Holiday script for older preschool children.
"Oriental New Year».
Purpose of the holiday: to acquaint preschoolers with the traditions of celebrating the Eastern New Year.
Holiday organizers:children, teachers, parents.
Stages of organization and scenario of the holiday:
Hall decoration
Rehearsals for performances
For the holiday you need:
1. Make-up of the Chinese.
2. The monster.
3. Firecrackers, red stripes with hieroglyphs, swords, lanterns, fans.
4. Music.
View script:
Music No. 1 Children with a teacher are included in the group.
Sofia M .: How boring! New Year Holidays all passed, the fun was over.
Sofia P.: We need to think of something.
Educator: And in China, New Year is celebrated on the first new moon of the first month, this year it falls on February 16.
Dasha G. : So we urgently need to go to China to celebrate the New Year again, but this time according to the Eastern calendar.
Educator: Of course, we will not be able to go to China, but to see how the New Year is celebrated in the East is quite. Sit down, girls, and watch carefully.
Music No. 2 Festive procession.
Music No. 3 Dance with lanterns.
Leading: The Chinese New Year is fundamentally different from the calendar we are accustomed to, if only by the fact that each year the time of its celebration falls on a different date. This is due to the fact that the Eastern New Year is not tied to the change of the date in the calendar, but directly depends on the movement of our companion, the Moon.The Chinese believe that the Eastern New Year is the first day of spring, as a result of which, as a matter of course, if you adhere to exactly the same idea, on this day nature awakens, a new life begins.
Vika: Our oriental new year
He walks in Japanese,
He speaks Chinese,
She will treat you in Korean!
All oriental peoples
Turns await nature
When the sun's circle passes
It will turn us to Spring!
Ulyana: And the last frosts
Do not spoil our predictions!
New Year is in a hurry to our house
Heard children's laughter and ringing!
Let the winter all around be angry
We know she is like a bird
Will not stay here for a long time
In the clear morning he will sweep away
Adeline: All living things know it
Life will turn for the summer!
And the larva underground
And a bear in that den!
The spring wind will come
The world will become warmer and brighter!
In the morning we are in a hurry to get up friends
The Hipparam wind is blowing!
Zhanara: New Year is awaiting in the East!
And in America distant!
Muscovites and Russians!
And of course in Kazakhstan!
New Year is our childhood holiday
There will be no place for war!
Both old and small are waiting for the holiday
He brings joy to us!
Arina: Our Eastern New Year
Holiday of Light and Good!
In the round dance of new years
We meet him the same!
Let the crises, the elements
Our holiday has not been canceled!
After all, New Year is everywhere
All the people are waiting with hope!
Music No. 4. Chinese New Year. (Background).
Leading: Chinese New Year is the most beloved and important holiday for the people of China. Traditionally, it is celebrated at home, in family circle... They begin to prepare for this holiday long in advance - they buy food for the festive table, home decorations, gifts for family and friends, new festive clothes.
Before the arrival of the Chinese New Year, they must do a lot of cleaning, sweeping out all the garbage from the apartment. This is done in order to get rid of all the bad luck that has accumulated over the whole year. Also, you need to pay off all debts, make peace with the one with whom you quarreled, finish the work you have begun.
Houses and streets are decorated with many paper lanterns. And also tablets on which are written hieroglyphs with wishes of happiness, success, health, prosperity.
And of course, like all peoples of the world, the Chinese have many traditions, signs and superstitions associated with this holiday ...
In our century, you will not surprise anyone with the tradition to light and blow up firecrackers when meeting the new year, thereby celebrating the arrival of a new period. This tradition came to us from China.
Music No. 5 A monster runs in and begins to scare everyone. Then he runs out the door.
Leading: Guys, I think I know who this is. According to an ancient legend, a terrible wild beast appeared in China under NG. His name was"Gonyan". He did not let the spring come, brought people a lot of troubles and misfortunes. Everyone was afraid of him and did not know how to get rid of him. But then, all the same, the Chinese figured out how to drive him away. There is one sure remedy that Gonyan fears the most. I reveal a secret: the monster is very afraid of noise, and most of all - crackers !!!
It seems to be coming back! Ready! 3-4!
Music No. 6 Sounds of fireworks, gong
(Children blow up firecrackers, the monster runs away screeching)
Leading: deliberately blowing up firecrackers and fireworks on the first New Year's day. Lead: Girl, bld equal, what is your name?
