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| Chinese New Year » Chinese New Year Superstitions |
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Chinese New Year is swathed in traditions and age old superstitions. Though China boasts of its high tech developments, the most popular and celebrated festival of China owes its origin to ancient customs. Chinese New Year Superstitions connote the ancient Chinese belief systems, which again refers to how people believed and behaved in those days. Chinese New Year is the time of the year when folks leave their work and head for their home to have a gala time with near and dear ones. But in the midst of celebrations and merriment lies a series of colorful and vivid Chinese New Year Superstitions.
The Chinese New Year is also known as Yuan Tan by the Chinese. Yuan Tan is considered as the new beginning which literally means let bygones be bygones. This special moment is commemorated on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Preparations for the Chinese New Year tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year.
A huge clean-up is to be done before the New Year. Folks clean the house from top to bottom, to sweep away the dust of the gone year. They also give a new coat of red paint on the doors and windowpanes. As, the color red is considered lucky and is believe that it scares the evil. The Chinese New Year is also a time to settle old debts. In ancient China creditors were allowed to pursue debtors. It is believed if by the New Year a debtor has not paid, he will be shamed as well as his family.
It is believed that on the Chinese New Year's eve, Chinese New Year God ascends to heaven to pay their respects and also report on the household chores to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. A week before the New Year, the kitchen god, which watches the family, is offered Chinese New Year cake so that he submits a favorable report about the family in the heaven. The kitchen god is burnt so that he ascends to heaven and meets the supreme deity. Sometimes honey is also offered to make sure he cannot open his mouth. Sometimes folks make a paper chariot is and burn it with the kitchen god. For almost a week the god's shelf stays empty, and then the head of the family makes a new god from rice paper and paint it with vivid colors.
Chinese people believe that staying awake all night on New Year's Eve would make their aged parents to live a longer and healthier life. Thus a common activity followed on the eve of Chinese New Year is to keep the lights on the entire night. It is also seen as a pretext to make the most of the family reunion. Some families in China even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to usher in the God of the New Year into their homes. It is customary to conclude the ceremonies with a huge barrage of firecrackers to scare away the evil.
123Chinese New Year offers information on Chinese New Year Superstitions from all over the world.
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