CHINESE NEW YEAR beginning on 09 Feb 2005

celebrated on the first day of the full moon of the lunar calendar
this varies between Jan 21st and Feb 19th
this year it's Tuesday the 9th Feb
(next year it's 29th Jan 2006)

year of the rooster. say goodbye to the intelligent monkey and welcome in the hard working rooster

3 ways to name this chinese new year:
1 - year of the rooster (every 12 years)
2 - year of Yiyo (every 60 years)
3 - year 4702 (by the chinese calendar)

traditional new year greetings:
kung hei fat choi - happiness and prosperity
guonian - to have made it through the old year
bainian - to congratulate the new year

celebrations
a day is set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the "sweeping of the grounds"
every corner of the house must be cleaned in preparation for the new year
SpringCouplets, (short poems) written in black ink on scrolls of red paper, are put on the walls or gate-ways
symbolic flowers and fruits and colorful new year pictures, nianhua are used to decorate the house

after the house was cleaned it was time to bid farewell to the Kitchen God, or Zaowang

the Kitchen God is the guardian of the family hearth, inventor of fire, necessary for cooking and also the censor of household morals
by tradition the Kitchen God left the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behavior of the family
so no cooking on new years day (the kitchen is not to be disturbed)
children are given Red Lai-See Envelopes , good luck money wrapped in little red envelopes

The entire first week is a time for socializing and amusement

the 7th day of the new year is called "everybody’s birthday" as everyone is considered one year older as of that date
individual birthdays are not considered as important
everyone adds a year to his age at new year’s time rather than at his birthday