phone and call your mom, your grandma, your son, your third cousin—someone—and wish them a happy New Year!

    From all of us here at Shen Yun: may your nian be full of fa and yu and ji, and of course, health and happiness!

    • Chinese Holidays
    • Tradisjonell kinesisk kultur
    • Chinese Food
    • Folk Traditions
    • Well Wishes

    Previous

    Shen Yun Heads East on Presidential Tour

    Next

    Eighth Annual Asia Tour Begins
    Most Recent
    • Shen Yun Nyheter, din beste kilde til alt som har med Shen Yun å gjøre
      SYN Thumb
    • Introduksjon: Shen Yuns video plattform
      SYZP Header En
    • Shen Yun 2024 har begynt!
      SY Japan 2024tourstart
    • Flukten til rampelyset
      Escaping Tothe Spotlight Header EN
    • Artisten i fokus: Chad Chen
      ChadChen Header DSC02842 EN Web
    • Shen Yun 2024 er klar for start
      Thumb Web 2024cities
    • Artist Spotlight: Melody Qin
      QinHuan Melody Header EN (2)
    • Spørsmål & svar med danser Lillian Parker
      LillyParker LDB4711 650x400ratio Lillian
    • Introduksjon: Shen Yun Collections butikk
      Shenyunshoptaiwan
    • Shen Yun 2023: Klar, ferdig...
      SY23 EndCard HD General Nourl
    Most Popular
    • All
    • Nyheter
    • Blog
    Vis mer
    Vis mer
    Vis mer

    Tags

    • Chinese Holidays
    • Tradisjonell kinesisk kultur
    • Chinese Food
    • Folk Traditions
    • Well Wishes
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company, established in New York in 2006. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

    Om oss
  • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
  • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
  • Life at Shen Yun
  • Shen Yun Factsheet
  • Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Shen Yun & Spirituality
  • Møt artistene
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Videoer
  • Latest
  • Om Shen Yun
  • The Artists
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Siste nytt
  • Featured
  • Nyheter
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Lær mer
  • Chinese Dance
  • Music
  • Vocal Music
  • Shen Yun Costumes
  • Digital Projection
  • Shen Yun Props
  • Stories and History
  • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
  • Interact with us:
    Follow Us on Gan Jing World
    Sign Our Guestbook
    Get to Know More about Shen Yun
    on Our Streaming Platform
    Arts Proficiency Assessment Center
    Keepsakes and Premium Collections
    Inspired by Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Shen Yun Performing Arts offisielle nettside Copyright ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Alle rettigheter forbeholdes.
    Kontakt oss Brukervilkår Personvern Sidekart