Legislation

New Year in China, called Chunjie or the Spring Festival, is the most important day of the year for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire. For about 2 millennia, it has been celebrated between January 12 and February 19, on the new moon. The Chinese usually call him Nian, which means “year” in translation.

2014 - 4712 according to the Eastern calendar, begins on January 31. Symbols: Horse, Tree, Green.

There is a legend among the people that Nian is an incredibly terrible horned monster that came out of the sea on the eve of the New Year in the ancient Chinese state, devouring living creatures and destroying everything in its path. The inhabitants of the villages in fear left their homes that night and moved high into the mountains, hiding from the misfortune chasing them on the heels. This usually happened every year.

But one day on the eve of the holiday, an old man with a silver beard came to the village, he had a cane in one hand, and a bag in the other. Seeing the panic of the villagers, he promised to expel the monster from the village as a reward if he was allowed to spend the night in the house.

All the inhabitants, as always, went to the mountains, and the strange old man was left alone in the village. At midnight, Nian burst into the village, but was very surprised that the light in one of the houses was lit. When he tried to enter this courtyard, Nian was greatly frightened by the crash of exploding firecrackers, the brightness of the burning lights and the old man's red coat.

Returning to their village in the morning, the inhabitants were very surprised at the integrity and safety of their homes. The old man fulfilled his promise and forever saved people from the terrible monster. The rumor about the method of Nian's expulsion quickly spread throughout the neighborhood, and the people began to celebrate that night the calm and prosperous life of their families, calling it "the night after parting."

Since then, every year on the eve of the holiday, residents began to decorate their homes in bright, shiny colors, stick red inscriptions on the front door, arrange noisy feasts without closing their eyes all night, protecting their homes from the monster that once lived in their area and terrified of people.

Modern China celebrates the New Year in a cozy family atmosphere, where all its members celebrate the holiday at a table richly filled with goodies. Not one feast is complete without chicken and fish dishes, as well as dishes with Chinese bean curd. In the northern part of the country, “jiao-tzu” dumplings are always prepared (marking the farewell to the old and the meeting of the new, besides, they also symbolize gold ingots), and residents of the southern regions prefer slices of sticky rice “nian gao” (denoting an improvement in life). All commercial companies prepare gifts for their partners, such as T-shirts, pens, umbrellas, flash drives with a must.

And how does everything go in private life? The first days of the new year are considered meeting days. At this time, it is customary to visit relatives, friends and just acquaintances, wishing them all the very best for the whole year.

Gifts are not given on this night in China. But for the first two weeks after New Year's Eve, it is customary for all children who come to visit to give money packed in a red envelope (the name of such a holiday gift is Yasui Jian).

The celebration of the New Year in this country lasts for several days. Mass festivities, masquerades and festive shows take place on the squares of the cities. Folk dances are performed, New Year's fairs are held on the streets. This festival lasts about two weeks, until the so-called "Lantern Day", and this is the fifteenth day after the new moon.

Calendar public holidays in China for 2014

Holiday name	the date	Number of days	year 2014
Calendar New Year	1st of January	1 day	January 1-3
Chinese New Year (Chunjie)	Determined by the lunar calendar	3 days	January 31 (30-5 rest)
Day of Respect for the Dead (Qingming)	April 5th or 4th	1 day	April 5 (4-6 rest)
Labor Day	The 1 of May	1 day	May 1 (31-1 rest)
Dragon Boat Festival	5th day of the 5th lunar month	1 day	June 2 (rest 31-02)
mid autumn festival	15th day of the 8th lunar month	1 day	September 6 (rest 6-8)
Founding Day of the People's Republic of China	1 October	3 days	October 1 (rest 1-7)

26.12.2013

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Legislation

Today is Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. It comes along with the new moon, which will take place at 23:38 Kyiv time. By Chinese calendar this new moon sets the tone not only for the next month, but for the whole year. Therefore, now I will briefly describe the meaning of today's new moon, and in a couple of days I will publish more detailed recommendations for the next month.

The map of the new moon, built on the coordinates of Kyiv, gives clear indications that this year the main changes will concern the home, family, homeland, i.e. a place where people tend to seek comfort and protection. For those who do not live in Ukraine, the main focus may be shifted to other areas, but the background remains the same for everyone.

What is this background? In the next month (and year) we can go through significant changes - the events that we will fall into will directly affect the change in our values, moral principles, rules of conduct. These changes will largely take place against our will; external circumstances will be of great importance even for very strong and influential personalities. So the main advice for this new moon is to cultivate acceptance - to clear your inner space of unnecessary desires, experiences, suffering and allow what is happening to happen. We may not understand why we need what is happening to us now, but after a while, understanding will come.

This new moon occurs simultaneously with the parking of Venus in front of her. This position of the planets helps us to consolidate the personal changes that have taken place in us over the past month and a half for a sufficiently long period (at least a year). Now we are coming out of a long period of reassessment of personal relationships, perceptions of beauty and justice, and we are entering the New Year with a qualitatively changed perception of what is happening. The new quality of perception will allow us to act more confidently throughout the year. (More on the passing period of Venus retrograde in my post of December 13, 2013).

