Fun And Creative Chinese New Year Crafts That You Can Do For Your Holiday Celebrations

The Chinese New Year is a very important time of year for Chinese people all over the world. One great way to celebrate this special time is to make fun and easy crafts with your family. There are so many crafts that you can do to help you have more fun as you celebrate, plus these crafts will make good decorations for your home as you celebrate.

This Chinese New Year craft will be one that your whole family will enjoy doing together. It is the Dancing Lion or Dragon Toy. Draw the head and tail onto paper. Then cut the head and tail out. You want to decorate with bright colors, glitter or feathers. You want to take a piece of paper and fold it in half the long way. Then cut on the fold line so that you end up with two long rectangles. Then take the paper and fold it so that it looks like an accordion. Then glue or tape the pieces together. This will form the animal's body. You want to glue or tape the head to one end of the body and the tail to the other end. Then use straws and attach them to the back of the head and tail. This will allow you to make your animal dance for your Chinese New Year.

Another great one to do is the fireworks craft. You will need old newspapers that you can spread out to work over. Get some dark construction paper and spread glue in geometric shapes. You can also use a straw and blow on the glue so that it spreads out in different shapes if you want to. Then you just sprinkle glitter onto the glue. Make sure that you put the excess glitter that is on the paper back into the glitter container. You can do this craft with just one color or a lot of colors. These two crafts are great decorations for your Chinese New Year celebration.

In the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Imlek. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Imlek parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

Chinese New Year Celebrations in London

Yuletide celebrations may have come and gone, but Sunday the 10th of February will see celebration of the Chinese New Year, ringing in what is in Chinese astrology, the Year of the Rat. As the biggest city in Europe and one with a sizeable ethnic Chinese population, London's Chinese New Year celebrations will be amongst the most extravagant around the world - last year it was the largest in the world outside of Asia, attracting over 300,000 visitors.

In London, celebrations of the Chinese New Year are naturally concentrated around Chinatown, located in the Soho area of the City of Westminster and occupying the area in and around Gerrard Street. The site itself is a must-see for any tourist, and contains numerous Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and Chinese souvenir shops.

Chinese New Year celebrations start at 11 am with the Grand Parade from Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square and admission is free of charge.

Following opening speeches, including ones by appointed officials, such as the President of the London Chinese Community Centre and Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, the celebrations kick off with the 'Dotting of the Lions' Eyes'. In this good-luck ceremony, two dancers wear a giant lion costume and the eyes are painted in to drive away evil spirits and bring the lion to life. Accompanying the waking lion are drumbeats, gongs and cymbals, starting off softly and building into an erupting crescendo as the lion awakes and begins to flick its ears, scratch and breathe. The lion then starts to dance as firecrackers go off.

Following this is the mesmerising Dragon Dance, an essential part of Chinese festivals for over two millennia. Historically a part of harvest rituals, today it symbolises the bringing of prosperity and good luck in the year ahead. The Dragon itself is a long, brightly painted serpent-shaped body on poles, worn by up to 8 dancers, with an ornamental head and tail.

At 1 pm the centre stage becomes a showcase for different talents from local and visiting performers. These include both contemporary and traditional arts, from dances to martial arts and music. An impressive display of talent, it promises to be one of the must-see parts of the celebrations.

The skies will light up with fireworks around Leicester Square every hour from 2 - 6 pm, and the celebrations then move from Trafalgar Square into Chinatown. Although it is always a lively part of London, this New Year the festive spirit is expected to be higher than ever, with the Beijing Olympics and London 2012 being integrated into the festivities. Home to over 78 restaurants offering everything from westernized Chinese food to traditional and gourmet delicacies, Chinatown can provide anyone with an appreciation for Chinese food something to suit their tastes.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

Chinese New Year Menu Ideas for a Delicious Chinese New Year Feast

Tradition is how we have gotten many of our menu items for holidays. Chinese New Year is no different. Delicious Asian delicacies form a big part of Chinese New Year, and here are just a few ideas:

Some items you may find during Chinese New Year are a vegetarian dish called jai, whole fish, chicken, nian gao, rice pudding, and man tou. The menu items have more meaning than most foods available at a traditional New Year in the United States. The Chinese believe their food symbolizes many things. Among the symbolization of food is the attitude that the amount of food prepared shows abundance and wealth for the household.