Girl: I am Yun - which means cloud
Leading: What is it in your hands?
Girl: It's a fan.
Leading: When we think of a fan, a light breeze, the scent of subtle perfumes, comes to mind. Images of beautiful ladies immediately appear. What is the history of this wonderful accessory.
In China, the fan appeared in the 8th century BC.
In Chinese fairy tales, the fan plays the role of a magic wand. The fan is an indispensable attribute of the tengu demon, a dog-bird hybrid that dwells on the tops of trees. With the help of a wave of a round fan, the tengu lengthened and shortened human noses.
In the Middle Ages, Japanese women from the high society believed that showing their face on display was indecent and even dangerous. An open face makes a person defenseless - both in front of a man and in front of evil spirits. It was considered indecent to have tanned skin. One of the hallmarks of a "real" beauty who had never worked in the field was her white skin. Thus, the fan had three main purposes: to shade from the sun, to direct the air flow towards itself and to hide the face.
And, of course, the fan has always been an instrument of ladies' coquetry.
The ladies of the court could communicate with the gentlemen with the help of ... only one fan.
In Russia, the fan appeared at the court of Peter the Great and became a favorite wardrobe item for noble ladies.
Music # 7. Dance with fans.
Leading: In Russia, all children on New Year's Eve are waiting for the winter wizard., The one who works miracles, who gives us gifts? Whom? Santa Claus!
Let's welcome him!
Music number 8. Russian Santa Claus enters.
Greetings from D. Moroz.
Leading: And today the village of Moroz came to us from Korea.
Music No. 9. Enter the Korean village of Moroz.
Greetings from D. Moroz.
Leading: Meet the village of Moroza from Kazakhstan.
Music number 10. Enter Kazakh village Moroz.
Greetings from D. Moroz.
Leading: Meet the village of Moroza from Mordovia.
Music No. 11. The Mordovsky village of Moroz enters.
Greetings from D. Moroz.
Leading: Santa Claus also comes to the Chinese children. But his name is Shan Dan-Laozhen or Sho-Hin. Sho-Khin moves around the country on a donkey and gives away tangerines, and in Chinese wishes everyone health and wealth: Gunchi fa soi!
Music No. 12. D. Frosts give away gifts.
Leading: Guys, there is one more tradition - you need to stand on a bag of beans and make a wish in your mind, which must certainly come true. Now, in turn, let's make our wishes.
Music No. 13.
Be sure to hold each other's hands! Wish each other health and wealth in Chinese. Let's all say "Gunchi fa soi!"
Music No. 14. Song__________________________________
We have long been accustomed to the fact that every year has its own element and animal mascot, according to the eastern horoscope. Every time we give our relatives and friends for the new year, animal souvenirs, which should protect us from trouble. The tradition of celebrating the Eastern New Year in Russia has developed recently, but every year this event becomes more widespread.
The traditions of celebrating the Eastern New Year goes back to a distant history and has a lot of traditions in different eastern countries. It has been celebrated for more than two millennia, so it is considered the most ancient holiday of the New Year, or, as it is sometimes called, the meeting of spring. In the East, it is believed that this is a long-awaited holiday after a whole year of work, study and worries. They celebrate it for a whole month and prepare in advance. On the first night of the new year, fireworks, colorful fireworks and firecrackers are fired everywhere to scare away evil spirits. This is followed by a big bright holiday with dragon dances, delicious dishes for family table and unrestrained general fun. To prevent evil spirits from getting close to a person, he must stay awake all night.
Here are several countries where the Eastern New Year is celebrated brightly and cheerfully.
China
China is a large country, traditions of celebration differ among residents of the Northern and Southern dynasties, but the beginning and end of the celebration of the Chinese New Year by date is the same for the entire population. Recently, it has become fashionable in China to decorate a festive interior with artificial trees, which are decorated with dried fruits or fresh fruits in sugar. The Chinese believe that candied fruits bring only good things into the house. If this is a melon, it means that the whole year a person will be healthy, if there are watermelon seeds, then he will be happy. If you decorate the trees with lotus flowers, then you should expect an addition to the family, and if you place coconuts on the artificial plant, then the family will spend a year without quarrels.
