Chinese New Year
Orange trees and plum blossoms. Strings of firecrackers and clusters of gold coins. Dinners with family and offerings to ancestors. No event in the Chinese calendar holds greater importance, nor is as richly celebrated, as the Lunar New Year. This complete introduction explores the many symbols and rituals of the holiday, tracing their history and meanings, and describing the differences in celebration from Hong Kong to Taiwan, Singapore to mainland China. Beginning with notable days in the month preceding the holiday and extending to the Lantern Festival fifteen days into the new year, the author guides the reader through the etiquette of gift-giving, the selection of special foods, holiday greetings, and popular decorations
viii, 71 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 21 cm
9780195877304, 0195877306
35178544
The Chinese calendar
Prelude: the Bitter Moon and Little New Year
New Year's Eve preparations and observances
The New Year: attracting good luck
The Lantern Festival
The diversity of Chinese New Year traditions