Table of Contents
(China)
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, starts at the beginning of spring. It occurs somewhere between January 30 and February 20. Each Chinese year is represented by a repeated cycle of 12 animals, the rat, ox, tiger, hare or rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Chinese New Year is China's biggest holiday.
As part of the Chinese New Year celebration, people buy presents, decorations, special foods and new clothing. Railroad stations throughout China are filled with travelers who take their vacation days around New Year to return home for a family reunion.
Days before the New Year celebration, Chinese families are busy giving their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes the house ready for good luck to enter. All brooms and dust pans are put away on New Year's Eve so good luck cannot be swept away.
In many homes, doors and windowpanes get a new coat of red paint. The home is decorated with paper-cuts and poems called couplets of "happiness", "wealth", "longevity" and "satisfactory marriage with children".
The New Year's Eve supper is a feast with all the members of the family getting together. One popular food is "jiaozi" which are dumplings boiled in water. After dinner, the whole family stays up all night playing cards, board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the New Year's celebration. Lights in the house are kept on during the whole night. At midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks which symbolize the sending out of the old year and the welcoming in of the new year. People open all the windows and doors in the house in order to let the old year go out.
Very early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive their New Year present. They get lucky red envelopes, called lisee or laisee with money inside. The rest of the first day of the New Year is spent visiting relatives, friends and neighbors.
The Festival of the Lanterns begins fifteen days after New Year's Day. It is celebrated with lantern shows and folk dances. Children display their lanterns in a night time parade. This is when the Chinese people welcome the first full moon of the new year. A typical food is "Tang Yuan", dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings.
Chinese New Year customs vary from place to place in China because China is a big country geographically, demographically and ethnically. But the spirit underlying the diverse celebrations of the New Year is the same, a sincere wish of peace and happiness for family members and friends.
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Born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008. |
RAT: You are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the person you love. However, you have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic, or publicist. |
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Born in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009. |
BUFFALO: A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative methodical, and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your own way. The Buffalo would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser. |
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Born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010. |
TIGER: You are sensitive, emotional, and capable of great love. However, you have a tendency to get carried away and be stubborn about what you think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or rebel. Your sign shows you would be excellent as a boss, explorer, race car driver, or matador. |
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Born in 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011. |
RABBIT: You are the kind of person, that people like to be around affectionate, obliging, always pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to get too sentimental and seem superficial. Being cautious and conservative, you are successful in business but would also make a good lawyer, diplomat, or actor. |
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Born in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000. |
DRAGON: Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. You are intelligent, gifted, and a perfectionist but these qualities make you unduly demanding on others. You would be well-suited to be an artist, priest, or politician. |
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Born in 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001. |
SNAKE: Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking and your intuition guides you strongly. Avoid procrastination and your stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of humor about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist, and fortune teller. |
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Born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954,1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014. |
HORSE: Your capacity for hard work is amazing. Your are your own person-very independent. While intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfishness and sharp cunning and should guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or politician. |
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Born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015... |
GOAT: Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Goat can be charming company. Your are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put aside your pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber. |
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Born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016... |
MONKEY: You are a vary intelligent and a very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature and magnetic personality, you are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against being an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Your sign promises success in any field you try. |
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Born in 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017... |
ROOSTER: The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making often speaking his mind. Because of this, you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser, and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign you should be happy as a restaurant owner, publicist, soldier or world traveler. |
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Born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018... |
DOG: The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest, and faithful to those you love. You are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault finder, however. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher, or secret agent. |
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Born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019... |
PIG: You are a splendid companion, an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant, and honest but by expecting the same from others, you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possible a lawyer. |
| Dynasty | Time Period | Main Events or People |
| Slavery Society | ||
| Xia | c.2200 - c.1750 BC | First Government in China |
| Shang | c.1750 - c.1040 BC | First Written Chinese |
| Zhou | c.1100 - 221 BC | Birth of Confucianism and Daoism |
| Feudal Society | ||
| Qin | 221 - 206 BC | First Chinese Emperor Great Wall First Built |
| Han | 206 BC - 220 AD | Buddhism Introduced into China |
| Three Kingdom | 220 - 265 AD | |
| Sui | 589 - 618 AD | |
| Tang | 618 - 907 AD | |
| Song | 960 - 1279 AD | |
| Yuan | 1279 - 1368 AD | Genghis Khan |
| Ming | 1368 - 1644 AD | Large-scale Sailing to Asian and African Countries More Great Wall Built |
| Modern China | ||
| Qing | 1644 - 1911 AD | Opium Wars |
| Republic of China | 1911 - 1949 AD | Sino-Japanese War |
| People's Republic of China | 1949 AD - present | Korean War; Cultural Revolution |