Singapore
But in Singapore, on Creta Iyer Square, a festive annual international festival"Dance of the Lion" to deafening sounds designed to scare away the forces of evil. Mandarins are an indispensable companion of the Eastern New Year. These fruits symbolize good luck, so they decorate the premises with tangerine trees, and also treat the owners with these "golden fruits" when they come to visit them. On the eve of the holiday, a festive bazaar and the “Tree of Desires” are opened, where tourists and local people can leave notes with wishes for the new year.
Thailand
The Eastern New Year in Thailand, of course, is celebrated differently than in China on a grand scale, but on the island of Phuket, about a third of the population are Thais of Chinese origin. That is why the onset of the Eastern New Year is celebrated here more widely than in Thailand itself. The Chinese came to Phuket as early as the 19th century to work in the tin mines of Thailand. There are usually three altars in the homes of Chinese Thai people: for the Buddha or patron monk, for the Chinese god or gods, and for the ancestors. It happens that there are several figures of Chinese gods in the house, some of them cannot be placed on the same altar, because they are at enmity with each other. They are given gifts at a certain time. Wealthy residents of Phuket Town can book special shows with golden dragons to delight their spirits. Many hotels in Phuket celebrate the Eastern New Year very widely. Tourists and guests will find a dance show in the afternoon and a gala dinner in the evening.
Korea
The Eastern New Year is called Seollal here. New Year's ceremonies begin with a sacrifice to the ancestors. Everyone, young and old, wear ceremonial national clothes and set a ritual table to honor the last 4 generations of the dead. Food and drink are arranged on it in a well-defined order, in accordance with the cardinal points. Then the Koreans begin the procedure of honoring the elders. The younger family members bow to their grandfathers, grandmothers, parents and other relatives. Sollel is a time of flying kites, playing the ut and folk dancing to fast, upbeat music. In the old days, there was a custom to arrange a competition for the speedy eating of sweets or gnawing nuts - it was believed that this prevents tooth decay and makes teeth stronger.
2016 Eastern year- the year of the fire monkey and it begins on February 8, 2016 and will last until January 27, 2017, then it will be replaced by a year Fire Rooster (28.01.2017 — 15.02.2018).
Most main holiday the year can be celebrated endlessly. Now also according to the lunar calendar. How to do it according to the rules? We study together with WomanJournal.ru.
Spring Festival
Lunar New Year is a holiday revered not only by Asian peoples, but also by people who respect Eastern culture, rituals and customs of this sophisticated nation. Many of us adore the culture of the East and dream of celebrating the New Year according to all the rules. How to do this and what should be observed, what dishes can be prepared from traditional beans or rice, and what should be avoided?
China
Spring Festival
Custom. Nowadays, probably, even the Chinese themselves do not know exactly when the custom of celebrating the New Year (in the Celestial Empire called the Spring Festival) appeared. Some ceremonies dedicated to this bright day, thank God, have sunk into oblivion. But many of them have survived and are being performed by all members of Chinese families. For example, there is a custom to put in the house a so-called money tree - a cypress branch inserted into a tub of fruit and rice. Copper coins are tied to the branch with red threads: in China, they believe that such a design can bring prosperity and good luck in the coming year.
What is customary to give. In China, families are treated with reverence, so pairing gifts are considered a sign of respect. For example, a couple of cups, a set of bedding for two, two sets of food or two candles will bring a lot more positive emotions than either one, but more expensive. After all, the main thing here is to observe traditions.
Home decoration. New Year's illustrations are hung on the walls, New Year's paired inscriptions are glued to the outer gates of houses. Sheets with wishes of happiness, health and well-being are pasted all over the house, and the windows of the houses shine with fantastic patterns that the owners cut out of paper.
Rice traditions
Dish. The festive table in the Middle Kingdom is fully prepared in advance. One of the popular and gourmet Chinese dishes is zongzi - rice dumplings.
Rice dumplings
Compound
½ cup rice
Rice traditions
Pepper, nutmeg
1 parsley
1 onion
4 carnations
1 small parsley
1 leek
1 carrot
1 turnip
2 eggs
3 rusks
¾ glasses of deep fat
Preparation
Boil 1½ cups rice, strain through a colander, pour over cold water, put in a saucepan, salt and pepper, add nutmeg, 1 parsley, 1 onion stuffed with 4 cloves.
2. Cover, cook until soft. Remove the parsley and onion.
3. Chop very finely 1 parsley, 1 leek, 1 small carrot, a little bit of turnips and pour the broth until soft, put on a sieve, mix with rice.
4.Add the raw egg.