Spring rolls are another traditional and symbolic food you may find on the menu for Chinese New Year. To make spring rolls you need 1 cup shredded cabbage, ¼ cup shredded carrots, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 4 Chinese garlic chives, 1 cup bean sprouts, ½ bell pepper, ¼ pound pork, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, and a pinch cornstarch to create 24 spring rolls. You will also need 24 wrappers.

Other menu items you may find at a traditional Chinese New Year celebration include lettuce wraps, Lion’s Head Meatballs, Pecking Duck, Sweet & Sour Pork, and Tea Eggs. It is important to note that most of the menu items will have some significance to their culture and that is why it is made on the Chinese New Year. Rice pudding is considered a dessert among the Chinese and will complete the meal for you and your friends.

Whether you use these ideas or throw in some of your own, with a bit of preparation and creativity you can serve up a Chinese New Year feast that will have your guests coming back for more.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

Lucky Money in Red Envelopes For Chinese New Year

During the Chinese New Year, young people who greet their elders with a happy and abundant new year are handed lucky red envelopes by the elders. These envelopes are really good luck for a youngster because these have money inside. The lucky red envelopes are called "hong bao" in Mandarin, or "lai see" in Cantonese.

Symbolism of the Lucky Envelope

Giving money during Chinese New Year is considered lucky for both the giver and the receiver. Those who give will also invite the flow of money in during the entire year. Giving these envelopes also symbolize that the family luck is also passed on to the children and the unmarried teens/ adults.

Red as usual is the luckiest color, as it symbolizes life, so it's appropriate that Chinese New Year items are colored red. Hong paos have assorted designs, such as that of happy children, Chinese characters for abundance and greetings, animals of the zodiac, etc. The Chinese word for red ("hong") also sound like "plenty". Thus it is believed that money wrapped in red will make money multiply.

The money inside the hong bao is called Ya Sui Qian. Ya mean suppress; Sui sounds somehow like evil spirit. Qian means money. Therefore, Ya Sui Qian means money that can suppress evil spirits. It is believed that this lucky money can also help kids be safe and healthy for the year.

Giving the Hong Bao/ Lai See

Money in even amounts, except for 4, is considered lucky. 4 is not a good amount to put into the lucky envelopes because the Chinese word for "four" sounds similar to the sound of "death". A good way to gauge the amount to put into a hong bao is roughly the same amount as a candy bar. An adult can give 1 envelope, while married couples usually give 2 envelopes. It is said that in some parts of China, only mothers give away the hong bao.

The young people accept these lucky envelopes graciously on Chinese New Year with a sincere thank you (that's "xie xie" in Mandarin or "doi jeh" in Cantonese.) They often give thanks while kneel-bowing 3 times.

For good manners sake, the hong bao should not be opened in the presence of the giver. The receiver may only do so after leaving the giver.

The lucky money inside the hong bao is recommended to be kept and not spent immediately. Young people are encouraged to save their money. And besides, it is believed that this money brings luck and wellness so might as well keep it.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RR_Ritchey

Tradition Celebration Chinese New Year 2010 in the World

The Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration that falls on a different date each year as it is a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually falls in the month of January or February. This year marks the 'Year of the Horse'. The Chinese New Year's date varies every year and falls on second new moon after the winter solstice. The date for the occasion is decided according to the calendar which is a combination of the solar and the lunar calendar. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar are the animals that are considered to be auspicious. Each person as is believed in the Chinese calendar resembles an animal and this reflects their traits. The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival as it is also known is the most revered holiday of the year. This is the time when family and friends gather and offer prayers to their ancestors and deities followed by a lavish dinner to usher in the New Year. During this time, families clean their homes while feng shui believers decorate their homes accordingly. On chinese new year 2010, members of a family stay up late as legend goes that long ago; the gods in heaven would give gold to each family so they would keep awake, active and ready to accept the gold gift. Families decorate their homes with pretty vases and colorful flowers symbolizing that nature has reawakened. Oranges and tangerines are placed in the house as a sign of happiness and prosperity. A tray of candies made of eight different types of candies are placed along with these. The candies are made of lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, cumquat, red melon seeds, candied melon, etc. The traditional food that is a significant part of the Chinese New Year party includes Jai, Fish and chicken, noodles and desserts. The dinner has a symbolic meaning in which the Chinese dumplings imply wealth as they are in the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Jiu is the traditional hard liquor in China symbolizes longevity as also Daikon, a white radish. Red chilies symbolize good luck while rice ensures harmony. Chinese people are usually out on the roads, especially kids who wear Chinese dragon masks and go for the chinese new year calendar 2010 Dragon parade. Dragon dances are a vital part of the Chinese New Year. One man who has a 'Pearl Of Wisdom' on a pole entices the dragon to follow him to the drum beats as though searching for wisdom and knowledge. The lion dance is an equally important ritual in the consecration of any auspicious time in China. The Lantern Festival is an amazing visual display of multicolored paper lanterns created by craftsmen in designs of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies and other insects or animals. The Dragon Boat Festival marks the day of a certain Chinese scholar who threw himself into the river over a political protest. Chinese New Year is not just a festival of fun and part, but also a time to welcome the new season, pray for prosperity and well being and cleanse away the any thing evil

