The Chinese New Year Explained

The Chinese New Year is best explained from four perspectives: spiritual, socio-economic, cultural and modern. Chinese all over the world are going through transitions, not unlike other people groups. The Chinese New Year is one event which is without exception and has undergone similar transitions since its conception.

A few weeks ago, I wrote some articles on Chinese customs and related issues. During the rating period, I read fellow Heliumites' writing. While input from some Heliumites gave me the giggles, as the so-called customs were not pure Chinese customs but adapted and in some cases, lifted off personal blogs of on the Internet, others confirmed that my family traditions are intact.

A fellow Heliumite congratulated me on my writing and ended the email with a piece of advice - that I had to quote my sources. I thanked her for the compliments and ended on an obligatory note: that my sources of information were my chinese ancestral roots, my parents' and nanny's stories and the chinese customs that I still follow although I am married to a non-chinese.

As a present and so-called 'modern' Chinese who converted from a chinese religion, Buddhism, to a 'foreign and western' religion, Christianity, I have for years tried to delineate practices into the four perspectives so that I am at peace with everyone, especially myself. That is especially so important where the Chinese New Year is concerned because it is one of the more commonly celebrated events among close family members and friends who are Buddhists.

The Spiritual Perspective of Chinese New Year:

The story of Nian brings us to the soul of the chinese name Xin Nian which means New
Year. Nian is reportedly a monster spirit which takes the form of a dragon. Nian is released during winter to devour human beings. When the winter winds die down and snow begins to melt, people become bold enough to travel and face not on the cold but also the rugged mountains and vast Silk route plains.

Family members wait eagerly for their loved ones to return unscathed by the gods and wrath of nature and they hang up red lanterns in the doorway to guide their loved ones home and to scare Nian away. Red mud is used to reinforce the strength of window wooden frames and seal the holes between the window frames and the walls. Its redness play a dual role of scaring Nian away, as the red rice paper lanterns do, because Nian is reportedly afraid of the bright color.

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