5. Shape the dumplings with a spoon and place in a cool place.
6.Cool the dumplings until they solidify, five minutes before serving, roll them in an egg and grated bread and deep-fry them, then dry them and serve decorated with herbs or dipped in broth.
Things to avoid Knife on New Year's table is a bad omen. It is believed that he kind of cuts off the luck of the family. You should not give a watch, because this image, in the opinion of the inhabitants of the porcelain country, is associated with death.
Japanese holiday
Japan
Custom. The Japanese believe: if on the most important day lunar calendar stock up on a rake decorated with expensive stones, painted with various patterns and ornaments, then all year they can rake in happiness. In the first seconds of the coming holiday, it is customary to laugh, then luck will not recede and a smile will shine on your face for all twelve months.
Japanese holiday
What is customary to give. Oseibo - so called Gift Baskets, which traditionally need to be handed in the morning. The sets include cans, pieces of scented toilet soap and other useful things for the household. This tradition originated in the days of the ancient samurai, who exchanged gifts of similar content.
Home decoration. It is customary for the Japanese, like the Chinese, to decorate the front doors. Bamboo and pine branches, symbols of longevity and fidelity, are the main decorations. In front of the house, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun put a kadomatsu - a gate made of three bamboo sticks, to which pine branches are tied so that the deity will favor them all year round.
Dish. Mochi are traditional New Year's rice cakes, which no Japanese family can do without in the New Year.
Ingredients
Rice (the amount depends on the desired result)
Preparation
1. Rinse the rice.
2. Soak rice in water for 8-12 hours.
3. Drain the water. Place the rice in a colander for 15 minutes.
4. Place a towel on the bottom of the steam basket. Put mochi rice on top of one half of the towel, forming small "piles" from it with a depression in the middle. Cover the rice with the other half of the towel.
5. Close the lid and simmer for 30-50 minutes.
6. Place the mochi on the foil.
7. Without letting cool, beat off with a mallet. After wetting your hands with water, turn over to the other side. The main thing is not to pour water into the mochi by wetting your hands.
Things to avoid In no case are ordinary Japanese allowed to give flowers for the New Year: this is a gift only for imperial persons.
Ekaterina Medvedeva
Strange as it may seem, but it is the Traditional Chinese New Year that can be called the most Russian holiday. Judge for yourself, it lasts two weeks, and preparations for it are still two weeks. Does it remind you of anything? In imperial China new year holidays lasted a month. Everything government agencies and the offices were closed. Classes in schools were also interrupted for a month. The New Year in China has been a truly national holiday since ancient times - the most solemn, most joyful, noisy and longest. This is how it remains to this day.
Preparations for the New Year
Preparations for the New Year begin two weeks after the full moon of the last month of the year. Before the New Year, the custom ordered to pay off debts or to collect due from debtors. In the Middle Ages, creditors used all means in order to repay the loan, up to and including accommodation at the debtor's house.
All business of the outgoing year must be completed.
Seeing the God of Home
One of the main rituals of preparing for the New Year is seeing off the God of the hearth - Zao-wang. It is believed that Zao-wang is the messenger of the heavenly Patron of destinies and that Zao-wang reports to Heaven about everything good and bad that happens in the house in a year.
Zao-wang lives in a wall niche behind the hearth, and in modern houses above a slab. His portrait printed on paper is kept here. The title of the god is inscribed above the portrait: "Lord of Destinies from the Eastern Kitchen." And on the right and on the left there are wishes: "Having climbed to Heaven, talk about good deeds", "Having returned from the Palace, send good luck and happiness."
Oddly enough, Zao-wang was known among the people as illiterate, and therefore it was forbidden to burn the written paper in his presence, for he could mistakenly deliver it to the Heavenly Master.
The worship of the God of the hearth has traditionally been the prerogative of men. In Northern China, this rule was observed so strictly that in the absence of a man in the house for New Year's Eve, they invited a male relative who lived in the neighborhood.
A Chinese woman friend of mine who lives in Canada finds this practice offensive. My acquaintances in Russia find this tradition very nice and do not miss the opportunity to invite a work colleague or new acquaintance to their home to fulfill such an important mission.
On the day of seeing off God to the hearth, a few hours before his departure, candles and incense should be lit, sacrificial offerings should be made, mainly sweet dishes: sweets, candied fruits ...
Earlier, the obligatory accessory of the ceremony was the New Year's cake (niangao), the fact is that it symbolized the ingots of silver that were in circulation during the period of the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911).
From our point of view, chocolates in the form of coins or bills may well replace the New Year's cake.
In addition, Zao-wan is served wine and meat, and in the South of China - fish.
In the North of China, they do not forget about the horse of God: they put a saucer of water and finely chopped hay for it, put a red string next to it - a bridle for the Heavenly Horse.
So that Zao-wang, upon arrival in the Heavenly Halls, would say only good things about his charges, honey is poured on God's lips, it is believed that his lips will stick together, and he will not be able to tell about everything he has seen. Often, for the same purpose, wine was sprinkled on his portrait in order to get the divine patron drunk.
At a favorable hour for the farewell party, household members gather in the kitchen, near the hearth, bow to Zao-wang three times, the head of the family (the eldest man in the family) says the prayer: "Speak, more good and less bad." Then the altar of Zao-wang is solemnly carried out into the courtyard, making sure that God always faces the South, as befits a ruler. There, the image of God is burned under the deafening explosions of firecrackers. At the same time, peas and beans are thrown onto the roof of the kitchen, imitating the receding sound of a horse's hooves.
If you live in a city and do not want to attract undue attention to yourself, I can offer our version of "apartment" wires. After bowing and praying, the portrait of God is burned. The window is solemnly opened, fireworks are launched into the sky so that it illuminates the path to the Heavenly Palace for Zao-wan, the ashes are scattered through the air, beans and peas are thrown into the window, but so that they knock on the cornice of the windowsill. Usually, immediately after the burning of the image of Zao-wang, at the beginning of the ceremony, we light the sparklers, as it seems to us, this will help our Patron to find his way back in the new year.
After seeing Zao-wang off, they did a general cleaning of the house. For this purpose, only once a year, heavy furniture is moved and all the debris accumulated in the premises is swept out, they diligently wipe the walls and windows, wash the utensils, clean the hearth, etc. The meaning of such a traditional cleaning was in liberation from the harmful influences of the outgoing year.
I must admit that over the 13 years of the annual celebration of the New Year, it also happened that we did not always have time to see the God of the hearth on time, so as not to violate the solemnity of the ritual, we said goodbye to Zao-wan after the completion general cleaning(in the hope that he will report how we diligently prepared for the New Year, and maybe that Zao-wang will see the house cleaned at least once a year and he will have something to report to Heaven).
New Year Home Decorations
After Tzao-wang's farewell, after the completion of the general cleaning, the time comes holiday decoration Houses. For this purpose, New Year's inscriptions are made, wishing good luck and happiness in the New Year, usually on red paper, and in houses where mourning is observed - on blue or white.
Traditional New Year's inscriptions: "May happiness come, may wealth be born", "Among the four seasons of Heaven, spring is the head", "May five types of happiness be in the house: longevity, happiness, fertility, honor, wealth."
You can also write the inscriptions yourself and draw a family motto for the coming year. Benevolent inscriptions adorned the entrance to the house, rooms or any place they liked inside the house or in the yard. In addition to the inscriptions, various talismans were hung at the entrance to the house. The most popular New Year amulet was the image of the hieroglyph "happiness" (Fu). Sometimes a picture with the hieroglyph "happiness" was hung upside down. The fact is that in Chinese: "happiness turned upside down" - sounds like: "happiness has arrived." Ancient legend associates the custom of hanging the hieroglyph "happiness" on the doors or gates with the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Once, on New Year's Eve, he was walking through the streets of Nanjing and noticed pictures of a barefoot woman on some houses. The emperor saw in such pictures an insulting allusion to his wife, who had big feet like a simple peasant woman. Then he ordered to draw the hieroglyph "happiness" on the gates of those houses where the seditious pictures were not hung, and then to kill the inhabitants of those houses on which there was no identification mark. The subjects of the vengeful ruler firmly remembered his cruel lesson, since then the sign "happiness" has become the most popular New Year symbol in China. It was also customary to hang decorative money at the entrance to the house, guided by the idea that things of the same kind were drawn to each other, most often they were pieces of yellow or red paper with a floral pattern, “lucky” hieroglyphs or the names of deities.
We tried this custom, but it did not bring us money, perhaps the fact is that decorative money does not evoke the necessary subconscious associations in the Western mentality. We made a photocopy of real money, pasted over the entire hallway with it, but the effect was the opposite. Apparently, only real money can attract money in the minds of a Russian person. Since the celebration of the New Year does not provide for the presence of random people in the house, the custom is quite safe.
