Chinese New Year Ritual
- Thread starter Marvelous
- Start date
i dunno but this website does
nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/chinese-new-year.htm
I'm clueless about it. I'm half-blooded Chinese, but I don't claim it because everything I do (language, food, culture) is Cambodian and of course American. Lots of people in Cambodia celebrate it. In fact, I came up with some riels for this Chinese New Year
. I wish the amount I got was actually in dollar bills, I'd be hella rich! haha
This is what I got after a quick Google. It seems about right, but it doesn't give you which steps needed to be taken first, next, and so on.
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Chinese-New-Year-Chinese-New-Years-Eve.htm
Chinese New Year is the most important and, at 15 days, the longest holiday in China. Chinese New Year’s Eve kicks off the two-week long festivities. Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called Lunar New Year, and it is considered the beginning of spring, so it is also called Spring Festival. Chinese New Year is filled with many activities with revelers staying up as long as possible to usher in the New Year.
Worship Ancestors:
Beginning in the afternoon, ancestors are worshipped and given offerings for blessings and protection over the past year. Offerings include fruit, dried fruit, and candied peanuts. At the temple, families will burn sticks of incense and stacks of paper money.
Eat a Big Family Meal:
One of the highlights of Chinese New Year is the food. On Chinese New Year’s Day , a huge feast is served. Since Chinese New Year is a national holiday in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, nearly everyone returns home for Chinese New Year. For some families, it is the only time each year that the entire family will be together. In some cases, not all family members can return so a place setting is set in their honor.
Each item eaten has special symbolism. The Chinese New Year’s feast includes:
In mainland China, nearly all families sit around the dinner table and wrap dumplings while watching the CCTV New Year’s Gala (春节联欢晚会), a New Year’s Eve countdown variety show on CCTV. From the oldest to the youngest family member, each person participates.
Dumplings with a variety of fillings, including meat, fish, and vegetables, are wrapped into the shape of ancient Chinese silver and gold ingots, which symbolize wealth. A gold coin is wrapped inside one dumpling. Similar to a Mardi Gras king cake in which a plastic baby is hidden in one slice, the person who gets the dumpling with the coin inside is said to have good luck for the coming year. The dumplings are traditionally eaten at midnight and throughout the two-week holiday.
Play Mahjong:
Mahjong (麻將, má jiàng ) is a fast-paced, four-player game played throughout the year but particularly during Chinese New Year. Learn all about mahjong and how to play .
Launch Fireworks:
Fireworks of all shapes and sizes are launched at midnight and throughout New Year’s Day. Firecrackers with red paper are the most popular. The fireworks tradition began with the legend of Nian , a ferocious monster that was afraid of the color red and loud noises. It is believed the noisy fireworks scared the monster. Now, it is believed the more fireworks and noise there are, the more luck there will be in the New Year.
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/Chinese-New-Year-Chinese-New-Years-Eve.htm
Chinese New Year is the most important and, at 15 days, the longest holiday in China. Chinese New Year’s Eve kicks off the two-week long festivities. Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called Lunar New Year, and it is considered the beginning of spring, so it is also called Spring Festival. Chinese New Year is filled with many activities with revelers staying up as long as possible to usher in the New Year.
Worship Ancestors:
Beginning in the afternoon, ancestors are worshipped and given offerings for blessings and protection over the past year. Offerings include fruit, dried fruit, and candied peanuts. At the temple, families will burn sticks of incense and stacks of paper money.
Eat a Big Family Meal:
One of the highlights of Chinese New Year is the food. On Chinese New Year’s Day , a huge feast is served. Since Chinese New Year is a national holiday in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, nearly everyone returns home for Chinese New Year. For some families, it is the only time each year that the entire family will be together. In some cases, not all family members can return so a place setting is set in their honor.
Each item eaten has special symbolism. The Chinese New Year’s feast includes:
- Dumplings = wealth because shaped like ancient silver and gold ingots. Learn how to make your own dumplings.
- Fish = surplus because 鱼 (yú, fish) sounds like 餘 (yú, surplus). Leaving a little extra fish on the plate is customary as it symbolizes there will be enough for the family in the coming year. The family is careful not to break the bones of the fish as this could bring bad luck.
- Hard liquor = longevity because 酒 (jiǔ, alcohol) sounds like 久 (jiǔ, longevity).
In mainland China, nearly all families sit around the dinner table and wrap dumplings while watching the CCTV New Year’s Gala (春节联欢晚会), a New Year’s Eve countdown variety show on CCTV. From the oldest to the youngest family member, each person participates.
