Chinese Language Blog

Spring Festival

Tomorrow is the official start of the Spring Festival, China’s longest and most important holiday. As China follows the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival is also known as Chinese New Year. The madness of the chun yun travel rush is still going on, but most people should already be home by now. Today, on New Year’s Eve (除夕 – chú xì), families all around China will gather together to ring in the New Year. Students have a nice long break, while most workers are off for a week. The festival itself lasts for 15 days, culminating with a bang (literally) and the Lantern Festival (元宵节 – yuán xiāo jié). This festival has a long history, as well as plenty of interesting customs and traditions. For a basic rundown of this traditional Chinese festival, here’s a video from “The Coolest Stuff on the Planet”:

Much has been said about the Spring Festival here at the Chinese blog over the years. In case you missed it before, here are all of the posts with short descriptions so you can get all caught up:

• Spring Festival Part One – In this post, we discuss the basics of this very important festival, as well as the fascinating backstory. Why do Chinese people wear red? Why do they light off so many fireworks? You’ll know after reading this.
• Spring Festival Part Two – A lot goes into getting ready for such a big celebration. Learn how Chinese families prepare and get ready to ring in the New Year with this post, which discusses New Year’s Eve traditions such as placing coins inside of “lucky” dumplings.
• Spring Festival Part Three - As has previously been mentioned, the Spring Festival lasts for 15 days. Find out what people do on these days in this post, which includes Buddhist traditions, lion dances, and much more.
• Spring Festival Days 2-15 – This one is sort of an elaboration on the previous year’s Part Three write-up, as it has more details about what people do throughout the many days of the festival.
• Red Envelopes – Why do children love the Spring Festival so much? Well, other than having a long holiday from school, the fact that adults give them red envelopes stuffed with money probably helps…
• Superstitions and Traditions – Why shouldn’t you get a haircut in the first month of the New Year? Why do Chinese people hang the character for good fortune (福 – fú) upside down? Well, you’ll just have to read this post to find out!
• Chinese Zodiac Calendar – Are you well versed in the Chinese zodiac calendar? Do you know the 12 animals and which years they represent? What does it all mean, anyways!? You’ll know a lot more once you finish reading this one.

The Year of the Snake

Speaking of the Chinese zodiac calendar, we’re about to enter the year of the snake (蛇 – shé). If you’re interested in learning more about Chinese horoscopes and what it means to be a snake, this website is full of great information.

As an American living in China, the fact that I get to celebrate a New Year twice never gets old. On December 31st, it’s champagne and a party or concert; on the eve of the Spring Festival, it’s dumplings and fireworks. To all of our incredible readers out there, I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year (新年快乐 – xīn nián kuài lè)!

Here’s a question to get you practicing your Chinese by talking about the Spring Festival:

How are you planning to spend the Spring Festival?

(你打算怎么过春节？- nǐ dǎ suàn zěn me guò chūn jié)

Every culture has its own unique superstitions (迷信 – mí xìn), and China is no different. Chinese culture is rich in beliefs, customs, and superstitions that vary greatly from those in the West. Let’s take a look at some of these, and how they will bring you either good luck or bad luck.

Numbers

No 4th, 13th, or 14th floor.

In China, the number four is extremely unlucky (不幸的 - bú xìng de). This is because the pronunciation of four (四 – sì) sounds similar to the Chinese word for death (死 – sǐ). Therefore, many people choose to avoid the number four like the plague. It’s not uncommon to step into an elevator in China and notice that there’s no button for the 4th floor, or the 13th or 14th floor, for that matter. Chinese people like superstitions so much that they’ve even adopted the Western superstition of the unlucky number thirteen.

When it comes to good luck, the magic number in China is eight. This is because eight (八 – bā) sounds sort of similar to the word for prosperity/wealth (发 – fā). Do you remember the Beijing Olympics and its grand opening ceremony? Of course you do! Well, it’s no coincidence that the games commenced at 8:08 PM on August 8th, 2008 (8/8/08). Staring the games at this time was meant to bring good luck (好运 – hǎo yùn). Yeah, the Chinese take their numerical superstitions that seriously.

Colors

In Chinese culture, the colors white (白色 – bái sè) and black (黑色 – hēi sè) are both associated with mourning and loss, and are therefore considered unlucky. Black is never worn in celebrations or ceremonies, and people avoid decorating their home with anything black. As black resembles dirt or feces, it symbolizes evil, disaster, and sadness. Although white is often considered bad luck, it also symbolizes brightness, fulfillment, and purity, as it is the color of breast milk. These days, more and more Chinese are taking up the Western custom of wearing a white wedding dress.

Red envelopes packed full of kuai.

As far as good luck goes, it doesn’t get much better than the color red (红色 – hóng sè) in China. It’s the color of the flag, and it represents happiness. During weddings or festivals, you’ll see red everywhere you go. In particular, during the Spring Festival, children will be given a red envelope (红包 – hóng bāo) full of money as a good luck present. As it is the color of blood, red is associated with life. In traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies, the bride would wear a red dress.

New Year

During the Spring Festival celebration, or Chinese New Year as it is known in the West, there are countless superstitions one must pay attention to. This has been covered in a recent post, but some of the highlights include: not getting a haircut during the first month (doing so will result in the death of an uncle), not cleaning the house (this will sweep away the good luck), and eating fish, as fish (鱼 – yú) has the same pronunciation as the word for surplus (余 – yú). Of course, we can’t forget the constant lighting off of fireworks, which is said to scare away the evil beast Nian (年), who preys on children.

Learn more about New Year superstitions with this great video from “Sexy Beijing.”

Misc.

When giving gifts in China, it is imperative that you never give someone a clock. This is due to the fact that “giving a clock” (送钟 – sòng zhōng) sounds similar to “bid farewell to someone on their deathbed” (送终 – sòng zhōng). As such, giving someone a clock basically means you’re sending them off to the great beyond.

Happy retirement! Here's a clock! You're going to die!

If you should find yourself eating in a Chinese restaurant, and you get too full to finish your bowl of rice, don’t you dare stick your chopsticks (筷子 – kuài zi) in there. This is because chopsticks in a rice bowl resemble the sight of incense (香 – xiāng) at a tomb.

Lay your chopsticks over the bowl instead.

Animals also play a big role in Chinese superstitions. Dragons (龙 – lóng), used to represent men, are divine beings capable of bringing happiness and good fortune. Phoenixes (凤凰 – fèng huáng), representing women, are also auspicious. While turtles (龟 – guī) are revered for their longevity in Chinese culture, they can also be a symbol of bad luck. For example, keeping a turtle as a pet may slow down your business.

Every Chinese parent wants their son to be a dragon and their daughter to be a phoenix, for good reason.

The Donald and feng shui master Pun Yin.

Of course, when it comes to ancient Chinese beliefs and superstitions, we can’t forget about feng shui (风水 – fēng shuǐ). This system uses the laws of Heaven and Earth to improve your life. Chinese take their feng shui very seriously, and one’s home or office needs to be arranged in the correct manner to bring about positive qi which will lead to happiness and success in life. Even the Donald himself consults with feng shui masters from time to time, although he might not regard the practice as highly as his Chinese counterparts. To quote the business tycoon – ”I don’t’ believe in Feng Shui, but I use it because it makes me money.” Maybe he could consider using feng shui to correctly align his hideous toupée. If you’re interested in learning some more about this ancient practice, read Steve’s post from last year. Also, if you want to improve your Chinese, check out all of the many resources that Transparent Chinese has to offer.

Don't cry, 小朋友, you need this haircut now so your uncle doesn't die.

When the Spring Festival rolls around, there’s a lot to be done. As this festival lasts for 15 days, there’s something different for each day, and preparations for the celebration begin weeks before the actual festival. Leading up to the New Year, there are plenty of superstitions (迷信 – mí xìn) about what should and shouldn’t be done. For example, you shouldn’t get a haircut (剪头发 – jiǎn tóu fǎ) or buy shoes (买鞋 – mǎi xié) during the first month of the New Year, so these things should be taken care of before the holiday rolls around. It’s said that if you get a haircut, your maternal uncle will die, and that if you buy new shoes, you will have bad things happen to you. This is because the word for shoes (鞋 – xié) sounds exactly like the word for evil (邪 – xié). Other superstitions include paying off all debts before the New Year (otherwise you’ll remain in debt), avoiding references to death or the past, and wearing red (good luck) but not black or white (bad luck).

