Chinese New Year 2013 – Year of the Water Snake

By | January 19, 2013

2013 Chinese New YearWhen is Chinese New Year 2013?
Chinese new year 2013 will falls on February 10, 2103. It is the year of the water snake. Chinese New Year is biggest festival in China. Chinese new year is also called Chinese Spring Festival. There are a lot of Chinese New Year cerebration and fairs in many major cities around the world in 2013.

How to Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year?
See Items for Chinese New Year

  • It is believed that there are some bad chi accumulated in the previous year. So it is necessary to do some house cleaning and hair cut before Chinese new year in order to welcome auspicious chi in for the coming year. If you haven’t got your new calendar yet, you need to get one 2013 Chinese Calendar.
  • Cook some food for praying or party use. Cooking more food for Chinese New Year Eve (Feb. 09, 2013) stands for bringing more wealth and abundant. In most Chinese region, people make new year cake (Chinese Nian Gao) to represent better and better in coming year.
  • Pray to the heaven god, earth god and ancestors to thanks to them for safety in the previous year;
  • Decorate the house using New Year Decorating and something represents wealth, good health, etc good meaning, such as ingots, fish, money tree, coins, wu lou, etc.
  • Gather together eating the dinner at Chinese new year Eve. Chinese new year Eve is considered union day. This is also the time to make wishes each other. In addition, people can’t eat all the food. the remain of food is the symbol of abundant and wealth for coming year ( Nian Nian You Yu);
  • Chinese Red Envelopes

  • After finishing dinner, people are gather together waiting for the New Year coming. They usually don’t sleep at that night. Young persons need to Shou Sui for their parents and wish their parents live longer (Shou Sui means Holding Age );
  • Old people put money inside the Chinese Red Envelopes and give them to the younger to hope the younger good luck in the coming year. Giving red envelope is called Li Shi;
  • From Chinese new year on, people usually visit their relatives’ house and send good wishes each other.
  • Chinese Lunar new year cerebration including dragon dancing, lion dancing, Parade and festival, etc cerebration.

Make sure not to do the following things on Chinese New Year 2013:

  • Don’t use water to clean the floor or dump trash. Water is the symbol of wealth. People don’t want the money to go away. Dumping trash is like Giving Away;
  • Don’t kill animals. It symbolize safety (no war);
  • Don’t break porcelain bowls or plates. Broken is the opposite of reunite; If people break something on Chinese New Year, that person needs to speak some auspicious words immediately;
  • Don’t use scissors or needles. Using scissors or needles is said it will bring bad chi;
  • Don’t speak inauspicious words.

Dragon DancingChinese Lunar New Year Events 2013:
There are a lot of Chinese celebrations around the world in Chinese New Year. Here only list some events in US as following:

  • 2013 Chinese New Year events San Diego, CA, US: Food and Cultural Fair in Third Ave and J Street on Feb. 9, 2013. It is free and family events!
  • 2013 Chinese New Year events San Francisco, CA, US: Over 100 units will participate in the Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco Chinatown from Feb. 2 – Feb. 24 (two weeks).
  • 2013 Chinese New Year events Los Angeles, CA, US: There will be the 112th Annual Golden Dragon Parade on Feb. 5. , Chinese New year festival celebration on Feb. 5 – Feb. 6 and firecracker on Feb 12 – Feb. 13 in Los Angeles Chinatown.
  • 2013 Chinese New Year event Seattle, WA, US: 2013 Lunar New Year Celebration including Lion Dance, New Year Games, Crafts and Children’s Costume Parade Contest, Shi Shi Mai Performance by Japanese Buddhist Temple, etc will be on Feb. 9 in Chinatown / International District.
  • 2013 Chinese New Year event New York, NY, US: 14th 2013 Lunar New Year firecracker ceremony & cultural festival will be on Feb. 10 in Sara Roosevelt Park. 14th CHINATOWN LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE & FESTIVAL on Feb. 17 in Chinatown/Manhattan.
  • 2013 Chinese New Year event Houston, TX, US: 2013 Lunar New Year Houston Celebration including Lion Dance, Dragon Dancing and fireworks will on Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 in 8388 W. Sam Houston Parkway South, Houston, Texas.
  • 2013 Chinese New Year event Chicago, IL, US: 2013 Chicago Chinese Lunar New Year Parade will on Feb. 17 in Chicago Chinatown.

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