As you probably know, Chinese New Year is the 31 January 2014. The year of the HORSE.
And the best part of Chinese New Year is that I have a week off work. YIPPEE.
We went to the supermarket to buy some groceries as we were told that for 3 days that nothing would be open. And I think the whole of Rizhao was there doing there shopping. A lot of people go back to their home towns to be with family during this time, but they have to buy food and take gifts back to show their progress in their jobs. They supermarket stocked up for these festivities.
NEW YEARS EVE
1. Everyone starts to clean out their homes, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for the good incoming luck.
2. This is also their annual reunion dinner with their families.
3. They also start to decorate their window frames and door frames with red paper banners with slogans like 'good fortune', 'happiness', 'wealth', and 'longevity' written on them. This is done so that the evil monster passes over their homes and does not enter to eat up their food and children.
4. They also give to the single children in the family little 'red envelopes' with money inside. After the house is cleaned they all sit down and make dumplings. Some have coins put in with the filling.
5. The fireworks started a little early, but breaks in-between. Then at midnight there were so many bangs it was seriously loud. SA would never allow fireworks like that. (The pollution the next day was so bad we could not see out of our window for two days. The reading was off the charts). But the reason they have loud bangs is that no evil spirits must come in with the new year. So these big bangs chase away all evil spirits.
6. And at midnight after the fireworks they cook and eat the dumplings that they all made that afternoon. The family members that get the dumplings with the coins in them will have good fortune for that year.
DAY ONE
Well after the fireworks the pollution level rose dramatically. This morning, New Years Day, we can't see out our window because of the smog. So we are stuck in doors till it clears.
1. Today the people of china stay away from meat eating as this as this will ensure longevity for them.
2. All food to be consumed today will have been prepared on new years eve as using knives and making fires on this day will bring in bad luck.
3. It is also bad luck to use the broom on this day.
DAY TWO
1. Today married woman go and visit their birth parents.
2. Beggars and homeless people will carry a picture of the god of wealth shouting 'the god of wealth has come' and householders will respond by giving them lucky money.
3. All dogs are treated with care and special treats as today it is believed that all dogs are born on this day.
DAY THREE
1. Today sons-in-laws pay respect to their parents-in-laws.
2. They burn paper offerings (pictures with goods on like Prado shoes, Louie Vuitton bags, etc) in dirt bins or on the side of the road so that their ancestors can receive these items in the after life.
DAY FOUR
1.Today business usually returns to normal. (Thank goodness). They open their shops with fireworks to bring in good luck for their businesses and their employees.
DAY FIVE
1.Today is called Po Woo. It is the birthday of the god of wealth.
2. The people eat dumplings in the morning.
3. No one visits anyone on this day as it will bring bad luck to them and their visitors.
4. Fireworks are let off in order to get the god Guan Yu's attention thus ensuring his favour.
DAY SIX
Well today it snowed. It was stunning. (Have a look at my previous post, snow, snow and more snow).
1. On this day (and till the 10th day) people visit their friends and other family freely.
2. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.
DAY SEVEN
1. Traditionally it is the birthday of human beings so everyone grows one year older today.
2. Everyone eats noodles to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
3. Today farmers display their produce and these farmers make a drink from seven different vegetables to celebrate this occasion.
DAY EIGHT
1. Another family dinner today to celebrate the birth of the Jade Emperor.
2. Store owners host a lunch for their employees thanking them for their hard work given for the whole year.
3. At midnight they burn incense and give offerings to the Jade Emperor as well as the Kitchen god who reports on each family to the Jade Emperor.
DAY NINE
1. Today they offer prayers to the Jade Emperor. It is his birthday today.
2. People eat fruit vegetarian food or roast pig drink tea and burn incense and gold paper is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.
DAY TEN, ELEVEN and TWELVE
I started work again on the 11th day. I really had a very relaxing week.
1. People visit with friends eating rich foods.
DAY THIRTEEN
1. Today people eat pure vegetarian dishes in the belief that it will clean out their tummies after a week of eating celebration foods.
2. They also pray to the god of war who won over 100 battles and that is the goal most business want to achieve.
DAY FOURTEEN
1. People start the preparations for the lantern festival.
DAY FIFTEEN
1. Today is the festival of lanterns.
2. Candles are left outside homes to lead the ancestors home.
We went to the festival of lanterns.
It was awesome. All the displays were made from paper with lights inside.
People were letting off lanterns into the sky. They had to be careful as some got stuck in trees etc. The fire engines were there in case a fire had to be put out.
And there was an awesome laser and water fountain display with music.
There was also plenty of food stalls and stall selling festival goodies to the hordes of people there as well as some jumping castles and rides for the children .
I have never seen so many people in Rizhao before. I think the people from the farms and the old sections came along as well.
There was also some young adults demonstrating. They walked along with light up boards, stood for a while in one area and then moved to another. It was peaceful. But to be honest, I don't know if it did anything for their cause because everyone just ignored them.
We were also the highlight of some Chinese people's evening. It was if were were in a glass cage because people were standing at an arms length just staring at us. One family, the mother was pointing at us and explaining something in Chinese to her child, like explaining a science experiment. And everywhere we caught people taking photos of us. So when we saw them, we just posed for them. And they got extremely excited and giggled non stop when we asked them to join us to have their photo taken with us. Weird I must say as I don't think we are so radically different.
