Community and Culture

Chinese New Year: A 15-Day Celebration of Tradition, Family, and Renewal

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture. It marks the beginning of the lunar new year and is observed with great enthusiasm across China and many other parts of the world. The festival lasts 15 days, each with unique traditions, symbolic meanings, and joyful gatherings. Today, we celebrate a special day within the festivities—the 7th day of Chinese New Year, known as “Renri” or “the common man’s birthday,” when everyone grows one year older together!

Chinese New Year: A Celebration of Family and Tradition

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, meaning its date varies each year but typically falls between 21 January and 20 February. This year, the celebrations began on 10 February, ushering in the Year of the Wood Snake—a symbol of intelligence, intuition, and transformation. Families come together to honour ancestors, share meals, and participate in time-honoured customs that bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.

Preparations for Chinese New Year start well before the festival itself. Homes are thoroughly cleaned to sweep away bad luck from the past year and make room for good fortune. Decorations, predominantly in red (a colour associated with happiness and prosperity), fill homes, businesses, and streets. Red lanterns, paper cuttings, and couplets with auspicious phrases adorn doorways, creating a festive atmosphere.

Understanding the Significance of Chinese New Year

Each of the 15 days of Chinese New Year carries a special significance, filled with rituals that strengthen family bonds and welcome blessings. Let’s look at some of the key traditions throughout this period.

New Year’s Eve (除夕 – Chúxì)

The celebrations begin with a grand reunion dinner, often considered the year’s most important meal. Families travel far and wide to be together, enjoying an elaborate feast featuring symbolic dishes such as dumplings (representing wealth), fish (symbolising abundance), and glutinous rice cakes (representing progress and growth). The night is often filled with fireworks and firecrackers, believed to scare away evil spirits.

Day 1: Welcoming the Deities (初一 – Chū yī)

The first day of the new year is dedicated to welcoming deities and paying respects to ancestors. Many visit temples to pray for good fortune and happiness in the coming year. It is also a day for family visits, with younger generations greeting elders with well-wishes and receiving red envelopes (hóngbāo), containing lucky money as a token of blessing.

Day 2: Visiting Married Daughters (初二 – Chū èr)

Traditionally, married daughters visit their parents on the second day, bringing gifts and children along. This day highlights the importance of familial ties and honouring one’s roots.

Day 3: Red Mouth Day (初三 – Chū sān)

Known as “Chìkǒu” (赤口), this day is believed to be inauspicious for visiting others, as arguments may arise quickly. Many families choose to stay home or visit temples instead.

Day 4-5: Welcoming the Gods and Prosperity (初四 & 初五 – Chū sì & Chū wǔ)

On the fourth day, offerings are made to the gods, particularly the Kitchen God, who is believed to return from heaven to oversee households. The fifth day is “Po Wu” (破五), considered the birthday of the God of Wealth. Businesses often reopen on this day, hoping for a prosperous year ahead.

Day 6: Sending Away the Ghost of Poverty (初六 – Chū liù)

The sixth day is known as “Ma Ri” (马日) or the day of the horse. Traditionally, this is when families clear out trash and waste from their homes to symbolically send away the ghost of poverty, ensuring that bad luck does not linger into the new year. Many businesses also choose to reopen on this day if they do not do so on the fifth day.

Day 7: Renri—Everyone’s Birthday! (人日 – Rénrì)

Today (the day of writing this post), we celebrate Renri, the “common man’s birthday.” As Jennifer, a member of Tai Chi Globe, pointed out, many people, especially older generations, did not know their exact birth dates in ancient times. To ensure everyone had a birthday, the 7th day of Chinese New Year was designated the day when everyone symbolically grew one year older. Traditionally, on this day, people eat “yusheng” (鱼生), a raw fish salad mixed with vegetables and sauces, particularly in Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia. The tossing of yusheng, or “lo hei” (捞起), is a fun and symbolic act to attract good fortune, prosperity, and success.

Day 8-9: Celebrating the Jade Emperor (初八 & 初九 – Chū bā & Chū jiǔ)

The 9th day is particularly significant for the Hokkien community, who celebrate the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. Elaborate offerings and ceremonies are conducted to express gratitude and seek blessings.

Day 10-14: More Family Gatherings and Preparations for the Lantern Festival

The days leading up to the Lantern Festival are filled with family visits, feasts, and cultural performances. Many people take this time to reflect on their resolutions and the goals they wish to achieve in the new year.

Day 15: The Lantern Festival (元宵节 – Yuánxiāo jié)

The grand finale of Chinese New Year is the Lantern Festival, a dazzling celebration of light, joy, and unity. Families gather to admire glowing lantern displays, solve riddles written on lanterns, and eat tangyuan (汤圆), sweet glutinous rice balls that symbolise family togetherness. Dragon and lion dances occur in some regions, accompanied by fireworks and musical performances.

Chinese New Year Around the World

Chinese New Year is celebrated globally with vibrant parades, cultural performances, and public festivities in cities like London, San Francisco, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur. Chinatowns worldwide have become lively hubs of activity, featuring traditional performances, markets selling festive goods, and spectacular firework displays.

Many non-Chinese communities also join in the celebrations, embracing the themes of renewal, gratitude, and hope. Schools, workplaces, and governments often acknowledge the holiday, demonstrating the festival’s cultural significance beyond China’s borders.

Final Thoughts

Chinese New Year is a festival rich in history, symbolism, and joyous traditions. It is a time to cherish loved ones, honour ancestors, and look forward to a year filled with happiness and prosperity. The 15-day celebration, culminating in the Lantern Festival, embodies the values of unity, gratitude, and renewal.

As we celebrate Renri today, let’s take a moment to appreciate the gift of life, set our intentions for the coming year, and share in the collective joy of this remarkable tradition. Happy Birthday to everyone, and may the Year of the Wood Snake bring you strength, success, and boundless joy!

Gōng xǐ fā cái! (恭喜发财) Wishing you prosperity and happiness!

Lee Welch is an experienced Tai Chi and Qigong instructor. Lee runs Welch Wellbeing, which houses brands like Tai Chi Globe and Inner Kingdom. Specialising in holistic wellbeing, Lee combines the ancient practices of Tai Chi with modern wellbeing techniques to help others cultivate physical health, emotional balance, and mental clarity.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *