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East Anglia's
Chinese communities welcomed in the New Year in Peterborough on
Tuesday, February 12, 2002.
The
Year of the Horse
Chinese
New Year, also known as the Spring Festival,
is the oldest festival in China. Traditionally it is a time to celebrate
the earth coming back to life, when ploughing and sowing begin again.
This year the
Chinese community is ushering in the Year
of the Horse. The New Year celebrations run from February
12 until February 26, 2002.
Unlike the Western
calendar, the Chinese one is calculated from lunar and solar movements,
so the actual date varies from year to year.
A
time for tradition and ritual
People
start preparing for the festival during the days leading up to the
last moon. Debts are settled, new clothes are bought and hair is
cut.
Fireworks
light up the sky |
Homes are cleaned
from top to bottom to get rid of evil spirits and streams of red
paper are hung on doors. These are decorated with characters bearing
messages of good luck.
Incense is burned
at home and in places of worship to honour ancestors.
The colour red
is often worn to ward off bad spirits. Traditionally a family meal
is served and at midnight fireworks
light up the sky, welcoming in the New Year with a bang.
Unlike the
Western event, at this stage the celebrations are only just
beginning!
Welcoming
the gods
New Year's Day
marks "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth".
A "Red
Packet" |
The custom of
Hung Bao (Red Packet) is an
important part of the celebration. Money is given away to relatives
in red envelopes. These packets feature pictures and lucky symbols
and are exchanged to wish the recipient good fortune and wealth
in the coming year.
The Lion
Dance is probably the best-known event. It is accompanied
by loud music to banish away evil.
In China the
public holiday lasts for a few days, but the festival continues
until the 15th day of the lunar month, ending in the Lantern
Festival.
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