How to celebrate Chinese New Year. Bows, touches, applause and handshakes in China. Red girls and well done

15.04.2019

They say that they don’t go to a foreign monastery with their own charter. And yet, when visiting foreign countries, we often want to feel at home: hear familiar music, dine at a national restaurant, and even have a little joke. So we are more accustomed and calmer, and everyday worries do not distract from the main thing: sightseeing, business negotiations, etc.

When guests from abroad come to us, we also try to create maximum comfort for them so that only the most pleasant impressions remain from visiting our country.

People from different countries possess varying degrees capriciousness. And yet, if a foreign guest, or even an entire delegation, comes to you, then you should always take into account 3 main factors that will create successful basis for any trip: it food,entertainment and accommodation.

This is the order in which Chinese citizens prioritize.

The first is always food. After all, eating for them is the main event of the day! This is the satisfaction of needs, and entertainment, and communication with friends, colleagues, partners.

So what to feed the Chinese guest in our Motherland?

When choosing a restaurant for the Chinese, you should always give preference to Chinese cuisine. Find out in advance what Chinese restaurants are in your city, try to get as many reviews about them as possible, or visit them yourself. It is worth paying attention to the following points:

1) Authentic cuisine. In connection with other taste preferences Russians, as well as the absence of many necessary ingredients(fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc.) dishes often lose their original appearance and taste.

2) Nationality of the cook and waiters. It is most desirable, of course, that both the owner and the staff were Chinese. And if the waitresses are Russian, then at least the cook must be Chinese.

3) Service speed. If for us to sit for an hour and a half waiting for an order is the norm, then for the Chinese it is an awfully long time! All their dishes are prepared in 5-15 minutes, and slower service can negate all other advantages of the establishment.

If you decide to be original and take guests to a Russian restaurant, then be very careful with the choice of dishes and the institution itself. Be sure to take into account which region of China the guest came from, and what gastronomic features exist there. If your guests are residents of southern China, then Russian cuisine may seem bland to them. Order them some spicy appetizer, horseradish or mustard. If guests come from Xinjiang (northwest), then Middle Eastern cuisine is more suitable for them, you can also treat them to dumplings and potatoes. Residents of the Inner Mongolia region are likely to prefer beef to pork and noodles to rice.

I will give an example from personal life . The Chinese delegation arrived on a visit to Novosibirsk. Thinking how to surprise the guests, it was decided to take them to a restaurant for dinner national cuisine peoples of the North of Russia. Stroganina was ordered among other dishes. When the guests found out that it was such a frozen raw fish, they tasted it piece by piece as a courtesy, but in the end they left the fish to thaw quietly. Only later did we remember that in China it is generally not customary to eat raw fish or meat, especially in the south! Everything spoils very quickly there, and due to the climate, the risk of spread is high. infectious diseases. And it's good that our guests were from the north, and even very polite!

The second question: how to entertain oriental guests?

Be sure to give them a mini-program to visit the main attractions. It makes no sense to tell the whole history of the city from the moment of its foundation, the main facts are enough. Guests will listen to you, be sure to capture their visits to historical places huge amount photos and be ready to move on to more mundane entertainment. It also makes no sense to look for some special places to visit, exhibitions, unusual concerts. It may sound rude, but for the Chinese everything is bright, pop, and not very long. Take them to the ballet, if possible. Or some national performance. To the theatre or there is no point in leading the guests to the opera: in the theater they simply will not understand anything, and most likely they will not appreciate our opera (Chinese opera is very different from European).

The Chinese love to be photographed, shopping and clip pop.

Second favourite hobby Chinese, besides seeing and photographing, is shopping!

If you don't know what to do free hours, feel free to take guests to the largest shopping center In your city! And if there is also a sales season, then consider your entertainment succeeded.

Also, don't overlook shops of folk souvenirs, fur and leather products, as well as semi-precious stones (especially amber and jade).

Don't take the Chinese to jewelry stores where gold is traded. Chinese gold different from our other composition and more yellow(no red tint). Therefore, they simply will not understand our gold, will not appreciate it and will consider it a fake, however, just like we do.

And last but not least important point: where to accommodate guests?

In fact, the Chinese are usually quite unpretentious in terms of housing, but still, before booking a hotel, you need to clarify a few points.

