Children's Web Magazine

The Chinese New Year is on the 23rd January this year. It is a traditional holiday for the Chinese and a significant one. It is a moveable date and falls between January the 21st and February the 21st. The celebrations last fifteen days, it begins with the lantern festival. Apparently legend has it that a man eating beast called China Nian (Nyehn) somehow managed to wonder around silently. However the Chinese discovered that China Nian hated loud noise as well as the colour red. So they frightened it away using these methods. Rather like American Thanksgiving this is very much a time for the family and they all travel home so they can be together. Red packets are given normally to children and
unmarried people from married couples on New Years day. The packets contain a small amount of money unless the family is rich and wants to make a kind gesture to a family member.
They will take time to see both families and on the second day they will go and visit the wife's family. Interestingly although the first few days are very much spent with the family the third day is very much the opposite of this, perhaps wisely knowing that you can have too much of a good thing and need a break from each other, as the day is known as "chec hao" which means "easy to get into augments".
The seventh day consists of eating tossed fish salad. Rather like stirring a Christmas cake and making a wish people get together to toss a salad and make a wish, their wishes, though, are to do with wealth and success.
The Chinese New Year ends with a lantern festival in the evening. The year always corresponds with the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the year of the Dragon. They are always animals.

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