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Upon discovering this annual pattern of seasons, he went to see the monarch of that time, and explained the movement of the lunar and solar systems. By accident, he was inspired and designed a device similar to the sundial to tell the time based on the change of shadows when the sun is shining, and another device resembling clepsydra for measuring time.Īs time went by, he discovered that a new cycle of four seasons restarted every 360 days or so. He decided to create a unified calendar after witnessing the chaos caused by the lack of it.
CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL VIENNA WINDOWS
Every year afterwards, when the New Year was about to come, people would set off firecrackers, beat drums and gongs, hang red lanterns, put up red paper on the windows and doors, and wear red clothes, all of which later evolved into traditions of Spring Festival.Īccording to legends, there once lived a young man named Wan Nian in ancient times. As a result, people concluded that the beast was afraid of loud noise, the color red and glaring lights. But when it saw a house illuminated with light inside, it run away once again. Terrified again Nian continued to run on past the village.
CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL VIENNA CRACK
Upon hearing the loud crack sound, the beast was so frightened that it fled at top speed to another village, only to bump into red clothes hanging outside a house. Then one year as Nian was approaching a village, it came across two shepherd boys who were competing their ability of using whips. Every year on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month it would come out and attack livestock and villagers.
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In ancient times, there was a savage beast called Nian (in Chinese “nian” has the meaning of “year”). There are many interesting tales and legends about the traditions of the Spring Festival, among which the following two are the most popular. For thousands of years, the Spring Festival has been celebrated by Chinese people of different ethnic groups. The eve and first day of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations are the most important. During that day, people eat sweet stuffed glutinous rice balls boiled in water, watch lantern shows and guess lantern riddles. The 15th day of the first lunar month marks the end of the entire holiday. In many households, Chinese New Year’s celebrations begin on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month when people worship the Kitchen God.
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It was not till after the Revolution of 1911, which overthrew China’s last imperial dynasty and established a republic, that the current date and reference we use today was designated. The date and appellation varied widely throughout the history of different feudal dynasties. The Spring Festival evolved from the annual worship ceremony in ancient times during which people honored the deities and ancestors, and prayed for good harvests in the coming new year. The holiday is filled with buoyancy and happiness as people take part in an array of celebrations, one of the most important occasions of which is family reunion. In 2019, the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on February 5. The holiday begins on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar and ends on the 15th day of the same lunar month, which is celebrated as the Lantern Festival. Its history can be traced back thousands of years. THE Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is the most prominent and celebrated festival among Chinese people.
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