Dumplings with a variety of fillings, including meat, fish, and vegetables, are wrapped into the shape of ancient Chinese silver and gold ingots, which symbolize wealth. A gold coin is wrapped inside one dumpling. Similar to a Mardi Gras king cake in which a plastic baby is hidden in one slice, the person who gets the dumpling with the coin inside is said to have good luck for the coming year. The dumplings are traditionally eaten at midnight and throughout the two-week holiday.
Play Mahjong:
Mahjong (麻將, má jiàng ) is a fast-paced, four-player game played throughout the year but particularly during Chinese New Year. Learn all about mahjong and how to play .
Launch Fireworks:
Fireworks of all shapes and sizes are launched at midnight and throughout New Year’s Day. Firecrackers with red paper are the most popular. The fireworks tradition began with the legend of Nian , a ferocious monster that was afraid of the color red and loud noises. It is believed the noisy fireworks scared the monster. Now, it is believed the more fireworks and noise there are, the more luck there will be in the New Year.
i dunno but this website does
nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/chinese-new-year.htm
Your link seems legit, too. It's weird how it's a little different. If it was me, I'd prefer to skip the spring cleaning because I'm a lazy bastard haha. Seriously, I'm sure the listed things written from both sites are done during the couple of weeks before the New Year Day.
Marvelous
Commoner
Me too, I am half and half but I go by Cambodian and not Cambodian Chinese because i don't speak the language.I'm clueless about it. I'm half-blooded Chinese, but I don't claim it because everything I do (language, food, culture) is Cambodian and of course American. Lots of people in Cambodia celebrate it. In fact, I came up with some riels for this Chinese New Year
Welcome back Bro!
Check this out. What do you think? Me, I see a lot of Cambodian who aint mix consider they are half Chinese and traditionally celebrate Chinese "San"
Marvelous - thanks for the welcome! I never left, I just took a break here and there. Welcome back to you, too! The forum seem dead without your news posts
Rei - That's very true. You can say the same for almost lots of other nations including neighboring country, Thailand. The difference is that they seem to have a stronger nationalistic appearance. Those full-blooded Teochew in Thailand claim 100% Thai. Try going to Cambodia and find your next door neighbor claiming 100% Khmer...good luck.
goupon - I wish I could read the Khmer script. What does it say? Why do you think those who doesn't have any Chinese in them want to claim it? It doesn't make any damn sense. I wouldn't question their integrity. A friend of mine is dark and he's part Chinese. I can see why some people don't think he has any blood in it, but he does...at least his mom says so and she's part Chinese. I think someone in human genetics would give us a better answer on this.
Rei - That's very true. You can say the same for almost lots of other nations including neighboring country, Thailand. The difference is that they seem to have a stronger nationalistic appearance. Those full-blooded Teochew in Thailand claim 100% Thai. Try going to Cambodia and find your next door neighbor claiming 100% Khmer...good luck.
goupon - I wish I could read the Khmer script. What does it say? Why do you think those who doesn't have any Chinese in them want to claim it? It doesn't make any damn sense. I wouldn't question their integrity. A friend of mine is dark and he's part Chinese. I can see why some people don't think he has any blood in it, but he does...at least his mom says so and she's part Chinese. I think someone in human genetics would give us a better answer on this.
Nice video Groupon! He's quite an entertaining teacher and what he said is all in truth. China is a "superior" country, so I can see why some of our Khmer people would claim to be part of that blood. Sad to say but being superior seems to be a thing over here. Some of the Khmer/Chinese store owners don't even consider themselves as Cambodian, unless on rare occasion where being Khmer is beneficial to their advantage.
Somewhat out of topic but recently I've come across a pathetic group of young Khmer girls that work at the pharmacy section of our local Walgreens. How hard is it to speak Khmer to our non English speaking elders? They can speak Khmer but it's like pushing button to get them going.
Believe, have you ever considered learning to read and write Khmer? I'm trying to learn.
Somewhat out of topic but recently I've come across a pathetic group of young Khmer girls that work at the pharmacy section of our local Walgreens. How hard is it to speak Khmer to our non English speaking elders? They can speak Khmer but it's like pushing button to get them going.
Believe, have you ever considered learning to read and write Khmer? I'm trying to learn.
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@believe : As Rei was saying, some pure Khmer do consider them as half and also some who just had light skin also think they r mix eventho none of their generation had any Chinese blood.
I totally agree with you, Rei. I even know people who are half Chinese/Khmer. They always claim themselves Chinese but speak no shit of Chinese language. But when they got arrested, the family put on the news as f***ken Cambodian, not Chinese/Khmer but Cambodian.
