The Chinese New Year (CNY) starts on the afternoon of new
years eve and is one of the most important days of the 15 daylong celebration. In
China over 200 million people travel home to be with their families, it is considered
the biggest mass human migration on Earth. For many families it is the only
time during the year that the entire family will be together. One of the
highlights is food and on this day a huge feast is served. When family members
can not return, a place setting is set in their honor. Dumplings, fish and hard
liquor is what is served this day. Nearly all families sit around the dinner
table and while eating, they watch the state television annual New Year's Gala variety show, featuring the
most famous Chinese performers. This year Celine Dion sang her song, My Heart
Will Go On, from the movie Titanic, this is one of two English songs that are
well known in China, the other is Happy Birthday.
Around midnight fireworks are set off which last for several
hours. Interestingly this year the state authorities in Beijing and Shanghai
and some of the other large cities asked the big companies not to set off
fireworks this year because of the dangerous high levels of air pollution
recorded over the past two months this winter. They also asked the people in
these cities to set off fewer fireworks too.
We have a very good view of the city and from the 31st floor
of our apartment could see and hear fireworks being set off all over the city
which lasted for several hours. After an hour or so the sky darkened, you could
see a layer of smoke lingering low in the sky. In some cases the fireworks got
lost in their own smoke. I visited the US consulate site that monitories the
air quality on an hourly bases and the air quality spiked for several hours
around midnight. For one hour it reached over 500+ which is off the ratings
guide. See link,
http://shanghai.usembassy-china.org.cn/airmonitor.html
The second day of the CNY is known as the "beginning of the year",
it is when the married daughters visit their birth parents and take them out
for lunch or dinner. Traditionally married daughters do not have the
opportunity to visit with their parents throughout the year.
Day 4 is the money day and it is common for elders to give
children gifts, of money. Money is slid into a red envelop, called hong bao
which are decorated with new year's wishes. We were instructed to give these
hong bao envelopes to the service people who we see regularly. So our driver,
the house keeper, the two young women in the lobby and the doormen all received
these red envelopes
.
Day 5 is the God of Wealth's birthday and another big
fireworks night to get the attention of Guan Yu to ensure his favor and good
fortune for the new year.
Day 6 to 10 is lots of family time and going out to visit
relatives and friends. It was great to walk around Shanghai and see groups of
families walking around, eating out, shopping, and enjoying themselves.
Day 11 and 12 is when the visiting is done and it's time to
invite family and friends over for dinner
Day 13 is a break in the lavish meals. You are suppose to
eat simple on this day.
Day 14 is time to prepare for the 15th day, the Lantern
Festival, the last day of the celebration and the first full moon. Chinese
light lanterns, play riddle games and eat sticky rice balls.
more on the CNY in the next post
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| small display of fireworks for sale |
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| Yuyuan Gardens decorations |
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| view of old town Shanghai |
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| over head lanterns |
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| tea house in Yuyaun Gardens with CNY decorations |
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| very common CNY house decoration |
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| market stalls selling CNY decoration |
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| click on to enlarge |
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| Year of the Snake |
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| traditional CNY decorations |
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| hong bao money envelopes, you see these everywhere |
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