Year 9 Chinese: Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

Cultural Context and Significance of the Spring Festival (Chūn Jié)

• General History and Tradition: China is recognized as a country with a long-standing history and numerous deep-rooted traditions. Consequently, various traditional festivals are observed according to the lunar or agricultural calendar.

• The Spring Festival: Known in Chinese as Chūn Jié ($节改$) or the Chinese New Year, it is defined as the most significant of all traditional festivals. It marks the first day of the lunar new year and denotes the commencement of the spring season ($春天$).

• Timing: The festival falls on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar.

• Celebration Duration: The event is a joyous occasion celebrated over a period of approximately $2$ weeks.

• Social Context: It is primary time for families to gather for parties, visits, and outings. For agricultural workers or peasants, the festival celebrates the new year with the hope for better harvests and increased prosperity.

Preparations and Activity Leading up to the New Year

• Dàsăoch™ (打扢除): In the days preceding the new year, there is a pronounced flurry of activity. Families engage in "dàsăoch™," which involves cleaning and tidying up homes and their surroundings. This practice extends to schoolchildren, factory workers, and office workers who clean their respective schools and workplaces.

• Festive Shopping: Shopping for food, clothing, and household items is essential. Markets and shops become crowded with people purchasing:

  • Hăochĩ de (好吃的): Delicious or yummy foods.
  • Xĩn yĩ fu (新衣服): New clothes to be worn during the festival.
  • Lǐ wù (礼物): Gifts for family and friends.
  • Dēng dēng (等等): And so on.

New Year’s Eve (Chú Xī) Traditions

• Family Reunion: New Year’s Eve (Chú Xī, 除夕) is the most lively (rè nào, 热闹) time for family gathering.

• Reunion Dinner (Chī niányè fàn, 吃年夜饭): The highlight of the evening is eating at a dinner table laden with food and drink. Everyone should return home to participate in this meal.

• Making Dumplings (Bāo jiăo zi, 包饺子): A traditional activity during the evening is the preparation of dumplings.

• Social Protocol: During the Chú Xī meal, friends typically do not visit others unless specifically invited, as it is strictly a family-focused event.

New Year’s Day and Celebration Rituals

• Attire: On New Year's Day, it is customary for everyone to wear their "very best" clothing, often new items purchased specifically for the holiday.

• Bàinián (拜年): This is the practice of visiting relatives, friends, and colleagues to wish them a happy, lucky, and prosperous new year.

• Red Envelopes (Hóngbāo, 红包): Adults give red envelopes containing money to children, which is considered a very interesting and significant tradition.

• Public Festivities: On the streets, celebrations include:

  • Wǔ lóng (舞龙): Dragon dancing.
  • Wǔ shī (舞狮): Lion dancing.

• Firecrackers (放鞭炮): The roar and crackle of firecrackers traditionally signal the beginning of the new year. Their primary symbolic purpose is to frighten away demons.

Traditional Decorations and Symbolic Colors

• Color Symbolism: Red is considered an auspicious color and predominates during all New Year celebrations.

• Household Decorations: Homes are decorated with several specific items:

  • Niánhua (年画): New Year pictures.
  • Paper-cuts: Decorative paper designs.
  • Flowers: Symbolic of the coming spring.
  • Chunlián (春联): Couplets with auspicious messages pasted at doorways to bring luck for the coming year.

Auspicious Greetings and Vocabulary

• Common Phrases (Zhù fú de huà, 祝福的话): When meeting people, it is expected to say blessings such as:
  • Guò nián hăo (过年好): Happy New Year.
  • Chūnjié kuàilè (春节快乐): Happy Spring Festival.
  • Xīannián hăo (新年好): Happy New Year.
  • Xīannián kuàilè (新年快乐): Happy New Year.
  • Gōngxǐ fācái (恭喜发财): Wishing you a prosperous and wealthy year.

