Dance with the Dragon

Chinese New Year is the most important festivity in the Chinese calendar.  This begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with lantern festival, which is on the 15th day.  Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements; hence, it is referred to as the Lunar New Year.  In 2012, Chinese New Year is celebrated on January 23.

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According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called  the Nian.  Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children.  To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year.  It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people.  One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red.  The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red.  Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors.  People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.  From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

Year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.  It is believe that the dragon is the mightiest of all the signs in the Chinese zodiac.  The Dragon is in fact the major symbol of good fortune in Chinese Astrology.  According to tradition, the Dragon brings in the Four Blessings of the East: wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity.  Thus, we can expect grand things happening this year.  There will be spectacular successes as well as crash and burn failures.  Good luck and opportunities to make money could come very soon after the Lunar New Year.

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There will be fireworks when it comes to love and romance in the year of the Dragon.  New love can blossom or an old one rekindle on the spur of the moment.  It is relevant to note the Dragon is closely associated with festivals and celebrations, as exemplified by its status as the star of New Year’s parades.  That makes 2012 the perfect year for engagements, weddings and baptisms.

Here are some of Chinese New Year traditions and customs:

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• Cleaning the house and decorating it: On Chinese New Year's Eve, people clean their homes with the belief that it will help them get rid of bad luck and get the house ready to accept good luck in the year ahead.  They decorate their doors and windows with signs and posters having the word 福(fu) upside down, which means "Good luck arrives."  Every household should also have live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth.  Flowers are believed to be symbolic of wealth and high positions in one's career.  There must also be oranges, tangerines, and circular candy tray in the house.  Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one's relationship with the other remains secure.  Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.  The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness," which comes with an assortment of foods like candies, chocolates, sugared fruits, coconut, winter melon, water chestnut, and lotus seeds.  The purpose is to wish for a sweet beginning in the year ahead.

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• Giving good luck presents: One of the popular Chinese New Year traditions is to present your love ones gifts that are symbols of good luck and prosperity.  Most adults gift red envelopes filled with money to their younger family members, relatives, and friends.

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• Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and getting a hair-cut.  These symbolize a fresh start.  Wear red clothes, as it is believed that the color helps in getting rid of evil spirits.  A haircut before New Year's is a must to cut away the bad luck of the preceding year, as getting a haircut in the first lunar month puts a curse on maternal uncles. 

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• Family gatherings and feasting:  Visiting relatives' houses and having a grand feast with eight to nine dishes, as these are considered to be lucky numbers.  Some dishes eaten normally during this festival are Chinese dumplings, long noodles, and oranges.  Dumplings, which are called 餃子(jiaozi), symbolize wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese money.  It comprises of ginkgo nut, black moss, dried bean curd, bamboo shoots, vermicelli, and scallion.  The noodles should not be cut as it symbolize long life and oranges are a sign of completeness.  It is also customary to make a glutinous new year cake, 年糕 (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends, as it means "increasingly prosperous year in year out."  Its sweetness symbolizes a rich and sweet life.  Other foods include fish to represent togetherness and abundance and chicken to represent prosperity.  Always present the fish and chicken as a whole.  Do not cut them in pieces.  The head, tail, and feet (for chicken) must be presented to symbolize completeness.  Clams, egg rolls, and spring rolls.  All of these resemble gold or silver bullion and symbolize wealth.

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• Dragon dance:  Chinese New Year dragon dance symbolizes the bringing of good luck and success in the coming year for all the human beings on earth.

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• Fireworks:  A common belief is that firecrackers are meant to scare away the evil spirits and misfortunes right at the start of the year.

As you prepare for this important holiday, keep in mind that what matter most is that this day is spent with family, friends, and love ones.  Also, it is a time to reflect about the changes you want to make in your life.  To ensure a prosperous and healthy year, you should enhance and stimulate positive energy at home, at your business and at work.  POSITIVITY PEOPLE!  SPICE IT UP!  Kung hei fat choi everyone!

When you're feelin' sad and low 

We will take you where you gotta go 

Smiling dancing everything is free 

All you need is positivity
Colors of the world 

Spice up your life 

Every boy and every girl 

Spice up your life 

People of the world 

Spice up your life