Dear Amber - Chinese New Year!

well I can testify to the fireworks. I am currently in Beijing (Beijing Library at the moment using the internet). At the hotel they hung 10 strings of 1000 1.5 inch firecrackers from a closeline like device and lit at once. Loud enough to require fingers in ears. Lion dance followed. Aerial displays are popular also. The street was covered with smoke, aerial displays, and noise for many hours. Firework stands are everywhere and they do a brisk business. I bought 1000 firecrackers for 20 rmb. Home tomorrow. Enjoyed the new year here. Good time to come but has been cold. RJ

Fish is a required dish on New Year's eve!

In 1995 it was the noisiest 24 hours I have ever experienced. In my small village of 1.5 million people in southern China, there was never even an instant of silence from all the firecrackers. It seemed that fireworks could be bought anywhere and they were so cheap compared to Canada. Our fun ended when a "roman candle" back fired into my mouth. Be careful!

artkho, We indeed had fish, bass, on New Years Eve when our family gather for lunch. Last night, my wife made jiao zi, but said they had a different name for CYN (something bao) because it corresponded to some the shape of golden shapes unique to China. Jenny mentioned that the older people don't receive hong bao. In our family, we give to my wife's parents and they give hong bao to my wife, my kids, and me. I muse that we exchange bank accounts. :-)

Isn't the amount of money given in the envelopes important as well? I thought I remembered, for example, that the number 4 is to be avoided.

Thanks for the show, by the way. The emphasis on culture is one of my favorite aspects of Cpod.

scottyb. I've heard in San Francisco that some emergency services have had trouble locating homes because the Chinese occupants removed the "4" from the address. So, yes, the number 4 is avoided. So, I fear that this superstition has harmed people. My previous employer avoided a "Building 4" and later we had a "Building 8". The business unit in that "Building 8" was actually its downfall. I don't put much stock in "luck", but it is interesting getting insights WRT how others think.

We eat noodles for long life! Though this time we had spaghetti :S My parents give each other 红包. And if only I'd found out about the underwear a couple of days ago! Now I have to wait another 12 years...

Last year I was in Suzhou for New Years. I was on th 15th floor of an apartment building looking out over the city. Fireworks were everywhere, all night long, some right outside the windows. Looking out over the city was amazing. My understanding is that the fireworks are used to attract attention to Fortune as he passes out wealth in the coming year. The idea is that the more noise you make the better chance that you will not be overlooked and will receive a better portion of wealth.

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恭祝大家新年快乐，岁岁平安。

I remember being in Beijing near the airport last year two nights before New Years Eve and the fireworks were so intense - it sounded like a war zone. Far more than mere firecrackers, there were mortars, and big, big explosions and the constant backdrop of firecrackers. After a while I didn't notice it that much but wow I can't imagine what's it's like right now.

It's interesting to find out the reasons for firing off so many firecrackers and fireworks. I've heard a different reason for firing them off at the Chinese New Year's Eve, or at least in Vietnam. This was that the firecrackers are to freighten off any evil spirits while welcoming the good spirits. One of the good spirits is known as the Kitchen spirit, also known as the Kitchen god. This spirit is sent to the Jade emperor reporting on the conduct of the people who reside in the household. These families are hoping for a good report and will him a safe return, welcoming him back into the house on Chinese New Year's Eve night. Several days earlier some families will send him off by releasing a carp, which he rides, while burning new paper money (not real money) and/or paper gold and new miniature-sized paper clothes and a little paper hat for his journey. Isn't this also true in many parts of China? As far as the cleaning of the households before the Chinese New Year's Eve. I believe, again, at least in Vietnam, that there is a fear that the fortunes received during the Lunar New Year holiday would be recklessly tossed or sweeped out of the house. I think this parallels more closely with the tradition in China. Oh, by the way, to all the cpod staff and cpoddies: 恭喜发财！鼠年快乐！Gong1xi3 fa1cai2! Shu3nian2 kuai4le4! Happy Chinese New Year!

From view of my hotel window, close to 中山公园 in Shanghai, I could count at least 6 different places launching fireworks at the same time. I can't imagine what the centre of town would have been like. Here's the best youtube clip (not mine) I could find of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCiiuiyhdtY 新年愉快！

Great video zaifuzhong! I've been to some pretty impressive fireworks displays here in the U.S., but nothing like that! Some of the related videos are fun too. I have got to make it over there for New Year some time.

I heard there was some terrible monster "nian" (year) who pranced around on the new year, eating people. the fireworks are to scare him away. He is also afraid of the color red so people hang red by their doors. Is this not true as well?

Wow, amazing fireworks display zaifuzhong! That even puts 4th of July in America to shame.

Hello, I study in Puebla, Mexico a take classes with a Chinese teacher and she told us about this date,. What amazing!

Any special reason there was another lengthy salvo of fireworks/firecrackers tonight??

I have heard that 恭喜发财 developed mostly in Southern China and is somewhat looked down upon by Northerners. Anybody know if this is the case and, if so, what a traditional Northern greeting might be?

As every day I tried to video-skype my wife & my kids. But today it was vision-only. No chance to understand a word, as the fireworks were so increadibly loud in the background (distorted by the Skype compression algorithms they sounded like laser gun fire in classic arcade videogames).

Hum.. there is a difference about the 红包。 Im an overseas Chinese living in Indonesia. Based on our tradition, people who receive it are those who are not yet married. So, it doesn't matter if u have make your own money. If u are not married, you still get 红包。

Dear geminigal88, the little dog in your avatar is so, so cute! Regarding 红包, the situation is the same in Singapore. I'm approaching 40, still unmarried, with no plans -- of any kind -- to marry. As I grew older, I noticed that relatives began to say things like, "ooh, but of course NEXT year we won't be giving you hongbao [hint! hint!]... do I hear that you've got a special friend?" etc etc. Just "fishing", of course. Ouch! Does anybody on CPOD know of a nice -- but neutral -- way to respond to this? I'm asking because one of my Uncles endured the hongbao ritual well into his 50s... perhaps I should ask him!

I know I am a bit late with CNY questions but could you tell me... The sequence of key 'days'/'times' throughout the CNY period e.g. New Year's Eve, ChongYangJie, yuanxiaojie. I noticed that on some days more fireworks were let off or different foods were eaten on different days. A note of the key days and briefly what is done one those days would be really helpful. Could you also tell me why the 'fu2' character was hung upside down in some places? Thanks!

hi davidzainuijin Great Q's and will deal with them on a future episode for sure. Your question about the upside down fu on people's doors we have already covered in this Dear Amber episode