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Paying New Year visit
To pay a New Year visit is an important event during the Spring Festival. In olden times, high-ranking officials would go to the court to wish the emperor a Happy New Year. The entire clan would hold a ceremony. However, the most frequent visits were those between relatives and friends. This activity would continue for several days.
In the morning, people put on their new clothes and shoes. Men, with their wives, call on relatives and friends to wish them a "Happy and Prosperous New Year " . The caller is served tea, with sweets, melon seeds, both red and black; and fruits and delicacies such as puffed rice cakes, dump-lings and deep-fried round doughnuts. In addition, liquor and tobacco are offered. Before leaving, the well-wisher present gifts of money wrapped in red paper to all the unmarried children of the family.
Setting off firecrackers
Firecrackers are traditionally set off to frighten away ghosts so that the new year would be free of them. Legend says that long ago there was a monster who terrorized people and animals at the end of the year. It was discovered that this animal was frightened of loud noise, bright lights, and the color red. At midnight, on the last day of the old year, these things are used to chase away the monster of the whole year.
Firecrackers are set off as soon as the new year arrives. You can hear or see firecrackers everywhere, and this usually lasts for a few hours. Some people will continue to play firecrackers occasionally through out the first half of the first month. Traditionally fireworks are the sign of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.
Giving out red packets
On New Years day, the seniors will hand out red packets decorated with gold symbols to children, in which "yasuiqian" or "lucky money" is filled. It is believed that the red packet will ensure the children to pass the whole year safely, because in Chinese the character "sui" is homophone to "evil". The "yasuiqian" given to children will expel the evil spirits from the children.
Lion dance
The most spectacular event of the Chinese New Year festivities must surely be the Lion Dance. Lion dances take place throughout the first few days of the Chinese New Year, and bring good luck to the households or businesses that they visit.
The Lion Dance itself is performed by two 'dancers' one at the head and one at the tail of the lion. Careful observation of the Lion Dance will show that it is in fact a very careful demonstration of stylised movements performed by skilled performers (generally from a martial arts school or acrobatic company). To enhance the 'life' of the lion, the eyelids, mouth and ears of the Lion's head all move.
The dance is accompanied by loud music played on large drum, gong and cymbals. The use of firecrackers, drums, gongs and cymbals are related to the role of the lion in dispelling evil and bringing good luck - evil being afraid of loud noise.
The dramatic climax of the Lion Dance is the Choi Cheng or 'Picking the Green'. The green here refers to vegetable leaves that are tied to a piece of string which also has a red packet attached containing money. The string is hung above the door of the house or business, and the lion 'eats' both leaves and red packet. Lying on the floor the leaves are 'chewed' by the dragon while the musicians play a dramatic rolling crescendo. The lull is broken as the lion explodes back into activity while spitting out the leaves. This is a symbolic act of blessing by the lion, with the spitting out of the leaves signifying that there will be an abundance of everything in the coming year.
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