1) If the guests themselves will pay for accommodation, specify the desired price and category of the hotel. Or maybe a rented apartment is suitable for them?

2) If there is a delegation, then find out if everyone should order the same numbers? And also how are the visitors planning to be accommodated: one or two people per room?

3) Find out in advance if you need smoking rooms. In many hotels you have to ask in advance for a smoking room.

4) Location - always at the choice of the host. It may not be located in the city center, but at a convenient traffic intersection or just in a beautiful place.

Observe these simple rules, and, of course, always rejoice from the bottom of your heart when foreign guests come to you, the opportunity to communicate with them and exchange experiences!

After all, it is so nice to meet guests, create comfort for them, so that later they will receive you at home with the same cordiality!

Well, the current period of permanent celebration is coming to an end. To complete it with dignity, you need to correctly meet the Red Rooster, which we, without going into calendar subtleties, accepted for a month ahead of schedule. Well, let's call it a workout.

What does it take to celebrate Chinese New Year the Chinese way? Very little. Be Chinese.

New Year in China is a traditional family holiday. The main arena of the festival is hidden from prying eyes behind the walls of houses and apartments. Therefore, for an outside observer, he hardly represents big interest. There is nothing special to watch.

They prepare for the celebration ahead of time, buying at the New Year's markets not only plentiful food, but also necessary decorations. Christmas trees were not known in traditional China. They decorated, therefore, not Christmas trees, but the houses themselves. the main role at the same time, it was assigned to the traditional "folk pictures" - "nianhua" - New Year's popular prints. They are still in abundance at street vendors in the pre-New Year period. And they are quite interesting in their own right.

Since the holiday was considered special favorable time communication with heaven, and heaven was closely connected with fate, many plots of New Year's popular prints are overflowing with symbols of wishes for the coming year. Pair of peacocks combined with peonies and plum blossom mei should bring wealth and prosperity to a young family. Two herons framed by pine branches - this is rather for old parents who are always wished longevity, healthy old age, spiritual stamina. Pretty Guanyin, Fairy of the West, magical garden which grows a magical peach, after tasting which, a person gains immortality - suitable for everyone. Her help is requested by both Taoist monks, longing for eternal life, and young women who are preparing to become mothers.

New Year is a time of revelry of all evil spirits. It is no coincidence that these days (and especially nights) the explosions of firecrackers and firecrackers do not stop for a moment, the roar of which unclean spirits cannot stand. Well, in order to completely protect your home from unwanted visitors, it is enough to hang an image of a tiger at the entrance, which is not afraid of demons, but devours. Or attach an appliqué with scissors cutting the "five reptiles" into pieces. Or glue on the door two bravo-caricature militant characters, "men-shen", "guardians of the entrance."

Time is changing the symbolism of "nianhua" - the smiling Mao Zedong has also found his place in the current New Year's luboks, who, very likely, will eventually sit down next to Confucius himself in folk beliefs. The attitude towards Chairman Mao in modern China is much better than we can imagine, based on our own example. For the people of China, he is still, and without any guile, a father.

Since ancient times, New Year in China has been considered not only the most beloved holiday, but also the most important. Therefore, its ritual component, permeated with ancient folk beliefs, carried in itself important signs also social action. And even the fact that it is celebrated strictly in a family way had its own national meaning - the Chinese family in Confucian society has long been considered the foundation of the Middle Empire.

New time, as elsewhere, emasculated the ritual, but the role of the family still remained the main component of a full-fledged New Year's New Year's ceremony. From that, outsiders are so strongly advised not to visit China these days. In order to reunite at the festive table, a good half of the country's population is doing its best to get to their native ancestral penates in order to celebrate the year next to their parents, siblings, nephews and ... deceased ancestors. Imagine if half of Kazakhstanis take trains, buses and cars for several days - this will lead to a transport collapse. And in China there are already cities with a population larger than in the whole of Kazakhstan!

So in new year's eve family gathers for common table- "round off the year." Here, the Chinese not only indulge in gluttony, but also commemorate their ancestors, forgive each other the accumulated grievances. For modern residents country and this is limited to all the most interesting and important.

traditional wealth festive feast since ancient times carried the germ of the future prosperity of the family in the coming year. The religious cunning of the Chinese was fully manifested in their idea that the correct New Year's table is able to cleanse the participants of the meal from last year's sins at once. Pleasant, you see, a way of repentance.

