Happy Chinese Lunar New Year 2020
Spring Festival- Chinese Lunar New Year this year falls on 25th January 2020.
The Year of The Metal Rat 2020 officially begins on the 4th of February 2020 as the Chinese Calendar follows the Solar Calendar also known as the Farmers Calendar
The first day of the New Year celebrations falls on the new moon 28/01 2017, 16/2/2018 ,5/02/2019, 25/01/2020 (Chinese New Year is always 4th February as it follows the Solar calendar)
The Spring Festival is the lunar Chinese New Year. Every family sets off firecrackers and puts up couplets on their gates to usher in a happy life in the coming year.
Long, long ago, there was a ferocious demon called “Nian”. It did evil things everywhere. The Heavenly God locked this demon into remote mountains and only allowed him to go out once a year.
Shortly after 12 months had passed, Nian came out of the mountains. Gathering together, people discussed how to deal with him. Some said that Nian was afraid of the red colour, flames, and noises.
So, people put up the red couplets on their gates, set off firecrackers, and kept on beating the gongs and drums. The demon Nian trembled with fear.
Night fell and every house was brightly lit. Nian was terrified. He fled into the mountains and didn’t dare to come out.
Nian was then subdued, and the custom of celebrating the lunar New year was passed down from then.
(This story is taken from the book “Legends of Ten Chinese Traditional Festivals” by He Wei.)
Every culture has its own story of New Year celebrations and as the Chinese Lunar New Year is approaching I thought I would share this story of how the Chinese came about to celebrate their New Year.
Gong Xi Fa Cai
If you literally translate “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, it would mean “wishing you enlarge your wealth.”
Gong Xi: means wishing/blessing
Fa: means enlarge(ment)
Cai: means wealth
So a literal translation is that you wish someone will become very rich, but the phrase is generally used as Happy New Year.
On that note: Wishing you all a healthy and wealthy Chinese Lunar New Year
With Gratitude
Tina .