CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE - Chuxi
reunion dinner by Noah Fecks
If January’s New Year resolutions have fizzled out, tune into the Chinese New Year’s as the Year of the Wood Dragon amps up on 9/10 Feb. 2024. Lunar New Year follows Moon (Luna) cycles therefore commencing with a New Moon. The upcoming lunation is the first New Moon AFTER the Winter Solstice which dictates the beginning of a Chinese New Year. It also kick starts the more widely known and celebrated of the Lunar New Year festivities - beginning a two week long Spring Festival. Li Chun is a Solar Festival marker and technically occurs on 4 Feb 2023, when the Chinese Solar New Year begins.
Cultural customs are many at this time of year, some intertwined with New Year celebrations and moon rituals, others to do with the opening of 1st solar term of the year Li Chun. Homes are hives of activity preparing for the impending celebrations. De-cluttering and Spring Cleaning especially are high on the list, as “Start Month” aka the 1st lunar month of the Year, sets the tone for a fresh new start.
CHINESE NEW YEAR’S EVE CUSTOMS
Chinese New Year is often referred to as the ‘Spring Festival’ and boasts over 4,000 years of history. It’s the most important annual event for Chinese people as well as the longest public holiday - over 15 days − the length it takes a New moon to become Full. Basked in superstition, it’s believed a ‘good’ Spring festival brings good fortune for the rest of the year. Each day of the Spring Festival bears different significance, here’s some customs and traditions followed on Chinese New Year’s Eve - Chuxi.
CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE - Chuxi
Most folk celebrate a New Year on 31st Dec; but 9/10 Feb 2024 — marks Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, called Chuxi. It's when the Public Holiday officially begins. Date depends on when Luna is new in your domicille. In China NEW YEAR’S EVE occurs on 9 Feb.
FAMILY REUNION DINNER & RED ENVELOPES
Families get-together normally at their parents’ abode; for the Family reunion dinner. Foods symbolic of luck, prosperity and longevity all consumed, especially Fish as it signifies abundance, long noodle strands signify long life and dumplings containing lettuce for wealth. Lettuce cups are also a popular serving choice for food. (Do you know what food is used in Dragon/Lion dances?) Dragon fruit and Dragon eye will likely feature on some menus. Lucky S.H readers Dragon eye (longan) fruit is in season! Visits to ones ancestors’ shrines with offerings of wine, fruit and Joss sticks also happens after dinner. And the ubiquitous Red envelopes (hóngbāo, 红包) full of lucky money are exchanged. Homes and businesses are decorated with Long red good luck calligraphy couplets hanging on doorways, denoting Spring blessings for the upcoming New Year.
KITCHEN GOD
The Chinese Kitchen (stove) God reports to the Jade Emperor. At the strike of midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve, the kitchen god from each family should go to heaven to report the family’s deeds during the year, other folks follow the Little New Year date. Some folk smear honey on the Stove god's lips, others worship with candies and offer something sweet, in the hope the Kitchen God reports sweetly to the Jade Emperor. Afterwards the old effigy is burnt (usually by the male figurehead) and replaced with a new Stove God effigy on a specific day in the Chinese New Year - for another year long stint. On lunar New Year’s Day, the kitchen god returns to earth homes and families welcome him with new effigy of him displayed in the kitchen or kitchen altar. Other follow a different day.
DOOR GOD
Each family invites the Door Gods (guardians) by pasting a pair of effigies on either side of the front door, acting as a talisman to forbid any evil to enter the household. According to ancient folklore a devil lived in the western mountains; should one come across the demon, illness would fall upon you. However it’s said the devil was afraid of the sound of burning bamboo, hence why bamboo is burned on this night to make the spitting sound to quell the devil from entering their house on Chinese New Year's Eve. Bamboo was the traditional hollow vessel used to contain fireworks but lighting firecrackers has replaced the old tradition. Interestingly in magical circles bamboo is said to break hexes! The most popular door gods are Zhong kui, Qin shubao or Yu Chigong depending on which region you live.
FIREWORKS
The ubiquitous Dragon and Lion dances commence in most parts of the globe with the loud sound of fireworks. Read more above the significance of the Lion dances via link above.
PEACH WOOD
On the eve of the New Year folks fashioned a bow from peach wood to exorcise the devil/ghost that caused plagues ( we’ve seen how relevant that tradition actual is ), the custom dates back to the Qin Dynasty. The bough or fashioned bow of peach wood was hung above doorways to impede ghosts that bring plaques. In fact in the Zhou Dynasty, doors were consecrating and those fashioned from peach wood specifically chosen. This tradition can be traced back to Zhou Dynasty. Another tradition (not Asian) dictates that after eating a Peach, the stone should be kept until New Year's Eve, and then thrown into the stove where it burns to ash. The belief is that it prevents and keeps plagues at bay for the whole year! Get eating now and keep another stonepit for next year.
⎯⎯ LUNAR NEW YEAR’ Day in Beijing 10 Feb 7:59am ⎯⎯
NEW MOON TIMES ・ SYD 10 Feb 9:59am ・ NEW YORK 9 Feb 5:59am ・ DUBLIN 9 Feb 10:59pm
You can find more info on our Space Clearing or Feng shui consultations to help you capitalize on the prosperous energies of the year. We ushered in the Chinese Lunar New Year (10 Feb 2024 ) and the Chinese Solar New Year happens on 4 Feb. 2024.
“Living eye to eye with Ancient wisdom ”