One of the main and indispensable New Year's dishes of the Chinese New Year was and remains ... dumplings - jiao tzu! And also - manti - mantou. And these dishes occupied here important place not at all by chance. Dumplings are shaped like traditional silver ingots (yuanbao), and manti inspire tasters with a legend about how the legendary commander Zhuge Liang deceived the unlucky river demons. Another important treat - special "New Year's cakes" from rice flour("niangao").

In recent history, the holiday was much more meaningful and interesting than it is today. At the “happy” hour predetermined by astrologers, a bloodless sacrifice was made to all the supreme gods of Heaven and Earth - it was believed that at this time they all descended to the world of people. On the street, near the house, in a place specially installed (by specialists of a different profile, according to all the rules of geomancy), a sacrificial table was set up, on which the "victim" was placed, the nature and size of which were already determined by the wealth of the family itself. The list of "full offerings" included dishes with fried duck, chicken and pork, fruits, donuts, peanuts, New Year's cakes and, of course, wine. A special place was given to beans on the altar, which were considered another reliable amulet against all kinds of evil spirits.

The ceremony was performed by the head of the family, empowered to communicate with Heaven on behalf of everyone else. Women were not allowed at all. The supreme gods were addressed with requests, complaints and problems, and they addressed not only orally, but also in writing (China!), Burning special "memorandums" in envelopes indicating the addressee.

Having completed the sacrifices to the gods, the family - now in full force - worshiped the ancestors. In front of the tablets with their names, they burned special sacrificial money and "memorandums" with the wishes of all the best in the "other world."

But the worship did not end there - it was still necessary to pay respect to their living parents. Mom and dad stood at the altar, and the children (the first sons) bowed down to them, saying: "I wish the Lord years life!" In large Chinese families, where several generations lived together, the ceremony was greatly delayed.

Then, finally, followed the "first exit" from the house. Everyone walked out of the gate in the direction indicated by the horoscope, walked several tens of meters and "turned their feet" back. Often, however, such a "heavenly walk" ended in the nearest temple.

On New Year's Eve, they did not rest for long, because following the commandment "if you get up early on the New Year, you will get rich too early", no one was going to luxuriate in bed that morning ...

Much of the traditional Chinese New Year has fallen into the realm of legends, emasculated by time, but much has returned, having survived the devastating period of the "cultural revolution". The holiday, having lost many of its former rituals, has become less formal and more relaxed, cheerful and reckless. And from that - all the same beloved and long-awaited.

About the illustrations: on the ancient New Year's prints "nianhua", a significant collection of which is kept in the Hermitage, the holiday in all its original glory.

During the celebration of the New Year, the Chinese devote a lot of time to prayers and offerings to the gods. Since ancient times, the gods of Heaven and Earth should have been worshipped. The monument of Chinese literature "Shujing" says that in ancient times there was a time when the Sky converged with the Earth and people could calmly communicate with the gods. The book has survived to this day, and now this entry in it has become a legend. The Chinese believe that on New Year's Eve, the gods from Heaven descend to Earth, and people should meet them well and bring them something to eat. Usually these are bean products. Even in ancient times, beans were endowed with a property that protects against evil spirits and evil spirits. In addition to this dish, rice was brought as a gift, which was called "rice of the meeting of the gods." But to communicate with the spirits, on festive table should be two red candles and incense. It is they, according to the Chinese, that make it possible to communicate with the gods on this night.
The rite of "first exit" is very popular in China. It takes place immediately after the New Year. People leave the house in the "good" direction indicated in the horoscope, and take about ten steps, and then come back. Thus they honor the god of joy.
There is also another very interesting tradition- fist fights. Only young guys can participate in them. Usually a lot of people gathered and gather at such fights. The one who wins the fight provides himself with good luck and happiness for next year.
A funny tradition is to receive two tangerines as a gift. This tradition dates back to 1000 BC. Like all the peoples of the world, the Chinese, after the New Year, begin to visit each other. And therefore, going to someone, the Chinese always take two tangerines with them. In Chinese pronunciation, the phrase "two tangerines" is similar to the word "gold". Therefore, if you receive two tangerines as a gift, this means that you are automatically wished for a prosperous year. But, having received an orange fruit, you should also take two tangerines from your table and give them to your guests so that you can wish them no less have a good year…
The Chinese, before celebrating the New Year, very carefully clean their homes. What's interesting: they sweep the floor from the door to the center of the room. After the house is cleaned, all panicles, scoops, rags are put away in a place where no one could see them during the holiday. The reason for this strange behavior also lies in the legend: during the celebration of the New Year, the gods fly around the houses of the Chinese and give them dust, which symbolizes happiness. Therefore, if you clean up during the New Year, you may accidentally sweep all the happy moments of the future out of your house along with the dust ...
During the festive performances, traditional dances of lions and dragons are danced. The dance of lions symbolizes protection in the new year from troubles and misfortunes, became popular throughout China, it was danced during the Chunjie festival in the 14th-16th centuries.

