5 Things You Didn’t Know About Chinese New Year

Most Chinese festivals stem from a belief in worshipping the gods to please them and avert misfortune. The festivals are usually based on seasons, ancient myths about ghosts and gods, or even a combination of all these factors. Chinese New Year is found to be one of the biggest celebrationsin the world. Though Chinese New Year wasn’t a national holiday in Indonesia for many years, in the beginning of 2002, it became a national holiday to cater millions of Chinese Indonesians.

It Is Also Called Spring Festival

It is normally called chunjie in China, also known as the Spring Festival. It occurs in the winter, but this holiday marks the end of cold each year. So, people welcome spring and whatever it brings along like harvests, planting, new beginning, and a fresh start. It is also called the Lunar New Year in China as well as North and South Korea and Vietnam. The Spring Festival is celebrated according to the lunar calendar.

If you haven’t celebrated the Spring Festival and wish to experience it with your own eyes, go and stay in a Villas in Bali and check the Chinese culture firsthand.

No Specific Date for New Year

The actual dates for the Spring festival lies between 1st January and 15th January. Not similar to Christmas or Thanksgiving, it can be difficult for you to calculate the Chinese New Year on the Gregorian calendar. Even though the Gregorian calendar is used in China, the lunar calendar holds great value. Many Chinese still determine their ages or birthdays based on the lunar calendar.

A Day for Holy Prayers

The much-awaited Spring Festival was initially a large ceremonial day to deeply pray to the Gods for fruitful harvest and great planting season. In an agricultural society, a good harvest means better luck and fortune. People also mention the names of their forefathers and late ancestors and sometimes value them as Gods. Another reason to perform holy prayers is to ward off evil spirits before entering the Chinese New Year.

Incredible Fireworks

Blowing firecrackers can prevent the bad spirits and bring glimmer of hope. The reason the people who are so eager to celebrate the Chinese New Year blows several fire crackers at night. The next morning firecrackers are blown once again to start the first day of the year. To honor the dead loved one, the family members burn several pieces of fake paper money and printed gold bars. This can enhance good fortune according to an old belief.

Longest Chinese Holiday

The Spring Festival extends to 15 days. However, the main celebrations begin on New Year Eve’s. The beautiful Laba Festival signals the start of the whole holiday season. According to long tradition, you have to spend adequate time with your family members or relatives. There is a four-day holiday and people usually stock up on extra food supplies because the supermarkets stay closed.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year at places like Hong Kong or Bali can be amazingly great and refreshing. To visit a city where the Chinese New Year is celebrated, book a beautiful 1 Bedroom villas in Bali or a dorm room for better rates.