Celebrate Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year falls this year on February 7, 2008. This date varies each year, since it is the first day of the lunar calendar and is based on certain movements of the moon and sun. It usually occurs toward the end of January or the first part of February. Since in the Far East this is also the beginning of the Spring season, Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival.

If you would like to celebrate Chinese New Year this year as the Chinese do, here are some beliefs and traditions associated with the day.

For the Chinese, everything about the New Year is significant. What you wear, what you eat, and what you do, can all impact your entire year. It's important that everything should reflect prosperity and good fortune.

The celebration actually begins on New Year's Eve, which will be February 6 this year. On that day, you should clean your house thoroughly, getting rid of non-esesntial things associated with the old year. Be sure to sweep thoroughly, to get rid of the old year's bad luck. Then put away all brooms and brushes. There must be no sweeping on New Year's Day, or you may sweep away the New Year's good fortune.

Make sure all your debts are paid and resolve any quarrels you have with anyone.

Red is a very important color for Chinese New Year. It is customary to wear new red clothes, decorate with red, and give gifts of money in red envelopes, especially to young people and employees. It is especially fortuitous if the bills in the envelopes are new bills. You should give each person two envelopes, because happiness comes in twos, and not in ones.

At midnight, open all your doors and windows, no matter how cold it is, to let the old year go and good fortune in.

Decorate with oranges, tangerines,round candy, and flowers, especially plum or peach blossoms. Oranges and tangerines are symbols of health and long life, round candy represents harmony and togetherness, and flowers symbolize prosperity.

There are some things you shouldn't do on Chinese New Year: Don't sweep. Don't use knives or sharp objects (you might cut your luck.) Don't wash your hair. Don't lend or borrow money. And don't say the number "four," which is the same as the word for "death" in both Chinese and Japanese. I think probably this only applies to the Chinese or Japanese word for "four," but to be on the safe side, just avoid the word four on Chinese New Year.

Traditionally, the New Year's celebration involves huge, colorful representations of dragons carried by many people. You can buy dragon kites for flying and decorating.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year this way, and if nothing else, you will have your attitude and mind focused in the right direction.