In northern China, there is a tradition of decorating a house with pine branches, and in the south - with cypress branches. These trees in China are symbols of immortality and spiritual nobility. Small twigs were sometimes pinned to clothing or adorned with hair.
Candles, oil lanterns, incense and fresh flowers are also integral attributes of home decoration, however, as well as pictures of Deities.
An important detail of home decoration was a picture or statue of the God Zhong Kuya. It protects against evil spirits and demons.
Another important amulet is charcoal. A block of charcoal wrapped in red paper is hung over the front door. Coal General serves as a protection against wickedness and at the same time attracts wealth. Some of our friends hung "General - Coal" over the entrance to the apartment. The groom of their daughter constantly, when he came to their house, touched this amulet with his head, and each time he asked the bride to remove the coal. Either it was in the amulet, or in young man, but it didn’t come to the wedding ...
New Year Treats
Food was prepared for future use, and a lot of food was prepared. The fact is that in the first days of the new year it is forbidden to use knives and other sharp objects so as not to “cut off” the happiness of the next year.
The festive meal had a special meaning, each dish mattered.
Dumplings - a wish for happy offspring and material prosperity.
Noodles - a symbol of long life.
Various flour products round shape - a symbol of wealth.
Fish dishes - a symbol of wealth.
Eggs - a symbol of good luck.
Beans - a talisman against evil spirits.
Oranges, tangerines, persimmons (red, orange fruits) - a symbol of happiness.
Rice - a symbol of wealth and prosperity. (Rice has always been an obligatory part of the offerings to the Gods.)
In medieval China, there was a custom for the New Year to drink special drinks that could lengthen life and protect from misfortunes. For example, wine infused with pepper; plum flowers; medicinal herbs; cypress needles, etc.
Now, fortunately, there is a huge selection of Chinese and Japanese wines, especially on New Year's Eve. We make our own wine, which has already become a part of our tradition.
Food at the festive table is handed out to the guests, saying: "A thousand blows, ten thousand swear words for one treat", i.e. it is believed that New Year's food removes the sins of the past year.
New Years Eve
This is the day of summing up the results of the outgoing year. At the end of the day, a memorandum to Heaven is drawn up. Tradition tells us to start with the words of gratitude to the Gods for all the good things that happened in the year. And only after that you can ask for help in the affairs of the coming year. The memo is enclosed in an envelope on which the address is written: "To the Elders of Heaven and Earth." It should be sent to Heaven, burned immediately after the onset of the new moon.
Another important tradition is the construction of the “Altar of the Ancestors”. It is erected in advance in the room where the holiday will take place. On a special table, portraits and photographs of deceased ancestors or sheets of blue (white) paper with their names are displayed. Candles and incense sticks are lit.
All food before being put on festive table, "Offered" to the ancestors.
Guests gather on New Year's Eve. With the arrival of the last guest, all doors and vents are opened, and the rite of exorcism is performed
(we borrowed this ritual from the Tibetan tradition). All the guests screaming, ringing bells, making terrible sounds musical instruments(sometimes, pot lids are also used) go around every room of the house. The evil spirits get scared and runs away through open doors and windows. Immediately, all doors and windows are closed, the front door or gates are sealed with strips of red paper cross-to-cross, so as not to release the happiness of the New Year and to protect the house from evil spirits. If you are celebrating the New Year outside the city, then you should go around the entire site and look into all the utility rooms. Now, you can no longer open the door to anyone before the due date. Whoever asked you to open the door, know that this evil spirit has turned into a person you know.
Once we did not believe the words of the ancients, and the door was unsealed ahead of time. We thought we were letting in a late guest, but in reality, it was a demon who turned around. Our friend, right from the doorway, drank a bottle of festive wine in one gulp before our eyes, said to each of those present “ kind word”And left. Since then, we have strictly adhered to traditions.
New Year's Eve rituals
In China, New Year is a strictly family holiday. In medieval China, meet him in noisy company, in a restaurant, was an unthinkable thing. Nowadays, there are no such strict restrictions, but still, it is a home holiday for a narrow circle of friends or family members.
On New Year's Eve, a number of important rituals are required.
