Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know…
“Days are too busy; Hours are too few; Seconds are too fast; But there is always time for me to say; Happy New Year!” Chinese New Year Quote
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… New Year Dragon
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… Traditional lion dance
Ukulele Video: US billionaire Warren Buffett sings for Chinese New Year
♥The Mythology of The Chinese New Year
According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian (Chinese: 年; pinyin: Nián). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu’s mount. Chinese New Year Wikipedia
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year of the Water Dragon! Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái. Gōng hè xīn xǐ! Happy merrymaking to everyone! It’s a blessing to meet another New Year, and as a way to help us remember our gifts and dreams for the year, I’ve added ten auspicious, good luck blessings that people shower on each other during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Enjoy the ten blessings, the two videos, and ten important facts about this special event.
Below are 10 popular and auspicious blessings/sayings for the Chinese New Year. They consist of four Chinese characters and special blessings.
金玉滿堂Jīnyùmǎntáng – “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”
大展鴻圖Dàzhǎnhóngtú – “May you realize your ambitions”
迎春接福Yíngchúnjiēfú – “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”
萬事如意Wànshìrúyì – “May all your wishes be fulfilled”
♥ The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important of all the traditional Chinese holidays. It is also known as the “Spring Festival,” marking the official end of the winter season.
♥ This year, we celebrate the Year of the Water Dragon: from January 23, 2012 – February 09, 2013. It is considered a symbol of good fortune and a sign of intense personal power.
♥The tradition of the Chinese New Year is to encourage people to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness to everyone.
♥The biggest event on Chinese New Year’s Eve is the Reunion Dinner. People eat special foods that represent good luck; pigs, ducks, chicken, sweets and fish. Also Niangao, a Chinese New Year cake. In the morning, children greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The night ends with firecrackers.
“Each age has deemed the new-born year. The fittest time for festal cheer.” Sir Walter Scott
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… New Year food; Nian gao nin gou
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… Chinese good luck character; Zhāocáijìnbǎo
MesAyah – Perfect World (Official Video)
THE WATER DRAGON 1952 AND 2012
Water has a calming effect on the Dragon’s fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. However, their actions can go wrong if they do not research or if they do not finish one project before starting another. The Dragon
吉慶有餘Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”
竹報平安Zhúbàopíng’ān – “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”
一本萬利Yīběnwànlì – “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”
♥The New Year consists of 15 Days of Celebration and recognition of the festivities; from welcoming the gods on Day 1 to celebrating the Lantern Festival on Day 15.
♥ The Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries and in Chinatowns with large Chinese communities; countries include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.
♥People collect money to buy each other presents, and families clean out their homes as a way to cleanse their space, to welcome the new, and to sweep away any ill-fortune.
♥The color Red is an important color in Chinese culture, it symbolizes prosperity. People decorate their doors and windows with red paper-cut outs and positive messages on “wealth,” “happiness” and “good fortune.” More below. 😉
“The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows.” George William Curtis
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… Water dragon
Happy Chinese New Year: Ten Blessings & Ten Things To Know… Dragon banner..
NYTimes Video On Chinese New Year Fireworks – Watch it!
The New Year by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that’s the burden of a year.”
福壽雙全Fúshòushuāngquán – “May your happiness and longevity be complete”
招財進寶Zhāocáijìnbǎo – “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year.
♥A major part of the New Year celebrations include Fireworks. Firecrackers are lit everywhere to help drive away Evil spirits. The belief is that these malevolent spirits can’t handle loud noise, so the Chinese New Year is also a time of very loud celebration.
♥The origin of the New Year is not fully known, however, there are many popular myths and stories on how it all started At the top of the post I added The Mythology of The Chinese New Year. Enjoy it! What are your thoughts? Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? What do you do differently? What memories come to mind when you think of this holiday? Do share! Thank you. 😉
Positive Motivation Tip: May your Chinese New Year be abundantly blessed!
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Chinese New Year Dragon, Nian Lion Dance, Chinese New Year Food, Chinese Character Zhāocáijìnbǎo, Chinese New Year Water Dragon, Chinese Dragon Banner, via Wikipedia or via Flickr
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Related articles
- Six Things You Want to Know of Chinese Spring Festival (hotpottimemachine.wordpress.com)
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- Happy Chinese New Year!!! (awindowintomyworld.wordpress.com)
- Chinese New Year Celebrations, The Symbolism and Mythology (writersinthestorm.wordpress.com)
- Ushering in the Year of the Dragon (maizebread.wordpress.com)
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Did you go very distant!
the perfect world is a dream ..
but the music is beautiful.
Good, as you know, just be you!
on Japan? you have some news?
A very good day, kiss.
vento
TY dear one!
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Great combination. Happy Chinese new year. 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year! I learned more from you about the Chinese New Year and its legends and traditions. Didn’t know that they wore red to scare off the Niam. Very entertaining and informative article! 🙂
It was a lot of fun to gather. Sufilight! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
thank you for the Ukulele video of the US-billionaire – he stayed modest it seems!
TY for checking in. 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Love the dragons. We really should take the kids in to see the parade on Sunday – you’ve just reminded me!
