From Wikipedia.org:
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī. It literally means "Year-pass Eve".
Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction.[citation needed] These include Aboriginal Taiwanese people, Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries or regions with significant Han Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, and has, to varying degrees, become part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates.
Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not use continuously numbered years, its years are often numbered from the reign of Huangdi outside China. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various scholars, making the year 2008 "Chinese Year" 4706, 4705, or 4645.[2]
The 2009 date for Chinese New Year is January 26.
This is the season to be jolly... Falalala lalalala. Okay, I do know that it's Chinese New Year. And that phrase was supposed to be for Christmas. So why sing it during Chinese New Year?
Well, the days of rats have long passed us, and now we shall welcome the days of bullshit! Okay, no, it's OX.
Well, Chinese New Year to my family is just like any gathering; there's loads of food. We get to enjoy mixture of Peranakan dishes, western dishes, Malay dishes, Chinese dishes and even the chocolate fondue!
My Uncle's place would be bustling with the young and the young at heart. There will be loads of laughter, and the day shall not be over till over belly is bloated with food!
But just like every Chinese family, we do eat the Yu Sheng.
We also have loads and loads of tidbits.
And who can ever forget the famous Bak Gua?
And for those who are looking forward to buying that hot dress, cool shoes or game, this is the time to go all dreamy over money!
As for me, all I need is a carton of oranges.
For what? To eat lah!
As I watch my all time favourite activity, the Lion Dances! (My aunt knows that I love watching and would buy some CDs for me to watch them).
I'm a happy kid.
And I hope you are too!
Loves!