Similarly, you should clean the house (打扫房子 – dǎ sǎo fáng zi) inside and out leading up to the New Year. When you clean before the New Year, you sweep out all of the bad luck from the previous year; however, when you clean during the New Year celebration, you risk sweeping out the good luck. So just leave that pile of dust in the corner, kick back, and watch some TV. There’s also an old story behind the necessity of cleaning the house for the New Year:

"Is your kitchen clean? It had better be!"

In Chinese mythology, there is a Kitchen God (灶君 – Zào Jūn – lit. “stove master”) who protects the home and the family. As the story goes, on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, just before the Spring Festival, Zao Jun returns to heaven to report back to the Jade Emperor (玉皇 – yù huáng) about the activities of every household. After seeing Zao’s report, the Emperor will either reward or punish a family, based on what he has heard. In order to have a positive report passed on to the Jade Emperor, families will do many things. A clean house will mean a happy Kitchen God, which will in turn bring good luck to the family.

Hanging couplets outside of the front door.

Not only should the house be clean before the holiday, but it should also be decorated. Hang some couplets (春聯 – chūn lián) outside of your front door, and make sure that they are red. Many of these will feature the character for good fortune (福 – fú) hung upside-down. This is a play on words, as the saying “fu is upside-down” (福倒了 – fú dào le) sounds the same as “good fortune has arrived” (福到了 – fú dào le).

"Fu is upside-down!" "That's right, good fortune has arrived!"

Have leftovers every year.

So many dumplings!

On New Year’s Eve (除夕 – chú xì), families will gather together to have a huge dinner (年夜饭 – nián yè fàn). Many families will eat fish (鱼 – yú) for this meal, as it is believed that this will help your wishes for the new year come true. There is even a Chinese idiom that goes, “Every year there are leftovers” (年年有餘 – nián nián yǒu yú). This is a play on words, as 餘 (extra, leftover) and 鱼 (fish) have the same pronuncation.  In the northern part of China, most people will eat dumplings (饺子 – jiǎo zi), which are symbols of wealth as the represent ancient Chinese currency. Some will even put a coin into one of the dumplings, and whoever ends up eating that one will enjoy great luck and prosperity in the new year. Down south, people will cook up a special New Year cake (年糕 – nián gāo), made of gluttinous rice flour. This is another play on words, as it can also mean “a more prosperous year.”

A Chinese New Year cake.

Another famous tradition for Chinese New Year is the lighting off of firecrackers (放鞭炮 – fàng biān pào). As I mentioned in the History of the Spring Festival, it is believed that doing so helps keep the evil Nian beast away, as well as other evil spirits in general. Around Spring Festival, it is not uncommon to hear firecrackers going off all day long, and on New Year’s Eve, it seems as if they never stop.

Learn some Chinese words and expressions related to the Spring Festival.

China sounds like a warzone during Spring Festival.

Finally, a more modern day New Year’s Eve tradition is gathering with family to watch the CCTV New Year’s Gala (中 国中央电视台春节联欢晚会 – Zhōng guó zhōng yāng diàn shì tái chūn jié lián huān wǎn huì). The program is an elaborate production, and it features many different parts. There are skits (小品 – xiǎo pǐn), which focus on comedy. Then, there is crosstalk (相声 – xiàng sheng), which is sort of like stand-up comedy. Rounding out the event are song and dance (歌舞 – gē wǔ), acrobatics (杂技 – zá jì), and magic tricks (魔术 – mó shù).

The opening of the 2011 New Year’s Gala on CCTV.

No matter how you spend your holiday, all of us here at Transparent Chinese wish you a Happy Spring Festival (春节快乐 – chūn jié kuài lè)! Cruise over to our website for more resources to help you learn Chinese in the Year of the Dragon.