Youth and beauty 

New year dates. New Year in China and its history. What qualities are inherent in the Rooster

The traditions of the Eastern world are fundamentally different from the usual Slavic ones. Even Chinese New Year in 2017 begins later than the date common in the territory of other countries. The Chinese are sure that for every event there is individual spirit... He can be kind and generous, or he can be evil and insidious. Depending on intentions fabulous creature it is customary to present and treat him or drive him away.

Chinese calendar

In China, residents are reckoning according to the lunisolar calendar, so the year will not be 2017. Surprisingly, when the whole world celebrated 2016, the Chinese celebrated the coming of 4714. And the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire use a different name - the Spring Festival, decorating their clothes with spikelets of rice as a symbol of the yield of the coming year. The name is translated literally, and the history of the Chinese celebration begins in 1911, although the New Year itself has been celebrated for more than 2 thousand years.

As the saying goes ancient legend, a long time ago, a terrible monster with huge horns on an ugly head came to Chinese villages. It lived in the sea, but once a year it crawled out onto land to feast on delicious things. For the arrival of the monster, residents began to prepare for a few days, collecting everything of value and leaving their own homes. According to the legend, the nightmare ends when a wise gray-haired old man with a cane and a bag visited one of the Chinese villages. In panic, no one paid attention to him, except for one woman, who took pity on the traveler. She advised him to run, because according to the calendar a monster was supposed to appear. However, the elder only grinned and asked to stay overnight in one of the houses. Unable to dissuade him, the villagers left the village.

The residents who returned in the morning could not believe their own eyes, because the grandfather not only survived, but also managed to drive out the insidious Chun. A fire burned peacefully in the hut, warming with its warmth, and the entrance to the house was painted red. As it turned out, the monster was frightened by the fun, noise, red color and flame of fire. Since then, laughter has reigned everywhere and garlands have been burning. The Chinese calendar uses a 60-year cycle that began in February 1984 and will end at the end of January 2044.

In the old days, the Chinese new year did not last less than a month and was celebrated with luxury and scope. Accelerated pace modern life does not allow such indulgences, and working people cannot rest so much. Holidays have been reduced to a crescent and traditionally end on the 15th day of the holiday. When does it start chinese celebration For the first five days, it is customary to meet with friends and visit each other. The final point is the grandiose Festival of Chinese Lanterns so that evil spirits do not accidentally enter new life... It is easy to calculate when the Chinese New Year 2017 begins and ends if you know the basics of traditions.

How is the celebration going

By tradition, the younger members of the family gather in the house of the elders, and the grown-up children return for a while to the parental hearth. No excuses are accepted, since it is customary in China to honor and respect the elderly and family customs... It is not customary to give gifts to each other for the new year, but the Chinese believe in omens. And on the first day when the countdown begins next year, parents present children with a small sum of money... Banknotes must be placed in a red envelope, as a symbol material well-being and wishes for financial stability.

Not even found in major cities in China and greeting card, since this tradition, popular on other continents, also did not take root in the east. If in other countries in the pre-New Year period, green is dazzling in the eyes, then on the streets of China everything turns red. It is considered the main color of the holiday, as it is able to expel evil spirits. Most of all, the Chinese are afraid that at the moment when the new year begins according to the calendar, an evil creature will enter the house and bring troubles with it. He is expelled with fireworks, fun, laughter and light, therefore, instead of postcards, scrolls with wishes and many bright red lanterns are presented.

Before the holiday, the Chinese change into new clothes, spend general cleaning in the house and cook delicious dishes... Clothes should be in bright colors:

  • Green;
  • Pink;
  • Gold;
  • Red.

The brighter the outfit, the more chances that an insidious and cunning spirit, capable of bringing grief and loss, will not penetrate into the house. The Chinese celebration begins and ends with the observance of all old customs... Young people do not have the slightest doubt that signs will help keep peace in the house and bring good luck. To do this, you need to build a talisman against evil and win over the owner of the new year.

