New Year in China!
Every country has its own traditions of celebrating New Year. But, Chinese traditions of celebrating this holiday are known all over the world first of all thanks to its horoscope.
So, everybody knows the Chinese horoscope that consists of 12 zodiacs that correspond to each year and they change each other forming the cycle of 12 zodiacs. Every zodiac is named after one of the animals. They are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. And a person's character depends on his/her zodiac.
The first day of the New Year starts with fireworks in China. Fireworks should frighten all evil spirits and in such way bring happiness and love to the family. When the day comes to its end, Chinese families get back to their house to meet the spirits that visited the land of spirits where they reported about the last year.
In Chine New Year is the most important holiday of the year. According to the Gregorian calendar Chinese New Year is celebrated in the middle of February. But in China it is the first day of spring. And according to their beliefs, nature awakes and begins to blossom.
Celebration of New Year in China has a long and striking history. And this holiday is called the holiday of spring in China.
The tradition of New Year dinner is similar to European New Year tradition. The whole family gathers for a dinner, because it is a family holiday. And relatives start eating only when the whole family is gathered. But if a person can't come to the dinner, nevertheless a chair and a plate are put for him/her.
Then adults give red envelopes with money to children. This money is called "the money of happiness". People believe that this money brings happiness and luck during the whole next year. In ancient times Chinese people gave one hundred of golden coins bounded together that symbolised hope to live 100 years.
Chinese people have also tradition to celebrate New Year in red clothes. The legend explains this fact the following way. There was a monster in China that came out only on New Year Eve and once this monster killed the whole village except the family the members of which were dressed in red clothes. And people understood that this monster was afraid of red colour.
Chinese celebration of New Year is very interesting and has a lot of other traditions.