Glad I reminded you.. Do go. 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year, Elizabeth!
Buffet on a ukelele? Totally unexpected. Feel like I missed the point of the second video though. That’s an interesting story of the origin of the Chinese New Year. We had fireworks here the other night. I hear there was an even bigger celebration in Kingston.
Awesome he is… 😆
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Kung Hei Fat Choi, Elizabeth! What a great post filled with info about the origin of the Chinese New Year. All I knew before was the year in which I was born… Thank you for sharing! 🙂
TY for your feedback. 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Very interesting. Thank you for the enlightenment about Chinese New Year. When I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, I attended several Chinese New Year dinners with my roommate, who was a Chinese educator who fled mainland China during the Communist takeover. They were always interesting. No firecrackers but lots of red and, I believe, gold.
Wonderful and I bet the food was great. 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Yes, the food was great and truly Chinese, not Chinese-American. Fish eyes staring at you while you attempted to eat its nether parts. 🙂
Hey Eliz, Happy Chinese New Year to YOU….great post today. I have been studying stuff like this…interesting…too…
Great and TY Jackie!
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Great post! The Buffet video is a hoot. Blessings to you this year of the dragon!
b
TY Barb! I love it. 😆
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Elizabeth…
Kung Hei Fat Choi to you and may all your wishes come true!
I never knew all these things about the Chinese New Year until reading your post….thanks for the information! It is so interesting!
TY Judy and same… 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Thank you for the wonderful background on this fun New Year….
TY too Savira!
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year Elizabeth!
吉慶有餘Jíqìngyǒuyú – “May your happiness be without limit”
TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
I’ve been to several Chinese New Year celebrations over the years and never knew the significance of the color red! Thanks for that. I’m the Water Dragon. Hope to live up to that description!
I bet you did! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Maybe I’d better get a red bandanna to scare off that Nian.
Good idea. 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Great information here! Happy Chinese New Year!
TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Great post.. and thanks for dropping by my blog! =)
Another thing that I really like about Chinese New Year …. the candied treats! My two favourites are the candied wintermelon and the candied lotus root. Yummy….!
Happy Chinese New Year to you!
TY! The treats sound yummy! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
I am reading your post instead of watching the State of the Union address. I feel so calm.
Well… TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year to you, too! My daughter is an Earth Dragon and my granddaughter (intelligently) just missed being a Water Dragon. I’m so glad!
Wonderful! TY! 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
This is a very informative article. Thank you for posting it.
I love learning things about other cultures. This has taught me
alot.
Happy New Year …
Isadora
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/a-toast-for-the-new-year/
I’m glad it helped you… TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Wow I learnt so much about my own culture right here right now! Thanks for sharing! And did you know that ‘Nian’ means ‘year’ in mandarin chinese? 🙂
TY! I had no idea it had another meaning… 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year to you too!
B
TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
So interesting! I’ve never heard Water Dragon before…I’m a 1952. I knew it was “my” year, but I’m all about water…water fall in our back yard, constantly going to the ocean, a water feature in my office…I actually do need to be near it for my well-being to be optimum. I’m also a Pisces, so this is kind of fun to think about. What do I really believe? I don’t think I do believe in astrology at all, but I love symbolism and think that making meaning out of traditions is good for us. I don’t have to apply a scientific lens to everything! My city has a very large Chinese population and much celebration takes place…I think there are some lovely traditions associated with the Chinese New Year. I am thinking it would be nice for me to learn a bit more! Debra
WoW Debra! You are deep in that water path… Yes dig in and learn more, it will uplift you. TY!
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
What a bright and happy post. Thanks, E!
TY Nancy! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
So wonderful and wondrous–the Year of the Dragon. Love the photos of the Dragon Dance, the traditional Lion Dance, and the Water Dragon. And already thought Warren Buffett was a really good guy–now I KNOW it! “May you reach your ambitions” is the wish I send out to everyone today.
TY Granbee… hope all is well. 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Great post…I learned something new today!
TY and so did I! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
Happy Chinese New Year Eliz! My fave are not only the firecrackers, red and more red everything but best of all the Niangao! YUMMY 🙂
Yummy TY! 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
oh, hey, that is cool writing!!
TY Sunshine!
I thought about going to San Francisco to experience Chinese New Year in a different way, but wound up going to La Costa instead. Maybe next year!
Hope you go… TY!
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
THanks for hitting the like button on my City Shapes today. I enjoyed this post.
TY Rutheh for your feedback. 🙂
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
very nice religious blog…….I know I am so late to say that but happy Chinese new year.
Thank you for stopping by. Jíqìngyǒuyú – May your happiness be without limit!
Gong Xi Fa Cai — Wishing you a very auspicious Lunar New Year!
Thank you! Jíqìngyǒuyú – May your happiness be without limit! 🙂
I love how people celebrate traditions. We are a fascinating species.
We take them very seriously too… even when the stories are a bit fantastical. I love traditional celebrations. 😉
年年有馀 niánniányǒuyú – Wishing you prosperity every year! 🙂
Eliz
So much to take in here – well done, Elizabeth! I loved all the information about the Chinese celebrations – and the Wilcox poem as well! 😉