Something about China (IV): the lunar calendar finished
Written: Nov 06 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good reason to take a day off
Cons: aren't we having enough holidays already?
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| augustwind's Full Review: China |
Review Topic: Events & Festivals
This is a long overdue finish of my introduction to the Chinese lunar calendar. I apologize if you have been waiting for this one for too long.
In the first two parts of my introduction to the Chinese lunar calendar, I explained in general how the lunar calendar is different from the solar calendar, and I gave details on most of the traditional lunar calendar holidays except the last two. If you know nothing about Chinese lunar calendar, please read my other two reviews for details.
"Chong Yang"
This holiday is only twenty-something days away from the Middle Autumn Festival. In lunar calendar, it is on the ninth day of the ninth month. It is usually in October in solar calendar.
The name of this holiday, “Chong Yang” means “double sun”, with “Chong” means “double”, and “Yang” means “sun”. Another explanation says “Chong” reflecting the fact that this holiday has two nines in the date.
This holiday is usually in the middle of autumn season, when weather in most part of the China is dry and pleasant. And the leaves are already starting to change colors in some regions. So the main activity of this holiday, as the name implies, is to go out door and enjoy probably the last bit of warm sunshine of the year and the splendid fall view of the mountains.
Interestingly, this holiday again has family reunion theme. Traditionally, the whole family would go out and hike to some place high, for the better and further view and fresher air, and celebrate the end of a golden harvest season.
This holiday seems to be more important in the past than now, as there were many ancient literatures and poems describing the activity in this holiday, but now people seem to no longer consider it an important holiday any more. There is no official celebration of the holiday, and depends on where you are in China and whom you are talking to, people may know very little about this holiday any more, especially in the younger generation.
"Chu Xi"
This is the New Year’s eve in lunar calendar, the day before the Spring Festival. Traditionally, it marks the beginning of a long celebration period lasting until the “Yuan Xiao” Festival, the fifth of the first month in lunar calendar.
Celebrations that are unique to this day include:
A traditional dinner of the whole family at which a whole fish dish is a must is generally prepared for days before and starts fairly early in the afternoon and lasts well into the night. In Chinese, “fish” sounds similar to “extra”, and having the whole fish on the dinner menu symbolized there is plenty things left for the next year. Interestingly, you are not supposed to eat all of the fish, some must be left over in the dish for the same good wish of “extra” things left from the previous year to the next year.
After dinner, the whole family gathers together to wait for the coming of midnight while doing various activities. In old time, there were series pray events going on in front of the “Pai Wei” (wooden symbols representing the souls of all ancestors in the family, usually presented on a table in a special decorated room inside the house with foods and flowers and fragrance sticks lightening all the time). Nowadays, families usually watch special TV programming and chat while waiting for the coming of a new year.
Several minutes before midnight, a big fireworks display is usually started by the city or county and lasted until the first half an hour of the new year. Each family also holds their own fireworks display depending on their budget. Between the last half an hour of the old year and the first half-hour of the new year, the whole city or county could be very noisy due to the heavy fireworks, and the noise is definitely the loudest around the minutes at midnight.
Now that I have completely my introduction of the lunar calendar and its major holidays in China, I have to tell you that my most favorite lunar calendar holiday is “Middle Autumn Festival”. If you have not read my third part of the four-part introduction, you might wonder why. Well, I have said enough in a whole review that focus only on Middle Autumn Festival so I will not repeat it here.
Hope my introduction will at least give you a clear idea of what lunar calendar is. Chinese lunar calendar holidays are getting more popular now in the US as the number of Chinese immigrant increases. Next time when you celebrate one of these lunar calendar holidays, hope you enjoy more because of my review.
Recommended:
Yes
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augustwind
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Reviews written: 87
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