Chinese New Year

The Chinese Calender has been in continuous use for centuries. It measures time, from minutes & hours to months, years & centuries entirely based on the astronomical observations of the Sun, Moon & the Stars. A New Year begins on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice. Due to its scientific & mathematical nature, we can easily calculate backward or forward for thousands of years.

The logo on the right is the Chinese word for "Spring". The Chinese calls the New Year's celebration as the "Spring Festival". This is a reproduction by the Master Calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322).

Today, 7th of February is the first day of the Chinese New Year. It is the 4706 Chinese Year. This is the Year of the Rat which is also known by its former name of Wu Zi. Every year has a different zodiac sign and 2008 happens to fall under the Chinese Zodiac Rat. Rats mark the commencement of the 12 Chinese Zodiac. There is an interesting story behind it.

Tradition says that Lord Buddha had called for all the animals to come before him before he departed from the earth. When the cat got to know about the news he told the rat about it and the two animals decided to go together the next day. However the rat did not wake up the cat the next day and the cat missed being on time for the gathering and so this is the reason why there is no year of the cat and why cats hate rats!

The rat made it first to the gathering and received the first year though he used a lot of trickery to reach first. The Year of the Rat is followed by the Year of the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon. Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. In this way, each year is linked to an animal and the people born in that year are believed to share the traits of that animal.

The Year of the Rat is associated with enterprising and aggressive qualities. Hope this year of the Rats, 2008 becomes the harbinger of health, wealth and good fortune for all of us.

In Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Long ago people in China lit bamboo stalks believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.

The Chinese New Year celebrations ends with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the month. People hang glowing lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade. The highlight of the festival is the Dragon Dance.