The Thai throw water at one another, Jews nosh on apples and honey, Americans raise glasses of bubbly and the Chinese rhythmically dance the Lion and Dragon. On January 26th, as a new moon settles, the Chinese will usher in the year of the ox while saying zài jiàn (goodbye, that is) to the rat. After 15 days of festivities, when the full moon shines, the official celebrations conclude. Whether or not your ancestry traces to China, venture to Philadelphia’s Chinatown for parties even your freshman year study breaks cannot match.
The Calendar
Although most of the modern world prefers the solar Gregorian calendar, the ancient lunar calendar still remains embedded in traditional Chinese culture. The 60-year-old system consists of 12-year mini cycles with animal nomenclature. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha requested the presence of all the Earth’s animals as he left the mortal earth, but only 12 animals materialized at the departure. Thus, Buddha named the years after the 12 obedient creatures in the order each arrived. A person’s representative animal, like his zodiac, supposedly signifies his respective personality.
Year of the Ox
Watch out for the oxen among us — obstinate, short-tempered and blunt — these people are not the most gregarious in a crowd. The often hermit-like oxen are, however, sincere, assiduous and impassioned, and supposedly, they have the biggest hearts. However, err on the side of caution, for you wouldn’t want to cross one of these headstrong “beasts.” The bad side of an ox is the wrong side to be on.
The Celebration
As the clock strikes midnight, firecrackers will inevitably light up the Philly skyline. Once intended to ward off the evil spirits, the reverberating booms of the fireworks now add to the ecstasy of the celebration. Spectators, dressed in red (representing happiness) and gold (wealth) will watch in awe as two professionals skillfully control the lion — one plays the head, the other the tail. The two choreograph a dance to a background drumbeat. As the head and tail dance in-sync, the story of the lion in search of food comes alive on the streets of the city of Brotherly Love’s Chinatown. Word to the wise: if you decide to make the voyage to Chinatown, leave your black and white clothing at home, for you may bring bad luck to those in your presence.
Superstitions
The Chinese New Year celebration leaves little room for mischief. Stringent adherence to certain rules ensures evil spirits do not haunt the coming year. Jan. 26 is not the time for haphazard and lazy behavior.
Before the New Year, dorms and apartments alike should be spotless — Spring Cleaning comes early this year! Sweep dirt inwards (not toward the front door), and never sweep dirt through the threshold of your front door; your year’s worth of luck is in the dust, so you do not want to sweep it away. Take note that dust should remain in a neat pile in the center of your common space until the fifth day of the year, at which time you can carry it out the back door. Greasy hair is the trend of New Year’s Day. If you dare wash your dirty hair, you again run the risk of washing away your luck.
The word "four" shall not be uttered. If you want four sodas, you really want “three plus one sodas.”
Lastly, it’s not your party, so you can't cry even if you want to.
Even if you drank your fair share of champagne on December 31st, there’s no reason you can't celebrate the New Year with Chinese flare. Voyage eastward in your red and gold regalia. Xin Nian Kuai Le!