Yea you should learn Khmer. I learn Khmer from Monk. They teach us
I totally agree with you, Rei. I even know people who are half Chinese/Khmer. They always claim themselves Chinese but speak no shit of Chinese language. But when they got arrested, the family put on the news as f***ken Cambodian, not Chinese/Khmer but Cambodian.
Yea you should learn Khmer. I learn Khmer from Monk. They teach us
Nice video Groupon! He's quite an entertaining teacher and what he said is all in truth. China is a "superior" country, so I can see why some of our Khmer people would claim to be part of that blood. Sad to say but being superior seems to be a thing over here. Some of the Khmer/Chinese store owners don't even consider themselves as Cambodian, unless on rare occasion where being Khmer is beneficial to their advantage.
Somewhat out of topic but recently I've come across a pathetic group of young Khmer girls that work at the pharmacy section of our local Walgreens. How hard is it to speak Khmer to our non English speaking elders? They can speak Khmer but it's like pushing button to get them going.
Believe, have you ever considered learning to read and write Khmer? I'm trying to learn.
The hell? I thought Goupon posted a picture until you said it was a video! haha
As for the Khmer girls at Walgreens, what if they're self-conscience about speaking Khmer? Lots of my friends understand the language but are afraid to speak it. Now if these girls can speak the language and know an elderly Khmer, who speaks no or very minimal English, comes to the counter, then I'll just shake my head.
I have considered learning Khmer, Rei. Despite what the older folks telling me my Khmer is good enough, I think before coming here to Cambodia, my speaking level was equivalent to a 5-year-old. Almost a month here, I can proudly say I've upgraded to a 6 or 7-year-old HAHA... Seriously though, I checked out a local school close to where I live and they offer Khmer classes for heritage speakers. The problem is that it's a university so it's gonna cost an arm and a leg. So, I'll see what's up.
@believe : As Rei was saying, some pure Khmer do consider them as half and also some who just had light skin also think they r mix eventho none of their generation had any Chinese blood.
I totally agree with you, Rei. I even know people who are half Chinese/Khmer. They always claim themselves Chinese but speak no shit of Chinese language. But when they got arrested, the family put on the news as f***ken Cambodian, not Chinese/Khmer but Cambodian.
Yea you should learn Khmer. I learn Khmer from Monk. They teach us
If it makes you feel any better, my full-blooded Chinese cousins claim 100% Khmer haha, so they don't fall in one of the categories of people you said. In fact, throughout this Cambodia trip, all they talk about is how the Chinese trying to take over Cambodia. They use "we" referring to us Khmers when speaking about the Chinese. No kidding. My grandparents on their side (Chinese) raised them to be Cambodians since the country where they lived was Cambodia, not in China. Simple as that.
Not sure I would go about getting lessons from a monk. I might have to do research when I get home.
Wow I just realized I'm online when I shouldn't be. It sucks going to Cambodia with old folks, but I can't hang with them and the conversations they be having. I don't understand what the hell they are saying. Tried to pick up bits, or key Khmer words, and it sense of what was said, but nope. Yom chu kbal nas! Damn, do you even understand that? haha
I totally agree with you, Rei. I even know people who are half Chinese/Khmer. They always claim themselves Chinese but speak no shit of Chinese language. But when they got arrested, the family put on the news as f***ken Cambodian, not Chinese/Khmer but Cambodian.
THAT BCUZ THAT PERSON DID NOT GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN CHINESE LANG.
Huh? What? haha
I'm sure there are many of us who are self-conscience about our Khmer speaking ability and it's fine, but sometimes it depends on how we present ourselves in certain situations. It just bothers me to see a grandma going to a counter with a Khmer employee to get a useless response like, "go over there" with finger pointing to one of the rows. I've helped a few elders after seeing their confused looks coming out from the counter. Even have recommended them to be mean next time at the counter lol.
In this city you get hired in many professional places for speaking Khmer, and I'm sure many would list it in their resume. So why not offer the service you claimed in your job application? Don't get me wrong I've seen a fair amount of young Khmer kids that are very helpful as well.
I've learned my Khmer from my current job but Imma need Theary to help me learn how to read and write.
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I can read Khmer, some "bai lei" but it will be long to me to finish a few sentences. However, I wish i can write Khmer. It's hard cuz the way you pronoun and write are totally different. Maybe cuz I have khmer accent. My family live near Thai boarder and we have accent when speaking Khmer but now i'm improving hehehe
Most of it, I learn myself even bai lai too. Self study cuz I knew Khmer alphabet.
Most of it, I learn myself even bai lai too. Self study cuz I knew Khmer alphabet.