by eturo
One time, nagulat na lamang ako sa sinabing walang pasok sa January 23 kasi holiday daw. Minadali kong pinuntahan ang kalendaryo na nakasabit sa wall ng aming bahay at nagtaka ako kung bakit holiday eh hindi naman color RED yung date na yun. Inalam ko sa iba kung bakit walang pasok sa araw na iyon...eh yun pala sa araw na iyon ay ipagdidiwang ang "Chinese New Year". Nasabi ko na lang sa sarili ko na, "Yehey! wala na namang pasok." Actually, ready at nakasetup na kami sa adventure rides ng barkada sa Baler, Aurora sa araw na iyon. Sasabayan namin ang mga kaibigan nating Chinese sa pagdiriwang ng kanilang New Year. (See you soon Baler!)
Pero guys, hindi niyo ba naitatanong sa inyong mga sarili kung bakit ang mga friends nating mga Chinese sa January 23 nila i-cecelebrate and kanilang New Year at hindi sa January 1 kung saan tayong mga Filipino (mostly Catholic), dun natin sinasalubong ang Bagong Taon.
Ok, I have here an information from wisegeek.com reposted here in my blog. Here is the article...
In many parts of Asia, nations follow the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar used by the rest of the world. As a result, the year
starts on a different day, usually in January or February by the
Gregorian calendar. Many nations including Vietnam and Korea celebrate
the lunar New Year with festivals and special foods. The Chinese, however, have turned the celebration into an art form: a 15 day festival called the Spring Festival in China, although it is known to the rest of the world as Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first moon of the year, which is considered to be a particularly auspicious day. Children are given hong bao, lucky red envelopes full of money, and households exchange visits and gifts. Most celebrants at Chinese New Year wear red, which is a lucky color, and also refrain from reflecting on the past year and uttering unlucky words, as it is believed that the first day of the new year will determine your fortune in the months to come.
Chinese New Year
continues with 15 days of celebration and auspicious days, including a
day to welcome the god of wealth, a day to celebrate farming and
produce, and days to celebrate friends and family. Friendships and
family relationships are a very important part of Chinese New Year,
and a great deal of food and dinner invitations are exchanged as part
of this tradition. Numerous lucky foods are served throughout the Chinese New Year
festival, and after all that rich dining, the 13th day of the festival
is set aside for eating rice and bitter greens to cleanse the palate.
On the 15th day, the Chinese New Year
celebration culminates with the Lantern Festival, which is
traditionally held at night. During the Lantern Festival, hundreds of
citizens flood the street with lanterns representing wealth, animals,
historical figures, plants, and a variety of other things. The lanterns
are paraded through towns and cities throughout China, Taiwan, and parts
of the world with large Chinese communities. The Lantern Festival ends with a burst of fireworks to celebrate the upcoming year while celebrants eat special round dumplings to celebrate unity.
In Vietnam, the new year festival is known as Tet Nguyen Dan, and is celebrated for seven days. Much like Chinese New Year,
Tet is believed to be an especially auspicious period in Vietnam which
will establish the fortunes of celebrants for the coming year. Special foods are eaten and gifts are exchanged. In Korea, the one day festival is known as Sol-nal, and is a time to reflect on ancestors and family.
People born during one of the animal's years are said to inherit
distinctive characteristics of that animal. The signs repeat every 12
years. The animal signs are:
- Rat – ambitious and sincere.
- Ox – bright, cheery, and a leader.
- Tiger – courageous and sensitive.
- Rabbit – talented and loving.
- Dragon – robust and passionate.
- Snake – wise and strong-willed.
- Horse – attractive and popular.
- Sheep – aesthetic and stylish.
- Monkey – persuasive and smart.
- Rooster – pioneering spirit and wise.
- Dog – generous and loyal.
- Boar (or pig) – gallant and noble.
There you go guys. At least meron tayong konting kaalaman about the Chinese New Year. Pero kung di pa klaso sa inyo, you can contact and asked to Kuya Kim sa Matang Lawin (ABS-CBN 2) or kay Drew Arrellano ng AHA (GMA 7)
