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Albany, NY – In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Anthony DeBlasi explains some of the distinct features of Chinese celebrations of the New Year.
Dr. DeBlasi is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the University at Albany. He holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and in 2005 served as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.
Dr. Anthony DeBlasi - Chinese New Year
Chinese around the world celebrate Chinese New Year as the year's most important holiday.
Its date changes each year and is determined by both the succession of lunar months and the solar year. Chinese New Year reminds us that calendars depend on cultural choices. The astronomical calculations are technical, but a good rule of thumb is that Chinese New Year arrives on the second New Moon after December's Winter Solstice. This year that second New Moon, and thus New Year, falls on February 3rd. That begins the Year of the Rabbit, the next in the cycle of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac.
New Year's significance goes far beyond astronomy. In Chinese, the New Year is the "Spring Festival" (chunjie ), marking the beginning of spring and the return of life. People settle the previous year's affairs by repaying old debts and spring-cleaning. They also make amends for failings. Many believe that just before New Year the Kitchen God that resides in every home makes his annual report to the Jade Emperor in the Heavens.
Yet, family celebrations lighten the seriousness. Millions travel from cities back to home towns. There, with homes decked in red, the feasting dwarfs our Thanksgiving, often lasting two weeks with a different focus each day: dumplings on the 1st, noodles on the 2nd, and so on. Children receive gifts of money in red envelopes. Dragon dances, in which dancers animate a dragon on poles, add to the festivities as do fireworks designed to frighten evil spirits.
China is changing, but the passion for the Spring Festival remains. I'll end with the traditional greeting: "Congratulations on your coming prosperity in the New Year" (gongxi facai )!