Here are more of my research on Chinese New Year...
There are stories about it that I heard from my aunt (who passed away a few years ago) and my teacher that Chinese New Year is a tradition the Chinese celebrate when i was quite at a young age. Legend has it that in the olden days, the Chinese settled in the basin of the Yellow River and their peaceful life was gone on one winter night when a mysterious monster attacked the people along with their crops and homes. According to the sages time, the appearance of this monster occurred after the sun had shown 365 times. It was found that this creature, called Nien, was afraid of three things : noise, illumination and the coloured red.
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| An illustrstion picture of "Nien". |
Therefore, on the 365th evening, vigilant Chinese had their houses brightly lit and 100 solid objects are painted red. In addition, they struck drums and gongs and performed lion dances to scare away the monster. The monster, then disappeared.
Most of the legends are related to this one but same may tell it differently...
But now, this tradition is carried on as a way of thanksgiving, having a family reunion, to honor the gods and also our ancestors had been followed by the Chinese every year. It is also a way to allow good luck in our home.
In the Lunar & Solar calendar, it begins on the 1st day of the month (which is a New Moon) and ended on the 15th day (a Full Moon or Lantern festival). Thus, the dates are different every year in the normal calendar.
Oi serious? Baru I tahu. :O
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