Traditions of Chinese New Year 2017
the new year begins on January 28th and the celebration lasts for 15 days
Years of the Rooster include 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 and 2029
Lucky numbers for Roosters are 5, 7 and 8
Roosters' lucky colors are Gold, Brown and Yellow
The holiday is also known as Spring Festival
ONe of The largest celebrations, outside of Asia, takes place in London. More than 700,000 people flock to London to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Red envelopes filled with cash symbolize good luck and ward off evil spirits and are given to children by adults; to employees by bosses; and to underlings by leaders. In business, the cash gifts are considered a special New Year's bonus.
It's a celebration for 1/5 of the world's population. Public holidays are observed in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, North Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, and Singapore. It is estimated almost 3.5 billion trips are made across China (primarily to gather with family) during the spring festival.
It's a time to decorate and red is the dominant color. Homes, businesses, malls, offices, shops, airports and train stations are all decked out in celebration of Chinese New Year. people hang Red Lanterns and Paper cutouts from their homes and adorn each side of the front door with couplets - hanging scrolls of concise poetry in chinese characters to express happiness and hopeful thoughts for the coming year.
Lucky foods to eat during a family "reunion Dinner" on chinese new year's eve include fish, dumplings, sweet rice balls, longevity noodles and good fortune fruit like oranges, pineapple and lemons. Tradition dictates that the fish dish should not be eaten completely and the leftovers stored overnight as a symbol of surplus at the end of the year. Chinese believe if they manage to save something at the end of the year then the coming year will bring an increase in prosperity.
The Spring Festival has many superstitions and taboos. Here are some things to avoid during the Chinese New Year celebration - breaking dishes, lending or borrowing, engaging in needlework or making shoes, scolding or punishing children, using scissors, getting a haircut, eating porridge, taking afternoon naps and dressing in black or white.
it's a time for big celebrations. Chinese New Year's Eve accounts for the world's biggest annual fireworks usage and colorful parades take place all over the world. San Francisco has one of the largest parades outside of Asia with a draw of three million spectators. One of the most popular sites is the 28-foot-long Golden Dragon moving its way through the streets of San Francisco supported by a team of 100 people. This year the parade takes place on Saturday, february 11th.
Putnam Travels wishes you and your family good luck and prosperity for this Rooster year and safe travels
Click here to see photos of the Bellagio Hotel's Chinese New Year display in its Conservatory and Botanical Garden.