The Chinese New Year is a fifteen day celebration that falls on a different date each year as it is a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually falls in the month of January or February. This year marks the 'Year of the Horse'.

The Chinese New Year's date varies every year and falls on second new moon after the winter solstice. The date for the occasion is decided according to the calendar which is a combination of the solar and the lunar calendar. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar are the animals that are considered to be auspicious. Each person as is believed in the Chinese calendar resembles an animal and this reflects their traits.

The chinese new year or the Spring Festival as it is also known is the most revered holiday of the year. This is the time when family and friends gather and offer prayers to their ancestors and deities followed by a lavish dinner to usher in the New Year. During this time, families clean their homes while feng shui believers decorate their homes accordingly. On chinese new year 2010, members of a family stay up late as legend goes that long ago; the gods in heaven would give gold to each family so they would keep awake, active and ready to accept the gold gift.

Families decorate their homes with pretty vases and colorful flowers symbolizing that nature has reawakened. Oranges and tangerines are placed in the house as a sign of happiness and prosperity. A tray of candies made of eight different types of candies are placed along with these. The candies are made of lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut, cumquat, red melon seeds, candied melon, etc. The traditional food that is a significant part of the Chinese New Year party includes Jai, Fish and chicken, noodles and desserts. The dinner has a symbolic meaning in which the Chinese dumplings imply wealth as they are in the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Jiu is the traditional hard liquor in China symbolizes longevity as also Daikon, a white radish. Red chilies symbolize good luck while rice ensures harmony.

Chinese people are usually out on the roads, especially kids who wear Chinese dragon masks and go for the chinese new year calendar 2010 Dragon parade. Dragon dances are a vital part of the Chinese New Year. One man who has a 'Pearl Of Wisdom' on a pole entices the dragon to follow him to the drum beats as though searching for wisdom and knowledge. The lion dance is an equally important ritual in the consecration of any auspicious time in China. The Lantern Festival is an amazing visual display of multicolored paper lanterns created by craftsmen in designs of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies and other insects or animals. The Dragon Boat Festival marks the day of a certain Chinese scholar who threw himself into the river over a political protest.

In the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Imlek. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Imlek parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Chinese New Year is not just a festival of fun and part, but also a time to welcome the new season, pray for prosperity and well being and cleanse away the any thing evil.

Article Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/humor-articles/chinese-new-year-2010-get-chinese-new-year-eve-celebration-around-the-world-1668382.html

Celebration Imlek 2010 in February

Celebration means when everybody is in a mood how best he or she can celebrate a particular event with his or her parents, friends, spouses, relatives and lots more. The time when the whole world celebrates its New Year and busy in new parties and celebration functions on other hand Chinese community is in a plan how best they can arrange their New Year party. It is because the Imlek is on the 14th February. The main thing which cannot be ignored by one while considering Imlek is animal. Means every coming year is denoted by animal. Therefore, as per the Chinese traditional calendar, Imlek 2010 is denoted by tiger. While Imlek 2010 celebrations define how best they can arrange their parties, events and functions. As red is the favorite color for people in china that depicts their belief in good or evil, animal spirits, on gods and legendary beings. As per the upcoming Imlek calendar 2010, the coming year is the ji-chou year that reflects the combination between jji and yin. Means “Jji” is among the sixth of the Ten Celestial Stems and yin is among the third of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches. So, the coming year is denoted by Tiger. Besides Imlek, there is also one more term name Lunar New Year which is only observed by Vietnamese, Chinese and Koreans. As Lunar New Year Calendar is base on the cycle system of the moon and sun. This further deflects Imlek that can be starts from anywhere between the last week of the January and the middle of the February. So, Imlek calendar plays a vital role in fixing Imlek date which is also known as lunar new year. As per the calendar lunar new year 2010 festival is start from the 14th of February. In the moment the entire nation comes together that make them feel of each other's pleasure. It is only time when Chinese people takes weeks of holidays to celebrate this big even with their near and dear. During this event you will find people with red clothes giving gifts to each other and making lot of fire works. Here 365celebration defines complete information about the importance of Imlek celebration, Imlek greeting cards, chinese valentines day cards and lots more related to event and new year celebrations.

