Spring Festival: Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the grandest festival in China, with a 7-day long holiday. Chinese New Year falls on 25 Jan,2020. The Spring Festival is a national holiday in China. Offices, schools, universities and many companies are closed during the period from the Spring Festival Eve to the seventh day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar.
People do in Spring Festival: During this time, many people who work far from their hometowns will make the arduous, time-consuming journey back to visit family and friends where they spend several relaxing days together eating, visiting more relatives, making their own small fireworks display or going to see large displays put on by their municipality and eating some more. On the gift giving side, red envelopes filled with crisp money are traditionally given as symbols of good luck and to ward away evil spirits. They put up the red poster with poetic verses on it to their doors. Chinese New Year pictures on their walls and decorate their homes with red lanterns.
2020-The Year of Rat: It is the Year of the Rat according to the Chinese zodiac, which features 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal.
Recent year of the Rat are: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020.
Lucky things for rat:
• Colors: blue, gold , green
• Numbers: 2, 3
• Flower: lily, African violet, valley lily
• Direction of loves: west
Unlucky things for rat:
• Colors: yellow, brown
• Number: 5,9
Historical documents: According to historical documents, on the day when Shun, who was one of ancient China’s mythological emperors, came to the throne more than 4000 years ago, he led his minister to worship heaven and earth.
Business run during Chinese public holidays:
Business actually flourishes during holidays, so there’s no need to worry about the shopping, dining, entertainment. Some shopping malls, shops, supermarkets and restaurants have promotion discounts on festivals, and some even extend their opening time. On the Chinese New Year, the grandest occasion for family reunion of the year ,some personal shops and small restaurants or closed.
People's personalities of the rat:
People born in the Year of the Rat are characteristic as smart, resourceful and quick-witted. They have great imaginations and make sharp observations, with the ability to take advantage of several opportunities. A person born in the Year of the Rat is thought to be clever, optimistic and favoured by all. In particular, men born in this year are able to adapt to new situations, while women take a caring, organised approach.
Strengths: Intelligent, optimistic and adaptable
Weaknesses: Stubborn, timid and greedy
This holiday is celebrated in countries:
This holiday is celebrated in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Mauritius, but also Europe, Australia, America, Canada, especially in the areas with a big Chinese community.
Preparations for the holidays:
The preparations for the holidays start one month prior when people buy presents, materials for decorations, food and clothes.Also then starts the house cleaning to chase away bad luck, and the doors and windows are being repainted, usually in red.
Before New Year, the Chinese decorate their living rooms with flower vases, plates full of oranges and tangerines ( symbolizing great happiness) and a tray with sweets with eight kinds of dry fruits.
Traditional Chinese dance:
. In time, the Dragon Dance became a symbol of the Chinese culture.The Dragon Dance is an ancient traditional Chinese dance, usually performed during big holidays, in hope of attracting peace and prosperity for the whole nation.
Traditional Chinese food:
Here are some delicious ideas to celebrate the Year of the Rat...
• Tangyuan: Tangyuan are sticky rice balls
• Faat choi jai:This dish is a simmered vegetable dish
• Dumplings:Cooked the dumplings can resemble gold bars
• Clams and scallops:because of their resemblance to old Chinese coins
• Longevity noodles:Traditionally, rating noodles represent hope for a long life
• Niangao:Niangao are glutinous rice cakes served at CNY.
The cakes can be steamed and served as it is or cut into slice and PAN-fried after steaming.
• Tangerines,mandarins and kumquats :Orange fruits are said to resemble gold