But it was a night well spent and enjoyed it.
This brings us to the end of the Chinese festivities.
And the best part of Chinese New Year is that I have a week off work. YIPPEE.
We went to the supermarket to buy some groceries as we were told that for 3 days that nothing would be open. And I think the whole of Rizhao was there doing there shopping. A lot of people go back to their home towns to be with family during this time, but they have to buy food and take gifts back to show their progress in their jobs. They supermarket stocked up for these festivities.
The meat section
NEW YEARS EVE
1. Everyone starts to clean out their homes, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for the good incoming luck.
2. This is also their annual reunion dinner with their families.
3. They also start to decorate their window frames and door frames with red paper banners with slogans like 'good fortune', 'happiness', 'wealth', and 'longevity' written on them. This is done so that the evil monster passes over their homes and does not enter to eat up their food and children.
The Decorations at school.
4. They also give to the single children in the family little 'red envelopes' with money inside. After the house is cleaned they all sit down and make dumplings. Some have coins put in with the filling.
Selling of red envelopes.
6. And at midnight after the fireworks they cook and eat the dumplings that they all made that afternoon. The family members that get the dumplings with the coins in them will have good fortune for that year.
Our Chinese language teacher teaching us how to make dumplings.
DAY ONE
Well after the fireworks the pollution level rose dramatically. This morning, New Years Day, we can't see out our window because of the smog. So we are stuck in doors till it clears.
The view out our window.
2. All food to be consumed today will have been prepared on new years eve as using knives and making fires on this day will bring in bad luck.
3. It is also bad luck to use the broom on this day.
DAY TWO
1. Today married woman go and visit their birth parents.
2. Beggars and homeless people will carry a picture of the god of wealth shouting 'the god of wealth has come' and householders will respond by giving them lucky money.
3. All dogs are treated with care and special treats as today it is believed that all dogs are born on this day.
DAY THREE
1. Today sons-in-laws pay respect to their parents-in-laws.
2. They burn paper offerings (pictures with goods on like Prado shoes, Louie Vuitton bags, etc) in dirt bins or on the side of the road so that their ancestors can receive these items in the after life.
Making a fire on the street corner to burn paper with pictures for their ancestors.
DAY FOUR
1.Today business usually returns to normal. (Thank goodness). They open their shops with fireworks to bring in good luck for their businesses and their employees.
DAY FIVE
1.Today is called Po Woo. It is the birthday of the god of wealth.
2. The people eat dumplings in the morning.
3. No one visits anyone on this day as it will bring bad luck to them and their visitors.
4. Fireworks are let off in order to get the god Guan Yu's attention thus ensuring his favour.
DAY SIX
Well today it snowed. It was stunning. (Have a look at my previous post, snow, snow and more snow).
1. On this day (and till the 10th day) people visit their friends and other family freely.
2. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.
DAY SEVEN
1. Traditionally it is the birthday of human beings so everyone grows one year older today.
2. Everyone eats noodles to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
3. Today farmers display their produce and these farmers make a drink from seven different vegetables to celebrate this occasion.
DAY EIGHT
1. Another family dinner today to celebrate the birth of the Jade Emperor.
2. Store owners host a lunch for their employees thanking them for their hard work given for the whole year.
3. At midnight they burn incense and give offerings to the Jade Emperor as well as the Kitchen god who reports on each family to the Jade Emperor.
DAY NINE
1. Today they offer prayers to the Jade Emperor. It is his birthday today.
2. People eat fruit vegetarian food or roast pig drink tea and burn incense and gold paper is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.
DAY TEN, ELEVEN and TWELVE
I started work again on the 11th day. I really had a very relaxing week.
1. People visit with friends eating rich foods.
DAY THIRTEEN
1. Today people eat pure vegetarian dishes in the belief that it will clean out their tummies after a week of eating celebration foods.
2. They also pray to the god of war who won over 100 battles and that is the goal most business want to achieve.
DAY FOURTEEN
1. People start the preparations for the lantern festival.
DAY FIFTEEN
1. Today is the festival of lanterns.
2. Candles are left outside homes to lead the ancestors home.
We went to the festival of lanterns.
Entrance to the Olympic Square
Beautiful lanterns. Each had a different word written on it.
It was awesome. All the displays were made from paper with lights inside.
People were letting off lanterns into the sky. They had to be careful as some got stuck in trees etc. The fire engines were there in case a fire had to be put out.
And there was an awesome laser and water fountain display with music.
There was also plenty of food stalls and stall selling festival goodies to the hordes of people there as well as some jumping castles and rides for the children .
I have never seen so many people in Rizhao before. I think the people from the farms and the old sections came along as well.
There was also some young adults demonstrating. They walked along with light up boards, stood for a while in one area and then moved to another. It was peaceful. But to be honest, I don't know if it did anything for their cause because everyone just ignored them.
We were also the highlight of some Chinese people's evening. It was if were were in a glass cage because people were standing at an arms length just staring at us. One family, the mother was pointing at us and explaining something in Chinese to her child, like explaining a science experiment. And everywhere we caught people taking photos of us. So when we saw them, we just posed for them. And they got extremely excited and giggled non stop when we asked them to join us to have their photo taken with us. Weird I must say as I don't think we are so radically different.
This brings us to the end of the Chinese festivities.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AGAIN.