Together with garbage and rubbish, the Chinese throw away the old stagnant energy, giving way to new and living energy. The main dish on the New Year's table is dumplings, which are shaped like a gold bar. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire are confident that this symbol of prosperity and wealth will bring good luck with the first minutes of the new year. Chinese calendar 2017 year. Treats such as fish and soy tofu should also be on the table. With these dishes, the Chinese thank the patron saint of the outgoing year for their generosity and indulgence. It is customary to decorate houses with ripe juicy tangerines in the amount of 8 pieces, which means infinity.

Celebration of the Chinese New Year has become a tradition in both America and Europe; 2017 is now eagerly awaited not only in China, but all over the world. This holiday celebrate brightly, cheerfully and unconventionally, and for compatriots this is an additional reason to relax with pleasure and have an interesting time. New Year brings together people around the world - fair-skinned and dark-skinned, young and old, as well as representatives of various social strata. They prepare for the holiday in advance, remember recipes for their favorite dishes, buy new outfits and gifts.

Where did Chinese New Year come from?

Among popular holidays New Year can be called the only one whose history goes back several centuries. It was first celebrated in Mesopotamia, where it fell in March. There is every reason to believe that in those days people associated the awakening of nature with the beginning of a new stage in their lives. WITH in the spring when the first flowers appear, the Mesopotamians pinned their hopes and dreams on next year... They celebrated this holiday for twelve days - during this period people forgot about work, had fun, drank and walked with pleasure. As today, it was then customary to give gifts to relatives, friends and loved ones.

New Year in China and its history

The 2017th New Year according to the Chinese calendar will be celebrated as the most important holiday, as well as the longest, in East Asia and China. He is called Chun Jie, and we literally translate this phrase as "Spring Festival". This day began to be celebrated in China more than two thousand years ago.

According to legend, in those days there was a terrible monster Chun with horns on his head (he was also called "Nian", which means "year"). This creature lived in the sea, but every year it crawled to the nearest village to replenish its food supplies for long time... They were afraid of him, therefore, on the eve of the monster's release, every year people left the village, taking with them the necessary things and food.

This continued until the moment when an ailing old man with a gray mustache, a cane and a sack over his shoulders appeared in the village. According to the description, it looks like domestic grandfather Frost, which modern children are waiting for on a festive night. According to legend, the old man appeared just at a time when there was chaos in the village, and all the inhabitants were trying to hide from the terrible monster. No one paid attention to him, except kind woman, who told about the reason for what was happening and advised her grandfather to run to the mountains with everyone. He did not rush, smiled slyly and asked to shelter him for one night. The woman realized that he could no longer run so fast, so she left the guest in her house.

The next morning, when the residents began to return to the village, they saw the old man unharmed. Not only did he feel great, but, to everyone's surprise, he banished a fearsome monster named Chun. Grandfather was wearing a painted red robe, a fire crackled comfortably in the hut, and the remains of firecrackers lay at the red door. As it turned out, Chun is afraid of fire, the noise of firecrackers, red and sincere fun. Since then, China has celebrated the New Year in bright red outfits with noisy firecrackers and lights that help get rid of evil spirits.

How do Chinese people celebrate New Year today?

  1. In China, this holiday is celebrated whole month and consider him great time after a working year.
  2. The night before the New Year in China is called "the night of meeting before separation" - at this time it is customary to meet at the family table to discuss the events that have taken place during the year.
  3. The first night is distinguished by a huge number of colorful fireworks and fireworks, noisy firecracker shots.
  4. The general fun is accompanied by dances of doll dragons and an abundance of delicious dishes.
  5. Traditional dishes are considered to be the usual dumplings for us, as well as fish, soy tofu cheese and a special labadjou porridge made of eight ingredients, including lotus seeds.
  6. The main period of celebration begins on New Years and lasts for 15 days thereafter.
  7. First five days holiday period it is customary to visit with congratulations.
  8. The tradition of exchanging gifts, which is usually decorated in red, is also widespread among the Chinese. A red envelope with money is often presented as a present.
  9. In China, it is customary to choose bright outfits for the holiday - most often they prefer green, red, gold or color pink... V in this case it is considered: the brighter the outfit, the better it is.

