Segment 30 – Happy Chinese New Year! - Are you part Chinese?

The Chinese Lunar Festival, aka Chinese New Year, starts today! Festivities all over the world are ringing in the lunar New Year; the Year of the Horse will be celebrated not only by the Chinese but also by many other Asian and non-Asian cultures.  While much fanfare is within mainland China, no doubt that some of the biggest celebrations are also held outside of China.  Of course in other large Asian cities such as Bangkok, where there is a strong Chinese heritage, but also in Western cities (such as London and Paris), where global businesses are actively wooing Chinese business and visitors...

It is reported that in 2012, Chinese travellers spent over $102 billion overseas - clearly the world's biggest spenders ahead of German and American tourists, with an estimated 97 million Chinese tourists visiting foreign destinations last year.  Across the globe you will find spectacular celebrations in Hong Kong, London, Paris, Dubai and Las Vegas, to name a few places.

People tend to look at me and assume that I am of Chinese heritage.  They probably have good reason to guess that, especially since about 15% of the Thai people are believed to have Chinese ancestry.  Many Thais descended from Chinese settlers who arrived from the early nineteenth century onwards and integrated successfully into the local community. That could probably also be said about many people throughout the world.  Many Chinese fled China during 1911-1949, as a result of the Chinese Civil War, and settled in South East Asia as well as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia. And of course with more recent waves of immigration to Western countries across Europe and North America, the Chinese heritage can be found in virtually every corner of the world; hence the importance of the Chinese New Year across the globe.

This week I was having lunch with a friend, discussing Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse.  What it means, why it matters, and of course our fortunes for the New Year (Asian people are into fortune telling and auspicious signs and dates).

So how do the real Chinese celebrate the New Year?  Is it different from the Western New Year? And do Thai people celebrate it as well?

First, let’s talk about the traditional Chinese New Year. It’s not one day of festivities…this year it starts January 31 and goes through February 14. Fifteen days of serious celebration and family togetherness!  The Chinese cities literally empty for this period and the routes to the countryside are bustling with people making their way home for the holiday period.  Each day merits a special significance and tradition. 

On New Year’s Eve, temples are visited and incense are burned, and floral wreaths of orchids, jasmine, and marigolds may be offered. People pray to the Gods and to their ancestors.  More prayers are offered the next day on the first day of the New Year. 

The New Year's Eve dinner is the most important dinner as it signifies family reunion. Chinese travel far and wide to make it home in time to for this special meal.  Fish and dumplings are the most important dish in northern China. These two dishes symbolize prosperity. 

Shou Sui refers to the period after the New Year's Eve dinner before morning. Family members stay awake during the night to ward off evil. According to legend, there was a mythical people-eating monster called “Nian”. Nian will come out to harm people, animals, and proprieties. The people must organize to conquer the monster by beating drums and gongs, burning bamboo, and lighting fireworks to threaten the monster and drive away the evil. 

Red envelopes with money are given to young children by adults and the elderly. It was believed that the money in the red packets would deter evil from children, keep the children healthy, and prosperous. Red and the number 8 signify luck and wealth. Red is associated with joy, happiness, good luck, wealth and good fortune.

Clean & decorate the home.  People conduct a complete cleaning of the home (ie. Spring Cleaning) days prior to the arrival of the New Year; get rid of the old and welcome the new, and take a very throughout bath to welcome the New Year.  Homes must not be swept clean during the 15-day New Year period. To do so would signify "sweeping away" the good luck just received for the New Year. 

Once cleaned, the home is decorated in red to welcome the New Year. Mandarin fruit are placed in bowls throughout the house. Mandarins with their leaves still intact symbolize happiness for the New Year. 

The highlight of the festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch over a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. The dragon is held by young men dancing the colorful creature through the streets. Dragons are believed to bring good luck, therefore the longer the dragon, the more luck it will bring.  The dragons are said to possess qualities of power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. 

Do Thai people celebrate it as well? Bangkok is the home of one of the best Chinese New Year celebrations in the world.  Yaowarat in Bangkok is the Chinatown in Thailand, and is one of the oldest Chinese communities in the world.  It has been the main center for trading and commerce by the Chinese/Thai community for over 200 years.

So final question… Are you part Chinese? Well, with over 1.3 billion people in China alone, and who knows how many overseas Chinese are across the globe…don’t we all have a little Chinese in us? 

Gong Xi Fa Chai ! Gong Hay Fat Choy ! 恭禧发财  恭禧发财  Happy Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse!

 ...Stay tuned for the next Segment of HT Localization Presents Language Translations for Real Life Series, where we’ll continue … with more stuff.

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This article was written by Rachanee Thevenet, Co-Founder of HT Localization.  Rachanee is an Asian-American expat living in Spain with her family.  She loves all things international including food, art, literature, culture, languages and people.  She has years of professional product marketing expertise and global expansion experience.

HT Localization, LLC. is a worldwide translation & localization agency providing a full range of professional language translation services, including social media localization, marketing translations, website translations, software localization, eLearning materials, documentation translations, etc.  With locations in the US, Spain, France, Zambia & Thailand, and coverage across all languages and most industries, HT Localization is well positioned to provide around the globe services for all translation needs.  

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