Learning how to table manners with Chinese people is one way to learn a little about Chinese culture. Although the demand from you is small and your mistakes will be forgiven, it is better to know how to behave and how the Chinese welcome guests. The Chinese believe that good manners at the table bring good luck and health, while breaking some taboos does not characterize your parents well, who should have raised you better.

Boarding guests

The chair facing the entrance is reserved for the person of highest status or the most honored guest. In a formal setting than closer people sit next to a person high status the higher their rank.

Who eats first?

Be sure to wait for the host or high-ranking person at the table to be the first to raise their chopsticks. As soon as you hear the elder say, "Well, let's get started," you can begin. Or, if you are the guest of honor, others will be waiting for you!

Try a piece of each dish

When the Chinese greet guests, they are carefully prepared, so it is considered impolite not to try at least a little of each dish. Tasting all the dishes is a way to express your gratitude and respect for your host's hospitality.

When you are toasting, hold your glass with both hands - this is a sign of respect.

If you tell toasts, holding a glass with only one hand, then this indicates your laziness and disrespect. However, if you are the senior at the table, then you are exempt from this - as well as from most of the conventions on this list. Do whatever you want.

Do not place chopsticks vertically in rice

When you want to take a break from eating, simply place your chopsticks on the side of your plate or bowl, use chopstick stands if provided, or place them neatly on the table. Leaving chopsticks on top of the bowl is a sign that you are done and the waiter may take your plate away!

Never flip a fish

In Chinese tradition, a whole fish is the standard. Once you've worked on the tender top crust, it may seem logical to simply turn the fish over and continue doing the same with the belly. Unfortunately, this action has unforeseen consequences, as it implies a capsized boat. This tradition began with a fisherman, for whom the fish symbolized the boat, and since the fish in Chinese sounds like excess, abundance, it also means your luck, which capitulates overturned, and you see, there is nothing good in this.

think of others

If you saw your favorite dish, do not pounce on it, even if you have not eaten for three days and two nights, do not try to eat it as quickly as possible or put a plate in front of you and continue to eat no matter what. If there is not much left on the plate, and of course you want to finish it all, you should first ask those around you, perhaps the same lover of pork in sweet and sour sauce is sitting at the table.

The Chinese attach great value details, so be vigilant at dinner parties and even visiting friends, this, of course, does not mean that you should feel constrained and insecure, but knowing the basics of how the Chinese greet guests will always come in handy.

And bon appetit!

The Chinese, like the whole world, celebrate the New Year on January 1, but they do it mostly in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai. The rest of the population especially honors their traditions, therefore, it is most important for them New Year, which comes on Chinese calendar. The Chinese know how to celebrate Chinese New Year 2018 and strictly adhere to the rules. We will try to imitate them.

When does the New Year start?

The traditional holiday has no fixed date. It depends on the phase lunar cycle, or rather falls on one of the dates between January 21 and February 21, coincides with the date of the new moon. Basically, Chinese New Year is a lunar new year. Special meaning has when the new year begins and ends. In 2018, it will start counting from February 16, and end on February 9, 2019. And if December 31 is considered by the Chinese to be almost the most common day when many work late, then in the first week of the new year, almost no one works. And before folk celebration actually lasted a whole month.

What will be the symbol of 2018

The Chinese zodiac differs from the European one: it is not tied to the constellations, although it is also divided into 12 periods, but not by months, but by years. Animals alternate each other in a certain sequence: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

In 2018, the turn of the Dog will come - the eleventh sign of the zodiac. She is the bearer of yang energy. The element and color are determined according to the "Five Elements" system:

Number that ends the year	Element	Color
0	Metal	White
1
2	Water	Black
3
4	Wood	Blue
5
6	Fire	Red
7
8	Earth	Yellow
9

The next year is 2018, which means that it will belong to the elements of the Earth, and the color of the Symbol of the New Year will be yellow. Thus, the symbol of 2018 is the Yellow Earth Dog.