When is the Chinese New Year 2017?

According to eastern horoscope, the symbol of each year is an animal mascot, a certain element and color. Animals repeat themselves in a twelve-year cycle, elements - in a ten-year cycle, and colors - in a five-year cycle. The tradition of giving each other figurines of animals, which are considered to protect their owners from adversity next year, is firmly entering the life of compatriots.

If we traditionally have New Year on the first of January, then in China holiday changes annually and depends on Lunar cycle... For example, 2017 in the Chinese calendar will start on January 28th and end on February 15th, 2018. Coming year Fire Rooster will follow immediately after the year of the Fire Monkey.

The Chinese calendar also provides cycles of sixty years - we are now in a period that began in 1984 on February 2 and will last until January 29, 2044.

In the Chinese calendar, luck will accompany creative people who strive for success. Residents of China consider the Fire Rooster to be almost the most curious character in the eastern calendar, and bright red is considered the color of the year. This year is favorable for those who easily admit new and unusual into their lives, accept changes with gratitude. Singles during this year will finally meet a loved one, and couples will have every chance to seal their bonds on long years.

    The Chinese New Year does not have a fixed date; it occurs every year in a different way. In 2017, the Chinese New Year will begin on January 28 at three o'clock six minutes Moscow time. The time depends on the lunar cycle. He is met on the first new moon of the first month of the new year. At this time, the Chinese have a rest from January 27 to February 2 and business life at this time freezes.

    Chinese New Year 2017 is coming 28 January... It was on this day Fire Monkey will hand over the reins to the Red Fire Rooster. The date of the onset of the Chinese New Year is determined each time according to the lunisolar calendar.

    Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar cycle, which counts the phases of the moon starting from the day winter solstice 21 December.

    In 2017, the day of the arrival of the New Year - the Fire Rooster - according to the Chinese calendar falls on 28 January.

    We are already preparing for the New Year, as it will come soon. But already now we are selecting menus, clothes and decoration of the premises for the meeting of the Fiery Rooster. Only everyone forgets that the year of the Red Fire Rooster will come only on January 28, 2017. This year we see off the Fire Monkey.

    If you look at the Chinese lunisolar calendar, then in 2017 the Chinese will celebrate their New Year from January 27 to 28, that is, already 28 January in China, the Year of the Red Fire Rooster will begin, which is celebrated in this country for 15 days.

    The whole of 2017 will be marked by a very controversial oriental animal - a red fiery rooster. Chinese New Year will come at least two weeks later than usual, namely January 28, 2017 and will last right until February 15, 2018. Every year the days of this holiday change, because everything depends on the lunar cycle. So we can celebrate our new year, then the old new year and then the Chinese one.

    The Fire Rooster will come a little late from the calendar new year.

    We celebrate the New Year on January 28 according to the Chinese calendar. It is on this day that the year of the Red Fire Rooster will begin. Until that time, we live under the sign of the same Red Monkey.

    But the Chinese new year has a "slippery" schedule its start. Therefore, the real arrival of the Fire Rooster should be expected only on January 28, 2017.

    For me, this year is not like others, since my second husband turns 60, he will pass full cycle of its year.

    We are already accustomed to celebrating the New Year first according to our calendar and do not forget about it according to the Chinese calendar, it is called Eastern and it comes almost a month later, and sometimes more, it all depends on the year.

    In 2017, this will happen on the twenty-eighth of January and the year of the Fire Rooster will come into force on this day.

    On this day eastern calendar The monkey, whose year was 2016, hands over the reins to the Rooster. In China, the month is generally celebrated as New Year. They even close almost all the shops at this time and they celebrate. And tourists do not go there in January, because many places and even hotels are closed.