Celebration means when everybody is in a mood how best he or she can celebrate a particular event with his or her parents, friends, spouses, relatives and lots more. The time when the whole world celebrates its New Year and busy in new parties and celebration functions on other hand Chinese community is in a plan how best they can arrange their New Year party. It is because the Imlek is on the 14th February. The main thing which cannot be ignored by one while considering Imlek is animal. Means every coming year is denoted by animal. Therefore, as per the Chinese traditional calendar, Imlek 2010 is denoted by tiger.

While Imlek 2010 celebrations define how best they can arrange their parties, events and functions. As red is the favorite color for people in china that depicts their belief in good or evil, animal spirits, on gods and legendary beings. As per the upcoming Imlek calendar 2010, the coming year is the ji-chou year that reflects the combination between jji and yin. Means “Jji” is among the sixth of the Ten Celestial Stems and yin is among the third of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches. So, the coming year is denoted by Tiger.

In the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Imlek. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Imlek parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/humor-articles/celebration-is-on-the-way-chinese-new-year-2010-1699142.html

Chinese New Year - Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and is the oldest and most important festival to the Chinese community. The actual date of the holiday is determined by the lunar calendar and because of this cycle, it varies around late January to mid-February.

The Spring Festival celebrates the return of life into the soil and it is from this point in the calendar that ploughing can sowing can begin (similar to Plough Monday in the United Kingdom). The festival is linked throughout to food and many special foods are prepared and eaten during the celebrations.

Many of these foods have symbolic meaning to the Chinese, some of which are more easily understand - the golden fruit of the Kumquat plant symbolising prosperity. Others are less obvious to us, for example, where the names of the foods sound similar to Chinese characters associated with luck.

The preparations for the festivities are exhausting as well as being extensive. It is usual to clean the house from top to bottom in-order to rid it of bad luck (sweep it out). It is also traditionally a time for painting window and doors (usually in red for luck). Any debts are repaid and decorations, primarily of red and gold, are used extensively hung on walls and in windows.

As well as smartening the house, it is usual for the individual to use the run up to the festival to get a hair-cut and buy new clothes to wear during the celebrations. Some of these customs we may recognise and conform to ourselves. Many Chinese also use the time before the festival to prepare their bodies for the New Year by choosing a more cleansing diet.

New Year's Eve is traditional a time for large family gathering and the sharing of a banquet. The style of food is dependent on the area where you live. This is the time for remembering and honouring departed ancestors. It is widely believed that the spirits of these departed relatives will attend the living on New Year's Eve in-order to celebrate the changing of the year together. The common name for this feast is 'weilu' or 'surrounding the stove'.

After the banquet, celebrations include fireworks and firecrackers which are set off to frighten away evil spirits. At the stroke of midnight between the two years, it is usual for Chinese to open all of their windows and doors to see out the old and welcome in the new.

On New Year's Day, Chinese celebrate the ancient custom of 'Hong Bao' or 'Red Packet'. This ritual involves placing small red parcels or envelopes containing sweets or money under children's pillows and for couples to give unmarried adults small amounts of moneye small red envelopes containing sweets or money under their pillows and married couples give unmarried adults small packets of money. "Kung hei fat choy!" 'Happy New Year!'

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Sinclair

The 15-Day Celebration of Imlek

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth."Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.


The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.

The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the 15th night.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Imlek. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Imlek parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source : http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/15-day_celebration.html

Tradition Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.

in the new year there is now a regular on the popular modern society do

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source : http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html

Imlek In 2010 Epitomized The Tiger

If you want to be celebrating the Chinese New Year (which in 2010 is the year of the tiger) in a traditional manner there are a few things you should consider. Hold on to your hats because this one might be a bumpy ride.