The Symbol of the New Year has its own character, and, like everyone else, there are positive and negative features in its character. The positive ones include honesty, justice, sociability, practicality, unpretentiousness, calmness, the negative ones are laziness, pessimism, stubbornness, anxiety, which means that the Year of the Dog can go differently for everyone. As for the elements, the Earth means fertility, creation, it is in the center of the elements and is associated with power and control.

How to celebrate the New Year in Chinese

If you are going to join the Chinese people and celebrate the New Year with them on February 16 according to Feng Shui, your celebration should be modest, without a wide feast. Mark it in close family circle, wish each other health, tell your family how much you love them, give small gifts. Let dinner take place calm atmosphere, without demonstrating stunning outfits, noisy fun. It is this mode that will fully correspond to the mood of the Symbol of the New Year.

Top 10 Celebration Traditions

First of all, before the New Year, the Chinese try to get rid of everything old and unnecessary, to bring cleanliness everywhere. The main day of cleaning is considered the day of the Snake, which is a symbol of order, as well as the 28th day of the month after lunar calendar. It's best to clean up at least three days before the New Year to allow "new" good luck to build up in the house. Old broken things are thrown away, every corner in the house is washed, the apartment is ventilated.
In the New Year, after taking a cleansing bath, it is customary to put on new things in order to meet the New Year completely renewed. After the holiday, they don’t buy new things for a week - this is considered a bad omen.
Many Chinese in last week before the New Year, they visit the flower market to buy flowers, because a flowering plant is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. Daffodils, tangerine trees, cherry branches, willow are purchased. However, not only money and wealth bring flowers to the house. Cherry, for example, will help you find your love in the new year.
The Chinese decorate the room with figurines, figurines of the Symbol of the New Year, put his favorite treat on the table.
It is especially important, according to Chinese tradition, celebrate the New Year in a family way. This tradition is never broken. Even the table is served taking into account family members who are absent for any reason. They are provided with plates and cutlery.
Concerning festive dishes, then the obligatory traditional treats are rice, symbolizing wealth, dumplings in the form of gold ingots, also denoting material well-being, and sweets. They also put fish, chicken, pies, beans, meat, fruits on the table, and everything must be prepared in advance. Chicken and fish are served whole because they symbolize good luck and abundance, respectively. Fish are not completely eaten.
On New Year's Eve, it is customary to give each other red envelopes with money. Often before the holidays on the streets of China you can see long queues at the banks, the Chinese are going to remove brand new banknotes to put them in the red hongbao envelope. Envelopes are usually given family people those who have not yet managed to tie the knot. In particular, parents give money to their children and grandchildren. Moreover, the envelope is not opened immediately. They do this only on the 17th day after the new year.
Wishes are hung on the door Chinese written on red paper. Red is generally considered in Chinese tradition new year's color, repelling malevolent spirits.
On New Year's Eve, various incense is burned, and incense is in special demand. By this they express their respect to their ancestors, they drive out evil spirits from the house.
They try to go to bed after 12 noon to spend old year and meet the coming of the new.

What is given in China

In list desired gifts for the Chinese New Year, expensive alcohol, flowering plants, lottery tickets. Especially appreciated symbolic gifts, such as souvenirs, amulets, figurines of the Symbol of the New Year, sweets and postcards. A variety of New Year signs are associated with gifts.

You can not give a gift wrapped in white wrapping paper. White in China is considered mourning, like blue.
The gift must be paired, but it is given with two hands.
Give gifts starting with the oldest member of the family, and end with the youngest.
The moment of donation is not advertised, but done in private.

What will the new year be like?

The dog, in general, is considered an auspicious sign. There is a high probability that next year will develop calmly both politically and family plan. In politics, passions will subside, single people will find a life partner, create a family, family people will spend a year in peace and harmony. Of course, a lot depends on how you celebrate the Chinese New Year and whether you follow the traditions. But the Chinese are already saying that next year, illuminated by yellow sunlight, will be successful for many.