Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations. Lunar New Year. How Is Chinese New Year Celebrated?
Chinese New Year Traditions and Celebrations. Lunar New Year. How Is Chinese New Year Celebrated?
Listen:
About
00:00:01.829: [Music]
00:00:01.839: chinese new year
00:00:07.909: chinese new year is a very important
00:00:07.919: festivity for chinese people everywhere
00:00:11.519: it is also called the spring festival or
00:00:14.799: the lunar new year
00:00:17.840: the exact date of the chinese new year
00:00:20.640: changes from year to year
00:00:23.039: but it is always between the 21st of
00:00:25.680: january and the 19th of february
00:00:30.320: in ancient china people used the moon to
00:00:33.760: calculate time
00:00:35.920: and in the chinese lunar calendar
00:00:38.719: every month begins with the new moon
00:00:42.879: every year of the chinese calendar has
00:00:45.600: an animal's name
00:00:47.760: these animals are the rat
00:00:50.239: ox
00:00:51.440: tiger
00:00:52.719: rabbit
00:00:54.000: dragon
00:00:55.199: snake
00:00:56.480: horse
00:00:57.520: sheep
00:00:58.960: monkey
00:01:00.079: cockerel
00:01:01.440: dog and pig
00:01:04.479: the chinese believe that a person born
00:01:06.880: in a particular year
00:01:08.799: has some of the characteristics of that
00:01:10.960: animal
00:01:13.200: celebrating the chinese new year
00:01:16.640: chinese families celebrate the new year
00:01:19.200: for two weeks
00:01:21.119: they decorate their houses towns and
00:01:23.680: villages with colored lanterns flowers
00:01:27.600: and many other decorations
00:01:30.240: they carefully clean the house and throw
00:01:32.640: away old things
00:01:35.119: this means they are throwing away the
00:01:36.960: bad luck of the past year
00:01:40.880: it is very important for the chinese to
00:01:43.040: be with their families on new year's eve
00:01:46.799: on this occasion the family eats a big
00:01:49.439: delicious meal together
00:01:51.390: [Music]
00:01:52.640: fish is always part of the dinner along
00:01:55.439: with rice different meats and vegetables
00:01:58.640: [Music]
00:02:00.240: each food has a special meaning and the
00:02:02.880: chinese believe these foods bring good
00:02:05.360: luck
00:02:07.119: on new year's day the chinese wear new
00:02:10.160: clothes to symbolize the new year
00:02:13.599: red is a popular color because the
00:02:15.920: chinese believe that it is lucky
00:02:19.599: parents and family members give children
00:02:21.840: the traditional new year's gift
00:02:24.160: called lie c
00:02:26.400: lucky money
00:02:27.760: a red and gold envelope with some money
00:02:30.319: inside
00:02:31.210: [Music]
00:02:37.270: there are a lot of big chinese
00:02:37.280: communities outside china
00:02:40.319: in many big cities such as london
00:02:42.879: new york and san francisco there are
00:02:45.599: areas called chinatown
00:02:48.560: in these areas there are many chinese
00:02:50.879: shops and restaurants a very important
00:02:53.680: celebration is the parade on new year's
00:02:56.400: day
00:02:57.519: the dragon is an important part of the
00:02:59.599: parade
00:03:00.720: because people believe it is noble and
00:03:03.120: lucky
00:03:04.879: in the parade a dragon can sometimes be
00:03:08.000: 25 meters long
00:03:10.400: and can have about 60 men move under its
00:03:14.000: body and tail
00:03:16.640: people often throw money at the dragon
00:03:19.040: and the dragon tries to catch it in its
00:03:21.360: big mouth
00:03:23.760: lion dancing is an ancient chinese
00:03:26.159: tradition and lion dancers are always
00:03:29.599: part of the parade
00:03:32.159: two men usually move under each lion
00:03:36.239: musicians play the drums and symbols
00:03:38.720: during the lion dance
00:03:41.200: there are also noisy fireworks
00:03:44.239: the chinese believe that the noise
00:03:46.400: frightens evil spirits
00:03:48.630: [Music]
00:03:50.159: during the parade
00:03:51.680: children represent the 12 animals of the
00:03:54.080: chinese calendar
00:03:56.319: chinese children like wearing the
