Houston Institute for Culture  SPECIAL FEATURE

CHINESE NEW YEAR LEGENDS By Michelle Ong Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, which will be on February 9, introducing the year of the Rooster. The holiday emphasizes the importance of family and is a time for family reunions. Prior to the New Year is a period of housecleaning to bring in good luck. Legend recounts that a beast called Nian preyed upon one Chinese village and would eat the people. One day an immortal god disguised as an old man arrived in the village. He told Nian that such a formidable beast should swallow other beasts instead of unworthy villagers. Nian then started to eat the other beasts. The old man advised the villagers to hang red decorations on their windows and doors to guard against Nian in case he returned, since Nian feared the color red. The villagers would also light firecrackers to scare Nian away. Families celebrate various traditions such as praying to the Gods and to the family ancestors for good luck for the New Year. Some pray in Buddhist temples with incense sticks to various gods. Others pray to family shrines where they also place food as gifts to the ancestors. Families decorate their houses with Buddhas to bring luck and hang "spring couplets", paper scrolls that have written blessings such as "good fortune" and "longevity". Chinese people avoid washing their hair on New Year's Day, which denotes washing away all their good fortune for the New Year. Many also wear red clothing to signify good luck. Families feast during the New Year, eating such food as Chinese dumplings, "thousand year old" noodles and red-dyed hard-boiled eggs. Chinese dumplings allegedly aid those who eat them to accumulate fortune and wealth. The uncut noodles represent longevity. One very important tradition is for the married to give red envelopes filled with money, known as "hong bao" or "am pau" to the unmarried. Red symbolizes life, good luck and happiness. With this tradition, the married offer wishes of good luck and fortune to the unmarried. Lion and dragon dancing festivals highlight the New Year and occur in the various areas of Houston's Chinatowns. The lion and dragon will dance to the beat of drums and attempt to eat cabbage or money hanging in front of stores. The heads of the lions and dragons supposedly deflect evil.

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