Reading the Chinese Lunar Calendar

• Contrast with Gregorian Calendar: While most modern Chinese people celebrate birthdays based on the Western (Gregorian) Calendar, many also observe their lunar birthday. This results in the ability to celebrate birthdays twice a year.

• Activity Instructions for Lunar Calendar Conversion:

  1. Watch the "Intro Chinese Lunar Calendar" video.
  2. Use the "Western-Chinese Calendar Converter" (URL: https://china.workingdays.org/EN/gregorian_chinese_date_converter.php).
  3. Input a Gregorian birth date to find the corresponding Year of the Zodiac, Lunar Month, and Lunar Day.
  4. Use the 2021 astrology calendar (URL: https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/calendar/2021/11.htm) to determine the specific Western date for a lunar birthday in a given year.
  5. Note: In $2026$, one must calculate how many days earlier or later the lunar birthday falls compared to the Western birthday.

Detailed Vocabulary Reference

• Guò (过): To celebrate / to pass.
• Chūnjié (春节): Spring Festival.
• Zài (在): In, at, around.
• Yǐqián (以前): Before.
• Xiān (先): First (of all).
• Dăsăo (打扢): To clean up.
• Fángzi (房子): House / building.
• Ránhòu (然后): Then / afterwards.
• Qù (去): To go to.
• Măi (买): To buy.
• Dōngxī (东西): Stuff / things / items.
• Hěnduō (很多): Many / a lot.
• Xĩn (新): New.
• Yīfu (衣服): Clothes.
• Lǐwù (礼物): Gifts.
• Rènao (热闹): Lively / bustling.
• Měijiā (每家): Every family.
• Dōū (都): Both / all.
• Tiē (贴): To stick on / to paste.
• Hăokàn (好看): Good-looking / beautiful.
• Dàjiā (大家): Everyone.
• Jiànmiàn (见面): To meet.
• Yào (要): Will / want to / must.
• Zhùfú (祝福): Blessing.
• Bǐrú (比如): For example.
• Gōngxǐ (恭喜): Congratulate.
• Fācái (发财): Prosperity / to get rich.
• Yīnggāi (儿该): Should.
• Niányèfàn (年夜饭): New Year's Eve dinner.
• Bāo (包): To make / to wrap.
• Jiăozi (饠子): Dumplings.
• Fàng (放): To set off (firecrackers).
• Biànpào (鞭炮): Firecrackers.
• Jiēshàng (街上): On the street.
• Dàren (大人): Adults.
• Gěi (给): To give to.
• Xiăohăizi (小孩子): Kids.
• Yǒuyìsi (有意思): Interesting.

Assessment Components: Chinese New Year Culture Quiz

Part I: Speech Completion Exercise (Pinyin only)

In the context of school assembly speech, students must fill in gaps regarding CNY activities:

1. Before CNY activity: Clean houses (dă săo fáng zi) and go shopping (măi dōngxī).
2. Things bought: Good food (hăochī de), new clothes (xĩn yĩ fu), and gifts (lǐ wù).
3. New Year's Eve activities: Eat the reunion dinner (chi niányè fàn), set off firecrackers (fàng biànpào), wrap dumplings (bāo jiăo zi), and paste couplets (tiē chū n liá n) and pictures (tiē nián huà).
4. Greetings used: Guò nián hăo, Chūnjié kuàilè, Xīannián hăo, Xīannián kuàilè, and Gōngxǐ fācái.
5. Street celebrations: Dragon and lion dancing (wǔ lóng / wǔ shī).
6. Adult actions: Give red envelopes to children (gěi xiăohăizi hóngbāo).

Part II: Pinyin Response Questions

1. What do people do before Chinese New Year? ($3$ activities expected)
2. What do people buy? ($3$ items expected)
3. What do people do on New Year's Eve? ($5$ activities expected)
4. What do people say to each other? ($2$ greetings expected)
5. What are the New Year celebrations? ($3$ occurrences expected)