00:03:58.480: costume of their favorite animal during
00:04:00.879: the parade
00:04:03.120: [Music]
00:00:01.839: chinese new year
00:00:07.909: chinese new year is a very important
00:00:07.919: festivity for chinese people everywhere
00:00:11.519: it is also called the spring festival or
00:00:14.799: the lunar new year
00:00:17.840: the exact date of the chinese new year
00:00:20.640: changes from year to year
00:00:23.039: but it is always between the 21st of
00:00:25.680: january and the 19th of february
00:00:30.320: in ancient china people used the moon to
00:00:33.760: calculate time
00:00:35.920: and in the chinese lunar calendar
00:00:38.719: every month begins with the new moon
00:00:42.879: every year of the chinese calendar has
00:00:45.600: an animal's name
00:00:47.760: these animals are the rat
00:00:50.239: ox
00:00:51.440: tiger
00:00:52.719: rabbit
00:00:54.000: dragon
00:00:55.199: snake
00:00:56.480: horse
00:00:57.520: sheep
00:00:58.960: monkey
00:01:00.079: cockerel
00:01:01.440: dog and pig
00:01:04.479: the chinese believe that a person born
00:01:06.880: in a particular year
00:01:08.799: has some of the characteristics of that
00:01:10.960: animal
00:01:13.200: celebrating the chinese new year
00:01:16.640: chinese families celebrate the new year
00:01:19.200: for two weeks
00:01:21.119: they decorate their houses towns and
00:01:23.680: villages with colored lanterns flowers
00:01:27.600: and many other decorations
00:01:30.240: they carefully clean the house and throw
00:01:32.640: away old things
00:01:35.119: this means they are throwing away the
00:01:36.960: bad luck of the past year
00:01:40.880: it is very important for the chinese to
00:01:43.040: be with their families on new year's eve
00:01:46.799: on this occasion the family eats a big
00:01:49.439: delicious meal together
00:01:51.390: [Music]
00:01:52.640: fish is always part of the dinner along
00:01:55.439: with rice different meats and vegetables
00:01:58.640: [Music]
00:02:00.240: each food has a special meaning and the
00:02:02.880: chinese believe these foods bring good
00:02:05.360: luck
00:02:07.119: on new year's day the chinese wear new
00:02:10.160: clothes to symbolize the new year
00:02:13.599: red is a popular color because the
00:02:15.920: chinese believe that it is lucky
00:02:19.599: parents and family members give children
00:02:21.840: the traditional new year's gift
00:02:24.160: called lie c
00:02:26.400: lucky money
00:02:27.760: a red and gold envelope with some money
00:02:30.319: inside
00:02:31.210: [Music]
00:02:37.270: there are a lot of big chinese
00:02:37.280: communities outside china
00:02:40.319: in many big cities such as london
00:02:42.879: new york and san francisco there are
00:02:45.599: areas called chinatown
00:02:48.560: in these areas there are many chinese
00:02:50.879: shops and restaurants a very important
00:02:53.680: celebration is the parade on new year's
00:02:56.400: day
00:02:57.519: the dragon is an important part of the
00:02:59.599: parade
00:03:00.720: because people believe it is noble and
00:03:03.120: lucky
00:03:04.879: in the parade a dragon can sometimes be
00:03:08.000: 25 meters long
00:03:10.400: and can have about 60 men move under its
00:03:14.000: body and tail
00:03:16.640: people often throw money at the dragon
00:03:19.040: and the dragon tries to catch it in its
00:03:21.360: big mouth
00:03:23.760: lion dancing is an ancient chinese
00:03:26.159: tradition and lion dancers are always
00:03:29.599: part of the parade
00:03:32.159: two men usually move under each lion
00:03:36.239: musicians play the drums and symbols
00:03:38.720: during the lion dance
00:03:41.200: there are also noisy fireworks
00:03:44.239: the chinese believe that the noise
00:03:46.400: frightens evil spirits
00:03:48.630: [Music]
00:03:50.159: during the parade
00:03:51.680: children represent the 12 animals of the
00:03:54.080: chinese calendar
00:03:56.319: chinese children like wearing the
00:03:58.480: costume of their favorite animal during
00:04:00.879: the parade
00:04:03.120: [Music]