Siao Ting's New Year
Red keeps the monster away! Read about the legend of Nian. Red Keeps Nian Away
Illustration of the Nian monster in a children's storybook.Close Our legend says that red is the symbol of good luck because of a monster named Nian.
Nian was a ferocious monster that terrorized communities in ancient China. He had the body of a bull, the head of a lion and a huge mouth that could swallow many people at a time! Every New Year the creature would eat a few villagers before retreating to the mountains. The monster seemed too strong to be defeated.
One day, a wise old man passed through the village and said, "I will teach you how to scare Nian away!"
That evening when Nian arrived at the village for its meal, he saw that all the houses were dark except the house in which an old woman lived. Nian approached the house, licking his lips in anticipation. Suddenly, Bang! Boom! Bang! Boom! The deafening noise of firecrackers sounded endlessly.
The monster was startled and jumped. Suddenly he realized that the house was covered in red paper. This scared him even more, and it ran off into the mountains. When the villagers returned they saw that the old woman was unharmed!
From then on, the villagers set off firecrackers and decorated their house with red ornaments on Chinese New Year. Nian never returned again. And the tradition of setting off firecrackers and using red decorations continues till today!
Beep...Beep...Beep.
It's 7:00 am and the alarm clock is making its usual racket. Siao Ting usually presses the snooze button, but today she leaps out of bed. It's the first day of Chinese New Year in Singapore!
Fourteen-year-old Siao Ting and her family have worked hard to prepare for today. Friends and relatives are gathering to welcome the New Year.
Everyone has cleaned house, gotten new haircuts, and painted the doors and windowpanes.
Clean House Means Good Luck
In Singapore, everyone cleans house on the day before Chinese New Year.
That's because if we wait to clean during Chinese New Year, we believe our good luck will be swept away with the dirt!
Close New Year lasts 15 days!
Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. What's a Lunar Calendar?
The Chinese use a lunar, as well as a solar calendar.
Scientists calculate the lunar calendar according to the time it takes for the moon to circle the earth.
They calculate the solar calendar according to the time it takes for the earth to circle the sun.
Close The Chinese assign each year to an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. On Feb. 10, 2013, it will be the year of the snake.
Every twelve years the same animal reappears.
This is Siao Ting's favorite holiday. Why not? Chinese New Year lasts 15 days!
Which one is Siao Ting? Hint: the picture is a few years old. Siao Ting's Family New Year
A younger Siao Ting is the center front. Author Jessica Lim is her older sister on the left.
Close Chinese New Year never falls on the same day. It could arrive anywhere between January 20 and February 19!
New clothes too!
Siao Ting gets to wear her new cheongsam, or traditional Chinese dress.
Cheongsam (chee-ong-sum) simply means long dress. It has a high-collar, slit skirt and usually comes in red with gold trimmings.
Everyone wears new clothes on Chinese New Year. The Chinese believe that evil spirits will not recognize us (and the people we love) if we are wearing new clothes!
The traditional color of the Chinese New Year is red. Red is a symbol for happiness, wealth and vitality.
When you hear the popping up of red lanterns, and see banners and posters in everyone's houses, it means Chinese New Year's Day is just around the corner...
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