Today starts China's Lunar New Year. The year of the Dragon is here - the water dragon, to be exact - a fierce, mystical and wonderful creature.
The Chinese use a lunisolar calendar, depending on the sun and moon cycles to determine years. Spanning back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century, the calendar has been a mainstay in Chinese culture for centuries. Because the dragon is a special zodiac, many expect this year's Chinese New Year celebrations around the world to be among the most illustrious in history.
The Chinese New Year was originally a celebration of Heaven and the Earth, and later evolved into a celebration and remembrance of ancestors and their sacrifices. The celebration of Chinese New Year’s begins on the first new moon of the month and ends 15 days later with a Lantern Festival. To start off the New Year, there is a feast called weilu, meaning ‘surrounding the stove.’ Both the ancestors and the living celebrate this together, as a community. The family ancestors are important because they determined the fortune of the family, thus they are remembered and worshipped. Traditional food made for the Chinese New Year’s Feast includes fish, chicken, and noodles. All may not be cut and instead are served whole to represent completeness and long life.
Every traditional household will have a blooming plant to symbolize rebirth for the New Year. It is very important for a person to have some type of flower as it is believed that without one, there is no fruit. Thus, it is very crucial to have flowers and plants for the New Year. Another common tradition is the giving of tangerines and oranges when visiting others during the celebration of Chinese New Year. Both fruits represent happiness for the following year. There is also a candy tray referred to as ‘The Tray of Togetherness’ in which specials candy that represent anything from happiness to good health. Wearing red is suggested to bring luck and happiness to the New Year.
We at Health On Point want to wish our patients - new and old - 恭禧發財 Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Happy Chinese New Year!). Please stop by the clinic - whether you have an appointment or not - between now and Lantern Festival to pick up your New Year's gift for happiness in the Year of the Dragon. Effective immediately, we are extending patient hours and appointments openings to Monday through Saturday. Call or email to schedule your next acupuncture, herbal, or wellness visit.
