One World Nations Online All Countries in the World |
Home Earth Continents
Asia Thailand / China Chinese New Year Photos Chinese Customs and Traditions Glossary Chinese New Year Celebrations History of Chinese New Year Before Chinese New Year’s Celebration Celebrations on New Year’s Eve 15-Day Celebration of CNY |
||
___ History of Chinese New Year The origins of the Chinese New Year festival are thousands of years old and are steeped in legends but it is unclear when the beginning of the year was celebrated before the Qin Dynasty. |
||
A small scale Spring Festival is said to have been celebrated as early as at the time of the legendary sage-emperors Yao and Shun. The Spring Festival is supposed to have been initiated in the Shang Dynasty (Chinese: 商朝; Pinyin: Shāng cháo) and the custom of ancestor worship was included in the festivities. During the Cao Wei (Chinese:曹魏; Pinyin: Cáo wèi) and Jin Dynasties (Chinese: 晋朝; Pinyin: Jìn cháo) the practice of shou sui (Chinese: 守岁, Pinyin: shǒusuì, translated: guarding age or guarding the year) became popular as well as the use of firecrackers. Shou sui is the gathering and staying together during the time between the change of the years. |
|
|
Note: Chinese New Year is celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, and as well in cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction, these include the culture of Bhutan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Taiwan, Vietnam, and formerly Japan before 1873. Chinese New Year is also celebrated in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, but it is not part of the traditional culture of these countries. |
||
See also: China | Hong Kong | Macau | Tibet History of China Map of Southeast Asia Back to the index of Chinese Customs and Traditions Glossary Chinese New Year Photos Back one page |
Bookmark/share this page |
One World - Nations Online .:. let's care for this planet To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. 老子 |
Site Map | Information Sources | Advertise with OWNO | Disclaimer: Privacy Policy, etc. | Contact: [email protected] | Copyright © 1998-2016 :: nationsonline.org |