Ron Jacobsen here…
Happy Chinese New Year! This year 2020 is the Year of the Rat!
I want to wish you a Happy Chinese New Year!
过年好 (Guònián hǎo) “Pass the New Year well”!
I am so excited to share with you some very personal reflections on Chinese New Year. I have talked with my dear friends from Liaoning coastal province in Northeast China who now live in America. They gave me permission to share with you some of their personal Chinese New Years experiences, quoted below.
11 things you didn’t know about Chinese New Year
1.4 billion people are celebrating right now!
If you are reading this at the time of this post, Chinese New Year’s Eve has passed and it is now the Chinese New Year’s Day, January 25, 2020.
Right now, the world’s largest human migration is occurring as hundreds of millions of people are traveling to celebrate the New Year with their family.
4 Chinese New Year Greetings You Can Use Right Now
Formal greeting for strangers: 新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè) “New Year Happiness”
A shorter version for friends and family: 新年好 (Xīnnián hǎo) Literally “New Year Good”
Also a New Years greeting 过年好 (Guònián hǎo) “Pass the New Year well”
Happy New Year! (Yep. But you knew that already!)
Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China!
Yes. Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. We have holidays around the whole year as Americans. I can say, all Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year in China.
Friends from Liaoning
Chinese New Year’s Eve Celebration is with family at home!
When I was in China, I spend Chinese New Year Eve with mom. We watch TV (there is a TV show once a year on Chinese New Years Eve). We have a big meal around 5-6pm. We eat a whole meal including meat, fish, vegetables. After the meal, we watch TV until 11:30 ish. We eat dumpling and counted down. When I was younger, people started to do fireworks starting 11 until maybe 1 or 2 am.
Each Chinese Year is an animal…
It’s called a Zodiac… Twelve Chinese Zodiacs…
The animal year is important to me!
We do not work for 20 days…
During Chinese New Year, most people do not work for at least 10 days before and 10 days after the New Year.
Scare the Monster!
People celebrate Chinese New Year because people want to scare a monster!
The food we eat is Regional
Each part of the Chinese eat different food on New Year Meal.
Chinese New Year gift exchange
The older people have to give younger people the Red Envelope [with money].
Kids are the happiest because they get Red Envelopes!
I received my last Red Envelope from mom last year. My baby will now take my turn!
Do Chinese grow one year older on the “Spring Festival”?
Not get one year older. Otherwise people have no birthday anymore. LOL!
What is the Chinese New Year greeting?
Happy Chinese New Year!
过年好 ( Guònián hǎo)