It’s New Year for the Chinese
The Chinese community around the world will celebrate their Chinese New Year, on Friday, January 31.
Celebrations will include, lion dances, fireworks, family gatherings, family meals, visiting of friends and relatives, and giving of red envelopes.
Hsueh-Chen Kao who owns a computer appliance shop at the East Rand Traders flea market on North Rand Road, says she will be celebrating differently, in a private manner with her family with lots of food.
“It’s like Christmas. Some people will close their shops early on the eve. I personally cook two days before the day, because traditional food takes longer to prepare,” says Hsueh-Chen.
The Chinese New Year marks the first day of the year of the Chinese calendar, and celebrations traditionally run for 15 days.
It is also called Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival.
Twenty-four-year old Luke Chen says according to their calendar, this is the Year of the Horse.
He also says the Chinese people do not celebrate on December 31 with the rest of the world, and that different Chinese people celebrate the Chinese New Year differently.
“We make it a family thing and have a feast at home,” says Chen.
Hsueh-Chen says on the first day of celebrations parents give red envelopes containing money to junior members of the family, including all unmarried children, as a form of blessings for long life.
“Some married children also give their mothers red envelopes, because red represents luck,” says Hsueh-Chen.
She adds that red envelopes are also given at birthdays and weddings and white envelopes, which represent death, are given at funerals.
Hsueh-Chen says overseas, business managers also give bonuses through red envelopes to employees during this time, for good luck.
Other traditional customs include children staying awake all night (representing long life for their parents), while families also keep their lights on the entire night until the next morning.
Hsueh-Chen says on the first day of Chinese New Year, everybody wears new clothing to represent a New Year as they go out to wish neighbours, family and friends a happy New Year.
She also says that there is usually a lot of traffic on the second day of celebrations, as all married women, no matter where they are in the world, must go and visit their parents with their families, bearing gifts.
