90 replies to this topic

[Intranetusa]

Why is it changed to Spring festival instead of New Year? It is because of Chinese, both KMT and Communst, shame of being Chinese. They believe Chinese culture is inferior to Western culture, thus Western culture is the standard and thus Chinese should destroy our culture(Culture Revolution) . Despite of our 5 thousand years of history, we use a two thousand years calender. Why should Chinese care when is the birth date of Jesus? Our civilization is as long as their genesis.

South Korea, after rebuilt of their confidence as Asian, make Chinese(Korean) New year a national holiday.

I hope some day Chinese will have the same confidenec on our own civilization.

As Overseas Chinese, I am proud of our 5 thousand years of civilization. I have no concern those what so called Chinese culture distorted by communist.

What the hell are you talking about? I highly doubt this is some racial inferiority issue. Chinese New Year is most likely a term invented by westerners. The Chinese/East Asians have always called the new year celebrations "Lunar Spring Festivals" or "Lunar New Year."
My parents and grandparents have never called it the Chinese New Year (at least not that I know of).

Edited by Intranetusa, 22 May 2007 - 07:56 PM.

[bucketball]

Vietnamese and Chinese also can be described as "sharing the same surnames and very similar culture, celebrating the same festivals". Therefore "Koreans are the closest to the Chinese in Asia" does not seem to be true.

I've heard that in Vietnam Trung Thu is considered a festival for children, anyone can confirm??

Yup,

The focus of Trung Thu for children, not a national holiday. Lantern parades, sweets, songs, and legends all geared towards kids. However, families do exchange the "moon cake".

[bucketball]

Just one question to our Vietnamese friends. Is it true that in Vietnam, there is a year of the cat instead of year of the rabit?

No bunny, just cat.

Zodiac - Vietnamese - English

Tý - Chuột - Rat
Sửu - Trâu - Water Buffalo
Dần - Cọp - Tiger
Mão - Mèo - Cat
Thìn - Rồng - Dragon
Tỵ - Rắn - Snake
Ngọ - Ngựa - Horse
Mùi - Dê - Goat
Thân - Khỉ - Monkey
Dậu - Gà - Chicken
Tuất - Chó - Dog
Hợi - Heo - Pig (Boar)

Don't know the origins of these zodiac names.. It's not Chinese.. not quite Vietnamese .. Interesting

[bucketball]

sorry that you are so defensive, but since you already know, can you tell some of these stories before the Han invasion? I am very interested.

I don't know much about how it was celebrated before the arrival of the Hans. The connection is by this legend ...

Prior to Han invasion, and prior to the annexation of Au Viet to Lac Viet nation to become Au Lac, the kingdom was named Van Lang, ruled by 18 Hung Kings. (I believe the Hung name is also a common name with some Chu Royalties).

Hung King the VI became of age and wanted to pass on the throne to one of his 18 princes. He summoned them and requested that they go search for the most precious thing to present to him. Whoever succeedsin satisfying the request, will inherit the throne.

The youngest of the princes, who mingled often with the farmers and commoners, does not have much that he thinks could impress the father.

In his dream, a spirit came to him and instructed that.. on earth, there is nothing more precious than the rice grain, that is the staple that sustains humanity. Go forth and take the sticky rice, make two cakes; one round and one square. Roundness is the heaven, and square is the earth. Wrap them in leaves and put stuffings in the middle. This is to represent the love and care parents provide for their youngs.

Of all the delicious goodness brought to him by all the siblings, the father King was most impressed with the rice cakes for their simplicity, yet tasty, and meaningful. Hence the youngest prince won his father's confidence to the throne.

The prince's name was Tiết Liêu, the round sticky rice cake is called bánh giầy, the square rice cake is called Bánh Chưng.

So to this day, on Tết Nguyên Đán, the Viets share these cakes commemorate the Hung Kings as well as giving thanks to ancestors, heaven, and earth.

bánh giầy
http://vi.wikipedia....B%C...iầy.JPG

Bánh Chưng
http://static.flickr...c8d2e2fce_m.jpg

California State law regarding rice cake
http://republican.as.../...&RefID=3468
http://www1.pressdem...330/1033/NEWS01

[bucketball]

... looks very familiar.
{what is 'tat'? how about the marks?}

[/quote]

Tất niên - Han Viet, End-Year, New year's eve

[bucketball]

Yeah, a good bet.

