An inverted character "福 (fú)" is a sign of arriving blessings.
The Chinese characters 到 (arrive) and 倒 (upside-down) are both pronounced "dao". During the Chinese New Year festive period, the character 福 ("fu", literally meaning auspiciousness, blessing or happiness) is displayed inverted, so that fu dao ("reversed fu") also suggests luck or fortune has arrived.
The Chinese characters 到 (arrive) and 倒 (upside-down) are both pronounced "dao". During the Chinese New Year festive period, the character 福 ("fu", literally meaning auspiciousness, blessing or happiness) is displayed inverted, so that fu dao ("reversed fu") also suggests luck or fortune has arrived.
Chinatown lights up to usher in the Chinese Year of the Horse
Chinatown came to life on Saturday, with the streets awashed in shades of gold and flanked by 176 horse-shaped lanterns to usher in the Chinese Year of the Horse.
Officiating the Chinatown Chinese New Year Light-Up and Opening Ceremony this year at New Bridge Road was President Tony Tan Keng Yam.
The creation of 55 master craftsmen, the production stretches some 280m within Chinatown and took 15,000 man hours to put together. The horse lanterns are set among 2,000 giant ancient coins, representing this year's festival theme, Galloping to Prosperity.
read more
The first day of the 2014 Chinese New Year is on January 31, 2014 in China's time zone. This day is a new moon day, and is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 05:39 a.m. on 31-Jan-2014 in China's time zone. The Year 2014 is the 4711th Chinese year. The Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China). The Yellow King became king in 2697 B.C., therefore China will enter the 4711th year on January 14, 2014. Also, the Chinese Year uses the cycle of 60 Stem-Branch counting systems and the Green Wood Horse is the 31st Stem-Branch in the cycle. Since (60 *78) + 31 = 4711, therefore 2014 is the Wooden Horse year, which is the 4711th Chinese Year.
2014 is the year of Horse. Some people say 2014 is a Green Horse or Wooden Horse year.
Horse is one of Chinese favorite animals. Horse provides people quick transportation before automobiles, so people can quickly reach their destinations. Horse even can help people to win the battle. Therefore Horse is a symbol of traveling, competition and victory. That's why Horse is connected to speedy success in China.
Horses like to compete with others. They pursuit for their freedom, passion and leadership. That implies that people will have busy schedule for their goals in the year of Horse. Horse hour of Chinese Horoscopes is from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. Sunshine generates lots of heat during the Horse hour. Therefore, horse is connected to heat, fire and red. Horses like the social activities, because horses like show off themselves. Since horse is a social animal and red is also connected to love, therefore. horse is treated as a Romantic Star in Chinese Horoscope.
Horses like to compete with others. They pursuit for their freedom, passion and leadership. That implies that people will have busy schedule for their goals in the year of Horse. Horse hour of Chinese Horoscopes is from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. Sunshine generates lots of heat during the Horse hour. Therefore, horse is connected to heat, fire and red. Horses like the social activities, because horses like show off themselves. Since horse is a social animal and red is also connected to love, therefore. horse is treated as a Romantic Star in Chinese Horoscope.
read more
Chinese New Year 2014 - The Year of the Horse
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4712 begins on Jan. 31, 2014. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in horse years are cheerful, skillful with money, perceptive, witty, talented and good with their hands. Rembrandt, Harrison Ford, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Sandra Day O'Connor, and President Theodore Roosevelt were born in the year of the horse.
At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.
read more
Chinese New Year
Hand-written Chinese New Year'spoetry pasted on the sides of doors leading to people's homes
Chinese New Year is the most important traditional Chinese holiday, celebrated on the first fifteen days of the year of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".
The source of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the lunar new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors.
Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. Often, the evening preceding Chinese New Year's Day is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly cleanse the house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red color paper cuts and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity." Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes
read more
The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year starts with the New moon on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the Full moon 15 days later.
First day, zhengyue 1, ’Birthday of Chicken’
Second day, zhengyue 2, ‘Birthday of Dog’
Third day, zhengyue 3, ‘Birthday of Pig’
Fourth Day, zhengyue 4, ‘Birthday of Sheep’
Fifth day, zhengyue 5, ‘Birthday of Ox, Cattle’
SIx day, zhengyue 6, ‘Birthday of Horse’
Seventh day, zhengyue 7, ‘Birthday of Men’
Eighth day - The Completion Day
Ninth day
Tenth to the Twelfth Day
Thirteenth day
Forteenth day, The Lantern Decoration Day
Fifteenth day, Lantern Festival
read more
Chinese New Years Customs
Yuan Tan, The Spring Festival, follows a lunar-solar calendar and occurs between mid-January and mid-February. People start preparing for it 22 days before and it lasts 15 days. Houses are cleaned, food is prepared, old clothes are thrown out and debts are settled in preparation. Homes are decorated with red banners, flowers, and good luck scrolls. People who keep a kitchen god smear his lips with honey or offer sticky rice cakes so that sweet remarks will be said when he returns to heaven. On New Year’s Day older people are wished long life, business people success, and young people fine marriages.
On New Year’s Eve a vegetarian dish made of ginkgo nuts, mushrooms, bean curd, and golden vegetables called Buddha’s feast is served. Wintermelon soup, roast cod or duck, sesame rice balls, and scallops with broccoli may be served. At midnight, drums, firecrackers, paper dragons, noise makers, red ribbons and banners are waved to drive away any evil spirits. On New Year’s Day a vegetarian meal is served with dumplings rolled with coins for good luck. During visiting over several days sweets are served in a lucky eight-sided dish. Watermelon seeds for male prowess, coconut for togetherness, candied melon for growth and health, candied lotus for birth of sons, tangerines for luck, peanuts for long life and oranges for sweetness and wealth. New Clothing is worn. Gifts are wrapped in red. Money is given in red envelopes called Hong Bao [Red Packet] and Lai See [Lucky] Lucky money is hung by shopkeepers for the Lion dance. The Lion Dance is used in the consecration of temples, at business openings, planting and harvest times, official celebrations, and religious rites. The music is a drum, gong, and cymbol. New Year’s cards are given. The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.
Taboos - Bathing and sweeping is not done on New Years Day so that good luck is not washed away. Sharp tools are avoided so luck will not be cut. White signifies death and misfortune and words pertaining to death are avoided. No black is worn or bad words spoken. Red envelopes are not opened in front of others.
read more
Lunar Festivities
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, is one of the most eagerly anticipated occasions each year. This is the biggest and most significant event of the Chinese community, and it is observed by Singaporeans from all walks of life
The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th day. Symbolically, new clothes are usually worn to signify the new year. It is also the tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their homes to “sweep away” any ill-fortune, making way for the arrival of good luck. Chinese New Year also brings people together, and is marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known simply as "new-year visits". The highlight for children and younger members of the family during these visits comes in little red packets, or “hong bao”, filled with money. Another significant tradition is the Reunion Dinner, which takes place on the Eve of Chinese New Year, and is an occasion for families to come together and eat.
During this time, the streets of the city come alive with the sounds of traditional music, the sights of hanging red lanterns and the tantalising smells wafting from the many night stalls set-up in various neighbourhoods throughout Singapore. One such precinct is Chinatown, which, with its stunning street light-ups, night markets and decorations, is the focal point for Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore. The best time to absorb the lively atmosphere that Chinatown has to offer is during the Chinatown Street Light Up. This is when lion dancers, fire eaters and female dance troupes grace Kreta Ayer Square with their mesmerising performances. Armed with giant paper fans and intricately patterned umbrellas, they will provide you with street entertainment that you are unlikely to forget.
read more
