Will you follow the Chines advice?
New Year Holiday and Traditions
Awkward Traditions around the Globe
Do you know the country? Do we have some similar traditions in Russia? Do you like it? Why?
1 They save all of their unused dishes and plates until December 31st when they affectionately shatter them against the doors of all their friends and family. (Denmark)
2 They celebrate New Year by burning photographs from the last year. All in the name of good fortune. (Ecuador)
3 If you can manage to stuff 12 grapes in your mouth at midnight you’ve achieved good luck for the next year. (Spain)
4 It’s all about the cash. They believe that everything should be round so as to represent coins and bring wealth. Round food, round clothes, as long as it’s round. (The Philippines)
5 Wearing colored underwear will determine your fate for the new year. Red underwear means you’ll find love. Gold means wealth and white signifies peace. (Some South American countries)
6 They ring all of their bells 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanness. It’s also considered good to be smiling going into the New Year as it supposedly brings good luck. (Japan)
7 They celebrate the New Year by dropping ice cream on the floor. (Switzerland)
8 They throw their spare coins into the river to get good luck. (Romania)
9 They take their livestock seriously. At least seriously enough that the farmers wish their cows a happy new year! (Belgium)
10 Coins are baked into sweets and whoever finds the coins has good luck for the next year. (Bolivia)
11 They like to keep things simple and delicious. Every new year they consume a stack of pancakes. (France)
12 People climb on top of chairs and literally “jump” into the New Year to bring good luck. (Denmark)
13 They hit the walls with bread to get rid of evil spirits. (Ireland)
14 They throw furniture out the window. (Some parts of South Africa)
15 People eat seven times on New Year’s Day to ensure abundance in the new year. (Estonia)
16 A large part of the population watches Donald Duck cartoons every Christmas Eve since 1960 (Sweden)
17 People traditionally eat at KFC for Christmas dinner, thanks to a successful marketing campaign 40 years ago. KFC is so popular that customers must place their Christmas orders 2 months in advance. (Japan)
Year of the Red Fire Cock
- begins January, 28th, 2017 (Red Rooster)
Do you know what Red Cock symbolizes in the Eastern Calendar?
A cock is a symbol of renewal, new beginnings and everything unexpected. The year 2017 promises to bring changes in lives of every person. The overall situation in the country as well as in the world is supposed to change as well. Whether these changes are positive or not is up to us.
What is the date of Chinese NY based on?
The date of Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, but is always somewhere in the period from January 21 to February 20.
How to Celebrate Red Cock’s New Year
Will you follow the Chines advice?
1. Clothes - Rooster will appreciate a bright, expensive dress and shiny accessories for women. A man could choose a bright shirt or extraordinary tie to trousers and jacket. But no hints of predators like tiger and leopard in the clothes and accessories!
2. Gifts - For practical people give practical gifts: gadgets, clothing, creating warmth and comfort. For people of romantic nature choose something nice, original: decorations, unusual souvenirs, a big soft toy, a beautiful pair of tea.
3. Food - Red Cock likes abundance and wealth. Meet dishes, salads, snacks, seafood and fish are ‘must have’ for New Year 2017. But no semi-products on the table. Red Cock likes sweet dishes and fruit. Fruit is a symbol of money and welfare. Red food such as tomatoes and red caviar are highly welcome on the festive table.
4. Company - New Year 2017 is a Festival for Family – to get together and enjoy family time.
5. Meal - The New Year's Eve dinner is called "reunion dinner", and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. Big families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together.
6. Decorations - The house is decorated with red. Red is the main color for the festival depicting images of prosperity.
7. Cleaning - Some Chinese people believe that they mustn't do cleaning or wash their hair in the first three days as that will sweep/wash away good luck.
8. Underwear - Red underwear is a must for 2017! It is believed to protect from bad luck and misfortune.
9. Shopping - The Chinese buy new clothes for the festival, whether they need them or not. People buy New Year food and snacks, New Year decorations, it is a shopping boom time.
10. New Year Gala - It's a China custom for many families to watch the TV New Year Gala while having their dinner. The Gala starts at 8pm and ends at midnight when the New Year arrives, featuring traditional, folk, and pop performances from China's best singers, dancers, and acrobats.
11. Luck money - Parents usually give their children red envelopes after the reunion dinner, wishing them health, growth, and good studies in the coming year. Red envelopes always have money in. Money in red envelopes should bring good luck, it is called lucky money.
12. When to sleep - Chinese stayed up all night in the past, but now most stay up only until the midnight when firecrackers and fireworks die down.
13. A traditional symbol - A bell is a traditional symbol of Chinese New Year, and Chinese believe that ringing a large bell can drive all bad luck away and bring good fortune. Chinese people like to go to large squares or temples where there are huge bells ringing on New Year's Eve at midnight.
14. Fireworks - Lighting firecrackers is one of the most important customs of the Chinese New Year celebration. But because of the danger and the noise disturbance they cause, the government has banned this practice in many major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai.
15. 1st day - On the first day of the New Year, Chinese put on new clothes and wish each other good luck and happiness in the New Year.
16. Dragon Dances - Lion dances and dragon dances might be seen on New Year's Day. They are especially popular in Hong Kong and Macau.
17. Traditions - Traditionally a married daughter visits the house of her parents on the second day of Chinese New Year.
18. Visit your friends and relatives - From the third day to the seventh day, Chinese visit relatives and friends.
19. Work - People normally return to work by the eighth day. As eight is the luckiest number in China, most businesses prefer to reopen on New Year day 8.