Gong Xi Fat Cai: Chinese New Year Celebration

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Chinese New Year Photo Gallery 1

Chinese New Year Photo Gallery 2

Text & Photos by Fadil Aziz, images are copyright protected.

As we know, the Chinese has their own calendar, starting at about 2500 years ago (legend has it that the Emperor Huangdi invented the calendar in 2637 B.C.E but it is also possible that it began during the Xia Dynasty).  Although the Chinese around the world, including in China now use the Gregorian Calendar, the Chinese Calendar or Yin Calendar is still used, usually for determining festivals, Chinese Astrology and the Chinese New Year.

Like in other cultures, a new year is a special event for the ethnic Chinese; in fact, it is the most important traditional Chinese holiday (in Malaysia and Singapore for example, it is a two days holiday, while in Indonesia the holiday is in the first day. In the China’s mainland it’s a seven days holiday!). Visits to kin, relatives and friends and family gathering and eating are the norm. But pay a visit to the temple is also necessary, especially for those who still practice their traditional religion. People pray for prosperity, healthy, long-life and other commonly good things for the coming year.

According to the myth, a man-eating beast from the mountains, which came out every 12 months, could silently infiltrate houses to prey on humans. The people later believed that the Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the color red.

As this ethnic and communities are about a quarter of the earth’s population and spread around the world, the celebration also takes place everywhere especially where the community is sizeable. Visit our photo gallery to take a glimpse of the temple celebration and activity during the Chinese New Year in Indonesia. Gong Xi Fat Cai!

Chinese New Year Photo Gallery 1

Chinese New Year Photo Gallery 2

Chap Goh Mei celebration is coming, the fifteenth day of the traditional New Year’s festivity. So please check and come back again.

We have to forewarn that the images appear in the photo gallery (as well as in other photo galleries) can not be downloaded and used legally without prior permission from the copyright owner and would require payment of specific license fee.

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