Chinese New Year 2005

Today is the Chinese New Years Day. Last night my wife and I went to Temple as we do every year to honor Buddha and pray for our living and deceased ancestors. For those that do not know these traditions I have included a little summary of these things.

Chinese New Year is a celebration season that starts with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the New Year is called the Lantern Festival; this is celebrated at night with very large light displays and children carrying lanterns in the yearly parade.

The Chinese calendar is not a Western Invention as you may have guessed and is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 30 days in length. I say about because it averages to 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

The Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebration are family affairs. It is times of family get together, reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family. To the Chinese these things are primary. I have enjoyed participating in these celebrations because my wife is Chinese and I have become such a part of her family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve, last night, with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu is symbolized by family unity. This diner honors the past and present generations. In my own way I was able to remember my own parents and the contributions that they have made to make my life what it is today.

So, celebrate with us and remember your roots. It couldn't hurt.



David and Jennifer