The coming year is also interesting because it will often evoke sentimental feelings in us and a desire to do good deeds. However, the main motivation for action may not be compassion and the very fact of helping those in need, but how our actions will be evaluated by society. But, even if you catch yourself showing off, you probably shouldn't stop. Thanks to such ostentatious nobility, many useful things can be done in the world.

I wish we all find the strength to accept what we cannot change. I wish us not to be afraid of change. I wish you sincere impulses and their joyful realization. I just wish you happiness in the fullness of living every moment. Happy New Year!

Chinese New Year- lantern festival

The Chinese New Year will begin on the new moon of January 30 at 11:20 pm PT, which is January 31, 2014 on many calendars.

However, the beginning of the astrological Chinese New Year - 2014 Year of the Horse, will come on February 4, 2014 Chinese Standard Time.

As we can see, not only does the Chinese New Year not coincide with the onset of the new year in the Western tradition, but the astrological Chinese New Year does not coincide with the beginning of the new year in China.

The Chinese New Year begins on the first lunar day of the second new moon after the winter solstice.

The astrological Chinese New Year begins with the beginning of spring - the time when the sun enters the three hundred and fifteenth degree of the tropical zodiac. In 2014, spring with China will come on February 4, 2014. It is then that the real year of the Wooden Horse will begin, which, according to various sources, will be either blue or green.

The different color of the Wooden Horse is attributed to the fact that in Chinese, as, by the way, in some other Asian languages ​​\u200b\u200b(for example, in Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai), blue and green colors are traditionally denoted by the same word, although each color has its own designation.

Therefore, the upcoming New Year 2014 gives us all the opportunity to choose: who wants to celebrate the year of the Blue Wooden Horse, and someone will like the Green Horse.

It so happened that in Russian-language sources this year is increasingly called the year of the blue horse, so we will focus on this color.

The Chinese New Year, which starts on January 31, 2014, in China will actually be on 2014 instead of 4712.

With the advent of the astrological Chinese New Year - the year of the Blue Wooden Horse, the month of the Fire Tiger also begins, which greatly enhances energy and vitality with the advent of this year and marks a clear withdrawal of the "slow" energy of the previous 2013 - the year of the Water Snake.

In Chinese astrology, the Year of the Horse is considered a lucky year that brings good things. The Magic Horse has supernatural powers, is brave, strong, and can even fly! Living on snow-white clouds, the Horse is a sacred animal of the Chinese goddess Kuan Yin. Her white horse flies through the sky bringing peace and blessings.

The horse is considered a heroic animal in China because important battles were won with the strength and power of the horse.

How is New Year celebrated in China?

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, people wear red clothes, write poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes.

The red color symbolizes fire, which, according to legend, can ward off bad luck. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with fireworks, which is a tradition and has its roots in ancient rituals, when the Chinese set fire to bamboo stalks, the crackling of which drove away evil spirits.

In China, the New Year is a family reunion time. Family members gather at home, eat festive dishes together. Family New Year's Eve Dinner main part holiday.

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important holiday for the Chinese. Typically, the celebration turns into a festival that traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month and ends with the Lantern Festival, held on the fifteenth day of the first month of lunar calendar. Some of the lanterns are real works of art, painted with images of birds, animals, flowers, signs of the zodiac and scenes from legend or historical events.

People hang glowing lanterns in temples and wear them during the evening parade under the light of the full moon.

In many parts of China, the highlight of the Lantern Festival is the dragon dance. The dragon, which can stretch up to 30 meters in length, is usually made from silk, paper and bamboo. Usually the Dragon swings above the dancing young people.

Chinese horoscope for 2014 for all signs Rat Ox Tiger

Horse Dragon Snake

In 2014, the Lunar New Year is celebrated on Friday, January 31, and marks the arrival of the Year of the Horse.

According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, the beginning of the year may fall on one of the days from late January to mid-February. The Chinese consider this holiday to be the biggest.

The Chinese lunar calendar is related to both lunar cycle as well as the position of the sun. According to legend, the calendar was invented in 2600 BC when the mythical one initiated the first cycle of the zodiac calendar and named the animals that would represent each year in a 12-year cycle.

The representatives of the Chinese zodiac calendar are: rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

horse sign

If you were born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, or 2014, you were born under the sign of the Horse.

The horse is one of the favorite animals of the Chinese, which is closely related to people's lives. Before the invention of automobiles, it was used to transport something.

One of the duties of the horse was to quickly deliver people to their destination. Thus, the horse began to symbolize not only travel, but also quick success.

The horse occupies the seventh position among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Personalities born in the year of the Horse are very mobile, active and energetic. As a rule, these people are exquisitely elegant, independent, gentle and hardworking.

Their most striking feature is their extraordinary self-confidence. Thus, the year of the Horse means that it is time for people to move forward confidently towards their goals and dreams, just as a horse races at full speed towards its destination.