First, this is the meeting of the God of the hearth - Zao-wang. In some provinces of China, they tried to do this long before the offensive. New Year's Eve, because, there was a belief that if you delay, then all the best Gods - handsome men will be dismantled. But in most provinces of China, Zao-wang is greeted after midnight. The head of the family or the owner of the house sticks a portrait of God over the hearth, with the words: "Returning from the Palace, send good luck and happiness."
In our experience, taking into account time zones, the best Gods go to the Japanese and Chinese, and the laziest to the Americans.
Secondly, it was supposed to meet the Big Gods, who descended to earth on New Year's Eve. It is believed that on New Year's Eve the Gods descend to earth, so for their meeting it is necessary to build a special altar on the street, for residents of city apartments - on the balcony.
In a simplified version, this is a table covered with a red cloth, a sheet of paper is placed on it with the inscription: "Sincerely welcome to all the holy sages of Heaven", festive treats are set, candles and incense sticks are lit. A long pole is attached to the table, preferably made of bamboo, so that it is convenient for the Gods to descend. Usually the sacrificial table is prepared in advance and taken out on the street on New Year's Eve.
Three bows should be made, then the New Year's smoking shelf is lit (this is a long stick wrapped in red paper, symbolizing long life). This is done two more times. At this moment, you can turn to the Big Gods with prayer. (The sacrificial table is left for three days and three nights, every day, changing offerings on it).
Thirdly, one should worship the spirits of the ancestors. They prostrate (bow) three times in front of the altar, three sticks are kindled in the smoking room.
And three times they say the words: "We wish you bliss and happiness in Paradise."
Only after that they sit down at the table.
At the table, everyone should monitor their speech, it is forbidden to scold and pronounce words with an unpleasant meaning, remember death and demons. If someone breaks this rule, then they wipe his mouth with red cloth or sacrificial money. So that no one will forget about the prohibitions, a sheet of red paper is hung out with the inscription: red mouth. To heighten calmness, sometimes they hang out the inscription: "The words of women and children are not counted."
I don’t know about the Chinese, but celebrating even the Eastern New Year here, in Russia, doesn’t do with two or three glasses. To protect yourself and your guests, our plates, napkins and even glasses are red.
The final rite of New Year's Eve is the first walk of the year. The head of the family or the owner of the house leads the procession of guests, attaching a sheet next to the door with the inscription: “If you go out for a walk - great luck. We will add wealth ”, go out of the“ gate ”and go in the South direction. After going three dozen steps, three cups of wine are poured onto the ground. After that they return to the house. It is believed that this is how the God of Joy is honored.
New Year's Divination
One of the ancient New Year's fortune-telling is fortune-telling by the hearth. They put a jug of water on the hearth and threw a stick at it, when the stick stopped rotating in the water, the fortuneteller went out into the street and walked in the direction she indicated, listening to the words of passers-by. Kind words were an omen of happiness, unkind ones promised failure. This fortune-telling was usually carried out before the onset of the New Year.
If you celebrate the New Year in a city apartment, then it is very important, for the same purpose, to listen to what is happening outside the windows, but after the New Year has begun. (The spirit of fortune-telling is preserved here, but we have remade it in a modern way).
On the eve of 2006, turning on the TV, I heard an interview with the head of GAZPROM (Russia). He commented on the current situation with gas supplies to Ukraine and told an anecdote:
“The traffic cop is transferred to Rublyovka and given instructions:
“Do not stop any cars, except for a red Mercedes with dark windows. You come up and they'll give you $ 100. " And so it happened.
A Mercedes stopped, the glass went down, they gave $ 100. And suddenly, for two weeks there was no Mercedes. Two weeks later, seeing the Mercedes, the traffic cop almost threw himself under the wheels. The car stopped and he was again handed $ 100. Then the traffic cop broke down and asked.
Traffic cop: - Where have you been for two weeks?
"Mercedes": - We had a rest in Hawaii.
Traffic cop: - This is what happens at my expense?
The anecdote ended up in my hand. Sadly, during the whole year, one way or another, I played the role of "GAZPROM", from which gas is stolen, and he still has to pay for it.
On the first day of the New Year, they usually read the Book of Changes, on the stems of the yarrow: "What will be the year?" On this day, any fortune-telling is appropriate: Runes; tarot cards; Twins…
Sometimes events can be predicted by one of the guests, if the oracle speaks through his mouth. Or as we call it: "a prophet has taken possession of him." Based on our experience, “prophets” were people who were either invited for the first time to celebrate the New Year or those who, for whatever reason, did not celebrate this holiday with us for several years in a row.
