Mystery Of Chinese New Year History And Facts
Chinese New Year History |
Chinese New Year History – Chinese New Year is one of the crowded and most important festivals in China and becomes culture. All Chinese people around the world celebrate it with well prepared. The festival has no exact date and it changes each year, but mostly from January 21st to February 20th. They are decorating their homes in red and gold with highlighting Chinese calligraphy and setting off firecrackers and fireworks. On the other hand, many people do not know the mystery of Chinese New Year History and facts.
Mystery Of Chinese New Year History
This event is the time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. One story that relates to Chinese New Year History is the ghost story, Nian. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the "Year."
Legend of Monster Nian
Many existing customs and activities of the festival actually can be traced back to a popular story of the Monster Nian. The story helps to explain why and how the festival is celebrated. According to Chinese legend in the past, the Chinese people lived in fear because there was a monster that often came to the villages to prey on someone. The monster always came at the turn of the year. This certainly created the terror and fear of the Chinese people at that time.
Because of the story of monster Nian, every time before the New Year’s Eve, all the villagers would escape to remote mountains to avoid Nian's attack or close the door tightly and hide from the ghost of this monster. Until finally one day, a wise old man suggested an idea to all the villages who were terrorized by this ghost every year. The man said that it was better to unite to fight and repel the monster. Soon, villagers were enlightened by the truth that the bamboo burning cracking, red color, and bright light were magic keys to scare away the monster.
Chinese New Year History |
Because it always ran from one village to another village, Nian finally exhausted. The villagers then did waste the opportunity. They then arrested and killed it together for having spread terror by preying people in villages every year. In order to celebrate the triumph over the monster, people dressed in new and visited neighbors to share the joy. The news spread and everyone commanded the ways of defending against the beast.
Chinese New Year Facts
The mystery behind Imlek about Nian monster that defeated by loud voice and firecracker became hereditary in China culture. The villagers then prepare a lot of things to fight the fear of sighting the monster. They were hoarding firecrackers and many musical instruments (drums, cymbals and more) that made a loud sound. Hence, on every New Year's Eve, people would paste red spring couplets, light candles, and burn bamboos (set off firework) to ward off all the evil spirits.
The entire village and town were ablaze with lights and people would stay up to welcome the New Year. The activities of the villagers to conquer Nian monster is suspected as the first celebration of Chinese New Year. In fact, even the name of the ghost "Nian" itself is defined in Chinese as "Year". The traditions are inherited till today. The red also becomes the most popular color for festival celebration and dressing code.