Your zodiac sign

Zodiac sign	Year of birth
Rat	1924	1936	1948	1960	1972	1984	1996	2008
Bull	1925	1937	1949	1961	1973	1985	1997	2009
Tiger	1926	1938	1950	1962	1974	1986	1998	2010
Rabbit	1927	1939	1951	1963	1975	1987	1999	2011
The Dragon	1928	1940	1952	1964	1976	1988	2000	2012
Snake	1929	1941	1953	1965	1977	1989	2001	2013
Horse	1930	1942	1954	1966	1978	1990	2002	2014
Sheep	1931	1943	1955	1967	1979	1991	2003	2015
A monkey	1932	1944	1956	1968	1980	1992	2004	2016
Rooster	1933	1945	1957	1969	1981	1993	2005	2017
Dog	1934	1946	1958	1970	1982	1994	2006	2018
Pig	1935	1947	1959	1971	1983	1995	2007	2019

New Year traditions

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional Chinese holiday. The celebration usually lasts 15 days from the first day of the New Year to the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month on.

There are many traditions and customs associated with the Chinese New Year. Families carefully clean their home in order to sweep away any misfortune and make room for good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with thin figures cut out of red paper and poetic couplets - pairs of rhymed lines that express people's joy and hopes for the New Year.

Fireworks, firecrackers, red toys, lion and dragon dances, riddle lanterns and other customs and traditions adorn the New Year's celebration.

It is considered a very important custom to gather the whole family on New Year's Eve. In addition, on New Year's Eve, the Chinese consider it their duty to visit relatives.

Wishes for the New Year

The advent of the Year of the Horse is the time to come to terms with differences, let go of all grievances and sincerely wish everyone peace, health and happiness. Here are some of the most popular New Year wishes:

Happy Year of the Horse! (馬年吉祥, mǎ nián jí xiáng)
Good luck with the beginning of the Year of the Horse! (馬到成功, mǎ dào chéng gong)
Saddle your horse! (一馬當先, yī mǎ dāng xiān)
Peace and good health in the Year of the Horse! (馬年安康, mǎ nián ān kāng)

Chinese New Year 2014 will be celebrated on January 31 / taringa.net
In China, the Chunjie holiday is the Spring Festival, the traditional New Year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. A joyful and festive atmosphere reigns everywhere. Residents shop for their favorite holiday, New Year is the most important event for 1 billion 300 million Chinese people. Everywhere, on the streets and in stores, there are toys and decorations in the form of a Dragon.
Chinese New Year occurs on the first new moon of the year between January 20th and February 20th of the Gregorian calendar.
Chunjie has ancient history, dating back to the rituals of sacrifice to deities and commemoration of ancestors, which were performed at the end and beginning of the year in the Shang era 1600-1100 BC.

The holiday is accompanied by pasting paired paper inscriptions on both sides of the entrance to the house, the room is decorated inside with popular New Year's paintings, these images contain wishes for happiness in the future. In the past, this custom, like the launching of firecrackers, was considered effective way expelling evil spirits and cleansing the house from evil spirits. Later, gluing luboks became part of the festive ritual of the Chinese, and is now very popular in the country.
On the night before the holiday, called chusi, the whole family gathers together. A plentiful festive dinner is arranged, after which they watch the performance of famous artists on TV, there are conversations on various topics, games. In many families, young people stay up all night, this is called show sui - waiting for the New Year.
On the morning of the next day, many families eat jiaozi dumplings, dumplings that resemble traditional gold and silver ingots in their shape and symbolize the wish for wealth. After breakfast, it is supposed to go around the houses of relatives and friends with congratulations and wishes of all the best. On the first day of the New Year, relatives and friends, friends and colleagues visit each other and give gifts.

Adults give children small money wrapped in red paper, which symbolizes the wish for prosperity to the family and the success of the child's development. Also connected with this custom is a legend that once upon a time in the city of Jiaxing lived spouses who only in old age gave birth to one child. The couple were afraid that the evil Sui spirit would kill their baby, and decided to be on duty all New Year's Eve at the child's bed. They prepared some coins for the baby and began to teach him how to wrap them in red paper, but after that everyone was tired and quickly fell asleep. And a red bag with coins was placed near the baby's pillow. The night has come. And the evil spirit began to creep up on the child, but when he decided to stroke the child, suddenly a golden ray escaped from a bag of coins. The spirit was very frightened and ran away. Although today no one pays attention to the existence of an evil sui spirit, on New Year's Eve, adults still give children money for happiness.
On the days of the Spring Festival, mass performances are organized: lion dances, dragon dances, round dances of land boats, performances on stilts.
In the old days, New Year's celebrations lasted more than a month. With the acceleration of the rhythm of life, there can be no question of such long holidays, but it is at this time in China that one of the three golden weeks of the calendar year falls - seven continuous days off.

Appears new fashion and for gifts. Previously, the Chinese gave each other cigarettes, alcohol, food. Today, fresh flowers are a good gift, a subscription to sport Club, lottery tickets.
Greetings are changing. Instead of personal visits and greeting cards telephone calls, e-mails and postcards come through the Internet.
After a noisy meeting of the new year, the Chinese will celebrate another traditional Yuanxiao holiday - the Lantern Festival. During which, it is customary to feast on pies made from sticky flour with sweet filling and candied fruits, as well as admire the light of lanterns lit at night. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year celebrations in China.