In 2004, a “prophet” moved into one of the guests and through his mouth he told the following story: “Former classmates met, they had been friends since the first grade. Four of them became "people", and some even became oligarchs. Only one of them was poor, but very talented. Friends wanted to help a friend, they chipped in money for his apartment ($ 100,000). They gave him a car with a chauffeur and sent him home. As always, there were traffic jams on the roads, and having almost reached the house, he decided to walk to the entrance. On the way home, he stopped at a tent for a beer. He drank, had a snack and only at home found that he had left a bag of money where he drank beer. "
That year, I really almost missed a unique opportunity that life gave me. But remembering this story in time, mobilizing all my strength, at the last moment I caught the elusive luck "by the tail".
And in conclusion
Most of traditional customs and the rituals of New Year's and New Year's festivities goes back to the most ancient magical actions designed to ensure the welfare and wealth, health and well-being of the family.
New Year in China opens up a new page of life for everyone, instills hope for new happiness in everyone.
The most important thing is the spirit of the holiday, follow the traditions, create your own, it only depends on you what it will be like.
Happy New Year!
P.S. The traditional Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first new moon after the sun enters the Aquarius constellation. To make it easier for you to determine the date, we have compiled a table twenty years ahead.
I cannot but express my admiration and gratitude to the talented team of authors who have created a unique monograph: “Calendar customs and ceremonies of the peoples of East Asia. New Year". Your scientific work is a source of knowledge and inspiration.
Literary sources:
- "Religions of the World". John Bowker. Dorling Kindersley Limited London 1997 pp. 94 - 95
- “Calendar customs and ceremonies of the peoples of East Asia. New Year." Moscow. 1985 pp. 11 - 58
- "Chinese Classical Book of Changes". Yu.K. Shchutsky. Moscow. 1960
- "Symbols of TAROT". P.D. Uspensky. Moscow. 1993
- "A Practical Guide to Runes." Lisa Peschel. Moscow. 1997
- "Twins. Perm Oracle for Divination and Attraction of Personal Luck. " S. Teterin. "Sofia". 2000
- "The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century 2001 - 2050 at Midnight".
| Year | Day Month |
Time New moon |
Zodiac sign | Element | Planet | Color | Yang or Yin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | February 17 | 19: 15 | Pig | Fire | Mars | Red | Yin |
| 2008 | 7 february | 06: 46 | Mouse | Land | Saturn | Yellow | Yang |
| 2009 | January 26 | 10: 56 | Bull | Land | Saturn | Yellow | Yin |
| 2010 | The 14th of February | 05: 52 | Tiger | Metal | Venus | White | Yang |
| 2011 | February 3rd | 05: 52 | Hare | Metal | Venus | White | Yin |
| 2012 | January 23 | 10: 40 | The Dragon | Water | Mercury | Black | Yang |
| 2013 | 10 february | 10: 21 | Snake | Water | Mercury | Black | Yin |
| 2014 | 1st of February | 00: 40 | Horse | Tree | Jupiter | Green (blue) |
Yang |
| 2015 | 19 february | 02: 48 | Sheep | Tree | Jupiter | Green (blue) |
Yin |
| 2016 | 8 february | 17: 40 | Monkey | Fire | Mars | Red | Yang |
| 2017 | 28 January | 03: 08 | Rooster | Fire | Mars | Red | Yin |
| 2018 | 16 february | 00: 06 | Dog | Land | Saturn | Yellow | Yang |
| 2019 | February 5th | 00: 05 | Pig | Land | Saturn | Yellow | Yin |
| 2020 | The 25th of January | 00:43 | Mouse | Metal | Venus | White | Yang |
| 2021 | 11 February | 22: 07 | Bull | Metal | Venus | White | Yin |
| 2022 | 1st of February | 08: 47 | Tiger | Water | Mercury | Black | Yang |
| 2023 | January 21 | 23: 54 | Hare | Water | Mercury | Black | Yin |
| 2024 | 10 february | 02:00 | The Dragon | Tree | Jupiter | Green (blue) |
Yang |
| 2025 | January 29 | 15: 37 | Snake | Tree | Jupiter | Green (blue) |
Yin |
| 2026 | February 17 | 15: 02 | Horse | Fire | Mars | Red | Yang |
| 2027 | February 6 | 18: 57 | Sheep | Fire | Mars | Red | Yin |