In the following article you will get some facts about wishing a happy and prosperous New Year in ancient and modern day China.
If you are going to be heading towards China during New Year's time you should expect a lot of people coming up to you and saying Guo Nian Hao. This means Happy New Year in their local language. Don't be amazed if it's early February and you are getting to hear people wishing each other happy New Year because the Chinese New Year falls on a totally different date.
This is because the Chinese follow the lunar calendar which functions according to the cycles of the moon. So the 1st of January is not their New Year's Day rather it has to do with the cycle of the moon. The occasion of Chinese New Year is a joyous and momentous occasion when all sorts of ancient traditions are brought back to life so as to keep them ticking.
As soon as the lunar New Year begins in China, people who are unknown will greet you, as this is such a happy occasion for them. Wherever you may go even if it's a market, you will be wished a Guo Nian Hao by the staff. At this time of celebration the whole nation rises to the occasion.
Traditionally and otherwise the Guo Nian Hao greeting is used to wish everyone for five days after the start of lunar year. After five days you are not supposed to wish a New Year greeting according to the tradition. There are other words which are also used to wish New Year along with Guo Nian Hao.
The New Year for Chinese is a moment when people hope and pray for abundance in future for everybody including themselves for the rest of the year. The Chinese people demonstrate their happiness by using terms like Hokkien Keong hee huat chye, Gonxi Facai for best wishes and success in life to others.
As New Year represent everything good the Chinese people also pray for a good amount of crop harvest in the coming year and they use certain terms to wish abundant crops to everyone in future.
During Chinese New Year they use one more form of wishing the best for the coming year with red envelop but it is not verbal greeting. This envelop contains money which is given to the children in hope of keeping the evil things away.
With the coming of modernity the form of New Year greeting is also changing in China. There is no set way of greeting and people wish each other in their own ways. Unlike the ancient times New Year card has become pretty common form of greeting in today's China.
The influence of Internet has gradually changed the concept of New Year in China and now people send e-card for wishing New Year to one another. As for the government, it wishes the entire population by holding firework display.
If you are going to be heading towards China during New Year's time you should expect a lot of people coming up to you and saying Guo Nian Hao. This means Happy New Year in their local language. Don't be amazed if it's early February and you are getting to hear people wishing each other happy New Year because the Chinese New Year falls on a totally different date.
This is because the Chinese follow the lunar calendar which functions according to the cycles of the moon. So the 1st of January is not their New Year's Day rather it has to do with the cycle of the moon. The occasion of Chinese New Year is a joyous and momentous occasion when all sorts of ancient traditions are brought back to life so as to keep them ticking.
As soon as the lunar New Year begins in China, people who are unknown will greet you, as this is such a happy occasion for them. Wherever you may go even if it's a market, you will be wished a Guo Nian Hao by the staff. At this time of celebration the whole nation rises to the occasion.
Traditionally and otherwise the Guo Nian Hao greeting is used to wish everyone for five days after the start of lunar year. After five days you are not supposed to wish a New Year greeting according to the tradition. There are other words which are also used to wish New Year along with Guo Nian Hao.
The New Year for Chinese is a moment when people hope and pray for abundance in future for everybody including themselves for the rest of the year. The Chinese people demonstrate their happiness by using terms like Hokkien Keong hee huat chye, Gonxi Facai for best wishes and success in life to others.
As New Year represent everything good the Chinese people also pray for a good amount of crop harvest in the coming year and they use certain terms to wish abundant crops to everyone in future.
During Chinese New Year they use one more form of wishing the best for the coming year with red envelop but it is not verbal greeting. This envelop contains money which is given to the children in hope of keeping the evil things away.
With the coming of modernity the form of New Year greeting is also changing in China. There is no set way of greeting and people wish each other in their own ways. Unlike the ancient times New Year card has become pretty common form of greeting in today's China.
The influence of Internet has gradually changed the concept of New Year in China and now people send e-card for wishing New Year to one another. As for the government, it wishes the entire population by holding firework display.
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Chinese new year food is a wonderful part of the festivities. For further info on Chinese new year greeting follow the preceding hyperlinks.