灶(竈)君?
Thanh Minh -> 清明 is not a lunar but solar term (節氣/节气) at early May, close to 4th Chinese lunar month.
... looks very familiar.
{what is 'tat'? how about the marks?}
I think "Tet Nguyen Dan" is a usual term... Abbreviated to Tet (why is it? Vietnamese does not celebrate anything else? ).
note: Tiet looks later term (it looks like later Middle Chinese)

By the way how does Vietnamese usually say "Happy New [lunar] Year"?

Looks like GZ copied word filter and don't realise that "c-ock" is included in that set [which (I think) should not be]
Only administrators could remove this word restriction.

Actually I can still use the word, look here!: cock...

Celebrate Tết Trung Thu for the kids.

Xmas once popular only among Catholic/Christians minority, is now becoming a big thing.

Various town and villages hold traditional festivals unique to their own.


Two versions to say happy new year.

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới - Wishing (you) Happy new year

Cung Chúc Tân Xuân - Happy new spring (Han Viet)

And then the kids get to go the extra miles of wishing the grown ups with wealth, health, in hope of getting a red envelop with something helfty.

[misha]

Philippines also celebrate Chinese New year. But it is not declared holiday compared to other countries. I sometimes wonder, why does if its Ramadan here, it is holiday but if its Chinese new year it is not.. So most of the time I go on leave whenever there is Chinese celebration at home.

[xng]

I just found out that Thailand don't celebrate chinese new year nationally like the rest of the countries in the list.


Happy lunar new year to citizens of all the countries listed.

[xng]

Happy lunar new year to all the countries in the list.

Edited by xng, 10 February 2010 - 10:15 AM.

[katana300]

Schoolchildren in Vietnam don't have to get back to school until after the 5th day of New Year. We can say that Vietnamese celebrate New Year for 5 days. =D

[xng]

Schoolchildren in Vietnam don't have to get back to school until after the 5th day of New Year. We can say that Vietnamese celebrate New Year for 5 days. =D

Are all the 5 days considered public holidays ?

Public holidays mean the government and commercial sectors are also closed.

[sg_han]

I just found out that Thailand don't celebrate chinese new year nationally like the rest of the countries in the list.


Happy lunar new year to citizens of all the countries listed.

It is ironic that while Chinese face more discrimination(arguably) in Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, CNY IS a public holiday in all these countries. but in countries such as thailand where there is successful assimilated, CNY is NOT a public holiday. it is strange that while chinese and the thais/laotian/khmer and burmese share the same religion(which is an important factor in assimilation), CNY is not recognised by them

[xng]

It is ironic that while Chinese face more discrimination(arguably) in Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, C

It is kinda ironic that Thailand don't celebrate lunar new year with its large chinese population.

Anyway, Indonesia recently started to celebrate ONE day public holiday for CNY.

I didn't know that Tibetans also celebrate lunar new year on the same dates

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Losar#Dates

Edited by xng, 11 February 2010 - 12:58 PM.

[JamyangNorbu]

It is kinda ironic that Thailand don't celebrate lunar new year with its large chinese population.

Anyway, Indonesia recently started to celebrate ONE day public holiday for CNY.

I didn't know that Tibetans also celebrate lunar new year on the same dates

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Losar#Dates

They don't always line up. Tibetans use a calendar system that is mostly chinese in origin, but also incorporates solar elements from an Indian source, the Kalācakratantra (dus kyi khor lo rgyud). This results in some variations as in last year when lo gsar was celebrated February 25th, while the Chinese lunar new year was celebrated January 26th. It is also confusing because the Tibetans in a mdo/Qīnghaǐ celebrate using a lunar calendar closer to the Chinese system.

[William O'Chee]

CNY is celebrated enthusiastically in Australia, although it is not a holiday. The major cities on the East Coat all have their own Chinatowns, and these are the foci of the celebrations for both ethnic Chinese and gweilos alike. The only problem is that in order to cater to the crowds the standard of food in Chinese restaurants drops quite considerably during this period. It is better to cook at home, or else just go in for yum cha.