    Here we are all Russians already on the night of December 31, 2016 to January 1, 2017, as it were, we will meet the Red Fire Rooster. But he will not hurry up to visit you at this time. If we now treat horoscopes and the Chinese calendar with such reverence, then we will have to celebrate the Year of the Rooster together with the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. But they will just celebrate their New Year on January 28, 2017. Only on this day does the Rooster crow for real.

The exact time of the beginning of the Chinese New Year 2017 is January 28 at 3 hours 6 minutes Moscow time.

The Eastern New Year has no fixed date and is celebrated differently every year. The exact time of the Chinese New Year depends on the lunar cycle - it is celebrated on the first new moon of the first month of the year. Traditionally, in China at this time, business life stops for two weeks - a holiday is celebrated for 15 days, each of which is distinguished by its own traditions and customs.

The celebration of the Chinese New Year in 2017 will begin on January 28 and will last until February 11, but there will be only 7 days of holiday in China, that is, they will rest from January 27 to February 2, 2017.

Chinese New Year and its history

According to legend, it all started with the fact that a terrible monster named Chun on the first day of the New Year began to get out of his home in the depths of the sea and eat animals, grain, supplies and even children. To protect their families, on the eve of the holiday, people piled food at their doorstep. It was believed that the more you put, the more likely that the beast will not touch. It was like this for many years, until Chun met a boy in red clothes. All the villagers were scared, but a miracle happened, the beast got scared. People realized that the monster was afraid of red, and since then it has become a custom to decorate houses with lanterns and scrolls of the same color. Later, fireworks were used to scare Chun away.

There is another legend that says that Chun (also called Nian) was defeated by an old man. According to the story, an old man came to the Chinese village on New Year's Day, but no one paid attention to him because of the hustle and bustle. Only one old woman told the old man to leave quickly, as Nian would appear soon. He replied that if they left him for the night, he would drive him away once and for all. On the same day, he hung up red lanterns and scrolls, and installed firecrackers at the entrance. When the beast came to the village, everything was completely different, and as soon as he saw the house of this old woman, he immediately ran away from this village and did not appear again. As it turned out, Chun is afraid of red color and loud noise, and the old man, knowing this, decorated the old woman's house accordingly.

How to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2017

As we already mentioned, the holiday lasts a little over two weeks, namely 15 days. As with us, they carefully prepare for this holiday, celebrate vividly, delight each other with small surprises. And also this holiday, like in all other countries, is an excellent occasion to gather the whole family to communicate and relax after a hard working year.

Preparing for Chinese New Year

The first thing the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom start with is by cleaning their homes, after which they throw away all the trash and unnecessary things that have accumulated over the year.

They pay special attention to decorating their home - red and its shades are considered traditional. Not only the house is decorated with red, but also special red clothes are bought. After all, it is this color, according to legend, that drives away unhappiness and sorrow from the house.

If we talk about decoration, then it is worth focusing on this, because the Chinese have a special ritual. At the entrance to the house, paired inscriptions must be pasted, and the walls of apartments and houses are decorated with special paintings made of paper patterns. There is no Christmas tree, of course, on this holiday at all, and trays with oranges and tangerines replace it. But they need to be laid in a special way - be sure to circle and each of the fruits should be exactly 8 pieces, no less and no more. According to Chinese superstitions, this number means longevity. However, more and more often you can find those who, instead of citrus fruits, decorate small artificial trees, which are decorated with dried fruits or fresh fruits in sugar.

On the last night before the holiday, the whole family usually gathers at the table. They prepare various delicious dishes and discuss the outgoing year - what they have achieved, what they have learned and what remains to be done.

Recently, the Chinese have developed a rather strange and funny tradition. To begin with, there are people in China who, after a certain age have not started a family are not respected. For women this age is 30 years, for men 32. Therefore, in order to earn respect in this country in front of their families, more and more on New Year's Eve, the Chinese use such a service as a boyfriend for hire. To do this, they turn to a special agency, where they can find a person who will play in front of the family of their beloved / beloved.

