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KIDS UNITED
On February 1, Chinese citizens across the world celebrate the Chinese New Year. In China, it is called the Spring Festival. While westerners like Luc celebrated the beginning of the year 2003, Chehn and his family are ringing in a much older year! The Chinese calendar began around 2600 BC, when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the lunar calendar. And every year on the first new moon between January 21 and February 19, Chinese New Year is celebrated!
The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is Chehn's favorite holiday! In the days leading up to the celebration, Chehn helps his parents clean the house (to usher out the old year), shop for flowers (peach blossoms for Long Life, and peonies for Love), and decorate the doors with drawings of 'door gods' on red paper (to help ward off the bad luck and bring in the good!).
Most Chinese children get their hair cut to symbolize the new beginning! Chehn and his friends also get their fortunes told by the oldest known method of fortune telling Kau Chime. They shake a bamboo case holding 78 numbered sticks until one falls out. The fortune teller references ancient texts with the number on the stick and reads a short poem or rhyme that tells of the possibilities of the coming year.
Chehn's favorite part of the celebration is watching the Lion Dance. During the first few days of the Chinese New Year, a Lion (really 2 dancers at the head and the tail of a big costume) dances through town, visiting homes and businesses and bringing with him good luck. Each home strings vegetable leaves and a red packet with money inside from their door.
At the end of the Lion Dance, Chehn watches the 'Choi Cheng'. This is where the Lion blesses the house by eating the red packet and spitting out the vegetable leaves, signifying an abundance of everything in the coming year. If Chehn is especially lucky, he may receive a red packet of his own!
Chehn and his family wish everyone in the Circle of Friends a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!
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