The Chinese Festivals
The Chinese Festivals occur throughout the Lunar year. As our calendar year and the Lunar year is different, the festivals fall on different dates each year. Each festival is rich on tradition, excitement and participation. The fast pace of Hong Kong slows as the city celebrates in spectacular bright lights and decoration. Festivals are a very important part of Chinese tradition. The particular festivals discussed here are of special interest to the young and knowing a bit more about them will help you enjoy and to participate in these magic celebrations.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is the most important of all the festivals. It is a time of centuries old tradition. The date of the New Year falls somewhere between late January and late February, depending on the Lunar (moon) calendar. A few weeks before, homes are cleaned thoroughly in preparation for the holiday. Tangerine plants, flower displays, Chinese paintings and calligraphy are sold to eager buyers. Hong Kong is laden with brightly coloured decorations, stores are packed with shoppers. The Chinese New Year is a time of settling all debts and spreading good intentions to family and friends.
The eve of the New Year is a special time for family and friends. All preparations have been made, including prayer and homage to "Tso Kwan", who returns to heaven to report on the behaviour of the humans for the year. "Tso Kwan" means "Stove Master" and he is the kitchen god of China.
The actual New Year day is spent with close friends and relatives, worshipping ancestors and gods. New clothes and new shoes are worn to symbolize the New Year and red packet containing small amounts of money are exchanged. The second day of the New Year is spent with relatives welcoming the beginning of the year. Next is "Kai Nien" or "Squabble Day" on the third day of the festival. It is called this name because it is believed that if you argue on this day, you will have many arguments during the coming year. The fourth day of the New Year is a day of welcoming back the kitchen god from his tiring trip to heaven. A new picture is hung in the kitchen.
People honour the "God of Wealth", hoping he will bring great fortune to the family in the coming months. The seventh day of the New Year is "All Person's Day", a day devoted to the celebration of the birth of every person.
On the fifteenth day of the New Year, a spectacular three day festival of lanterns begins. Lanterns bearing the symbols of good fortune, happiness and health are purchased and hung in homes. At the end of the lantern festival, the New Year festivities are over and life in Hong Kong settles back to its normal pace. Throughout the New Year period, "Lion" dances are performed all over Hong Kong and Kowloon. The "Lion" is a huge, multi coloured paper-mache head with a long multi colored train. Two people are inside the head moving the giant puppet with precision and ease from the background drum beat. The lion will move through every emotion, from happiness and gaiety to the deepest sorrow. It takes years of practice to become a professional lion dancer as it requires coordination and skill to "dance the lion". You will hear exploding fire crackers throughout the charged and spectacular celebration.