Chinese New Year Celebration Traditions

1 day

The first day of the Chinese New Year begins with a gala dinner, loud fireworks and noisy festivities. Be sure to burn bamboo sticks with the whole family, moreover, it is considered. that the louder the holiday, the happier and more joyful a year will pass... After all, the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom believe that noise, laughter and joy drive away all negativity, misfortune and grief from the house. A lot of dishes are necessarily prepared on the table, especially meat dishes - this is pork, and jerky, and chinese sausage as well as fish. After dinner, everyone usually goes to visit. Also on this day, it is imperative to go to the cemetery to visit your relatives in order to honor their memory.

2nd day

The second day of the Chinese New Year begins with a prayer - families ask for health and happiness to all their loved ones, old people - for longevity, business people and businessmen - prosperity and enrichment. After that, everyone must visit their parents and grandmothers. Children are given gifts, but these are not such gifts as we are used to seeing them, in China it is customary to present red envelopes with money. For beggars, the second day of the holiday is a great success, because they can come to visit and ask for food and alms. Usually, the Chinese try to help in any way they can.

3-4 days

This period can be called a holiday of friends, because all the Chinese during these two days try to respect all their comrades and relatives and come to visit to congratulate. They believe that this day should be spent with loved ones in order to be together next year. From this period, all large corporations start their work and everything gradually returns to its normal course.

5-6 days

These days are dedicated to wealth and business, and therefore the rest of the companies start to work, but they go to work for a reason, but they certainly launch fireworks. And every Chinese person's morning begins with a special dish called jiaozi that looks more like dumplings.

Day 7

Like the second day of the holiday, it is customary to start on the 7th day with prayer and worship of God. It is believed that man was created on this day. So that incomes only increase and business flourishes, the Chinese prepare a special salad of raw fish called "Yusheng".

8-10 days

All Chinese are already returning to work, and in the evenings they arrange small family holiday dinners be sure to pray, after which they go to the temple to light special smoking candles. For dinner, each hostess prepares yuanxiao, which are more like small koloboks.

Day 11

In China, this is the day of the son-in-law, when the father-in-law always arranges a noisy and rich holiday for the husband of his daughter. Every father tries to respect him and arrange the best holiday for him.

12-14 days

Basically, there are no holidays during this period, because everyone is busy preparing for the main holiday - the holiday of lanterns. Everybody buys decorations, lanterns, lantern sheds and so on. All three days, the Chinese eat only wholesome food and do not eat meat to cleanse their body of toxins. Also, on these hectic days, they try to carve out a minute to pray for prosperity, well-being and wealth.

15 - day

Concerts and theater performances are usually held in the city on this day, people with lighted lanterns walk around the square with their families, and fireworks, firecrackers and firecrackers are thundering around. Jiaozi and sticky sweet rice are usually on the table, and can also be bought in the square. Singapore and Malaysia have an interesting and romantic tradition on this holiday. To do this, single ladies on the mandarin attach their phone number, and then send the fruit down the river. Single men, in turn, catch these tangerines, eat it, and then call to meet the lady.

What is customary to give for Chinese New Year

As we already mentioned, this holiday is not given serious gifts, only small ones. So it has long been customary to present such gifts:

  • postcards with wishes and kind words;
  • red envelopes with money;
  • various souvenirs;
  • charms and amulets;
  • sweets;
  • images of the symbol of the coming year.

How to give gifts for Chinese New Year

  • Any gift should be paired, if, for example, it is a painting, then the image should have two objects. The owner is always presented with two tangerines.
  • Also, the color of the presentation plays huge role- the main rule is neither a gift nor gift paper should not be white or blue. In this country, these colors represent death and burial.
  • The number 4 is also a symbol of death, so it should not be anywhere - neither on a gift, nor on money, and the number of bills should be either more or less.
  • The gift itself is presented only in private and with two hands. But it is necessary to distribute presents not chaotically, but from the eldest to the youngest.
  • It is indecent to open a gift in front of everyone, it must be done in private, so as not to offend the donor with a careless look or word.