First and foremost...firecrackers and loud noises! I know, many states have outlawed fireworks so you might just have to go to your closest Chinatown, but you need all that racket to scare away the angry ghosts left over from last years.

On the night before the New Year begins sweep away all the dirt and dust. That also is the crap and badness that accumulated the previous year. If you can, decorate your house with fresh flowers, particularly the luck and fortunate colors of red and gold. These bring good luck and fortune to the house.

Many people go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant but if you can't do that just cook up your own meal with symbolic ingredients. For instance oysters represent good fortune and success. As well fresh fish represents a huge surplus and lettuce means money and prosperity. You can also make pot stickers or steamed dumplings called jiaozi which look a little like a tael of gold. The recipe is simple and easy to make.

Adults often give unmarried children the little hongbao, which are small red envelopes stuffed with money. Children will also play Rock, Paper, and Scissors while celebrating Chinese New Year As well.

So you see celebrating Chinese New Year in the year of the tiger can be fun for the whole family.

Traditionally red packets are also handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Chinese new year parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

Giving Chinese new year parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Garcia

15 Days of Chinese New Year

The fifteen days of the Chinese New Year all have a special purpose. On the first day most people don't eat meat, as they believe this will bring them a long and happy life. This 1st day is for welcoming all the gods of both heaven and earth. The 2nd day is believed to be the birthday of all dogs, so the dogs get extra food and kindness to celebrate. Ancestors are also prayed to on the 2nd day.

On the 3rd and 4th day, sons-in-law are expected to pay special respect to their parents-in-law, while on the 5th day - called Po Woo - all must stay home to welcome the god of wealth. Visiting friends on Po Woo will bring bad luck.

On the 6th to 10th days it is important to visit friends and family and also to go to the temples to pray for health and wealth. The 7th day is believed to be the birthday of all human beings. Noodles are eaten and farmers must display all their produce, making drinks out of various fruit and vegetables.

It's family reunion time on the 8th day for the Fujian people, with prayers to their god at midnight, while the 9th day is for offerings to the Jade Emperor. The 10th to 12th days are for inviting the family and friends to dinner, but on the 13th day, only simple meals of rice and greens should be eaten to cleanse the system of all those rich foods. The 14th day is to prepare for the Festival of Lanterns that is held on the 15th night.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_C

History of Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year history is rich and diverse. This year the Chinese New Year is on February 8th.The Chinese New Year is very similar to the Western one, wrapped in traditions and rituals. The history of the Chinese New Year is so old that its origins are lost in the mists of time. It is popularly recognized as the Spring Festival and celebrations last 15 days.It is said that in ancient times, the feudal rulers placed great importance on Chinese New Year celebrations and organized grand ceremonies to mark this event.

Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year as people start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year , when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck, and doors and windowpanes are given a new coat of paint, usually red. The doors and windows are then decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them.

In the history it's mentioned that Chinese peasants eagerly wait for this day because it is on this day that the kitchen God is supposed to depart away to the lord of heaven (known as to the Jade Emperor) to report about the family. During his absence-that is, the period in which He leaves the kitchen only to return in the New Year -the family members clean up the house and make a fresh start to welcome the God as well as the new promising year.

Historically speaking, the Chinese New Year Day has practically been regarded as the only day of the year when China's hard-working peasants allowed themselves to rest.

The eve of the Chinese New Year is perhaps the most exciting part of the event in the history of time, as anticipation creeps in. Here, traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing. Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings, signifying different good wishes. Delicacies include prawns, for liveliness and happiness, dried oysters (or ho xi), for all things good, raw fish salad or yu sheng to bring good luck and prosperity.

It's usual to wear something red as this color is meant to ward off evil spirits - but black and white are out, as these are associated with mourning. After dinner, the family sit up for the night playing cards, board games or watching TV programmes dedicated to the occasion. At midnight, fireworks to mark the Chinese New Year welcome light up the sky.

On the Chinese New Year day itself in history , an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place. This involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then the family begins to wish greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbours. Like the Western saying "let bygones be bygones," at Chinese New Year , grudges are very easily cast aside.

The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.

Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular and Imlek Parcel is also a tradition of giving to business associates or relatives.

chinese new year tradition in the office environment also marked by Giving Imlek Parcel to employees prior to the New Year is also a good idea. This can be either a gift or a bonus. If it is as a gift, the money should be just right for a gift. If as a bonus, you may enclose a check in the parcel gift and hand it out in an office.

Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.

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