When the New Year of the Year of the Eastern Calendar Comes

Content

1 Chinese New Year
2 Eastern zodiac
3 When is the year 2020 according to the Chinese calendar
4 Traditions and rites

In 2020, according to the eastern calendar, the year of the Rat begins, which begins a new twelve-year cycle. Many are interested in when this happens: with the first blows of chimes or in the East, people celebrate the New Year in a different way?

Chinese New Year

When the year 2020 officially begins around the world, in the Middle Kingdom they will only be preparing for this holiday. In the East, it is called Chun Jie, which means "holiday of spring" and symbolizes the awakening of nature. Most Chinese people still live in agricultural labor, so the lunar calendar is very important to them.

Each year according to the eastern calendar is associated with some kind of animal. There are a total of 12. The date of the change of year depends on the phase of the moon: Chun Jie comes on the second new moon after the winter solstice (January 21 - February 21).

Few minutes before the new year

Eastern zodiac

Calculation in the Chinese tradition is based on dividing the entire universe into five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and identifying 12 sacred animals (rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and a pig). In 2020, just the year of the Rat comes, the most cunning, according to the legend of the ancient Chinese, animal. According to this zodiac, they live not only in the Celestial Empire, but also in the Land of the Rising Sun, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam.

The full cycle of the eastern zodiac is 60 years old. Every 12 years, the master of the year is replaced, which passes from one element to another. In 2020, the cycle begun in 1984, which was headed by the Wooden Rat, will continue. Elements change every two years. In 2020, the era of metal begins.

Eastern calendar

There are three versions of how animals were selected:

The jade emperor, ruling in heaven, once wished to get acquainted with the 12 most interesting animals living on earth. His assistant chose a rat, whom he ordered to send an invitation to heaven to a cat, a bull, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster and a dog. The rat fulfilled the order, but deceived the cat, considering it a contender for its place. The emperor, seeing 11 animals, became angry and ordered to bring another one, which the first would fall to his servant on the ground. It turned out to be a pig.
Buddha called 12 animals for the festival of Chun Jie. As the guests arrived, Buddha bestowed upon each year of rule. There was a cat among the animals, but there was no rabbit.
In farewell to Buddha, all animals living on earth should have come. Only 12 of them came, who were appointed guardians.

Comparing these legends, the eastern sages came to the conclusion that it was necessary to combine the year of the cat and the rabbit.

When is the year 2020 according to the Chinese calendar

A new twelve-year cycle will begin on January 25. It is on this day that the year 4718 will be celebrated in the East. Its symbol will be the White Metal Rat. To find out what the 12 months will be, it is important to consider the color of the year, its element and patron.

The element and color are determined by the last digits of the year, but not of the eastern, but of the Gregorian:

4 and 5 - element Wood, color blue and green;
6 and 7 - element Fire, color pink and red;
8 and 9 - element Earth, yellow and ocher;
0 and 1 - element Metal, white;
2 and 3 - element Water, color black and blue.

2020 will begin in the East on January 25, and celebrations will last 15 days. And before that there will be thorough preparation. It is especially important in the days after the winter solstice.Until the second new moon, the monster Nyan (literally, Year) reigns, who does not want to let go of the departing master and seeks to destroy everything around. But the Nyan does not like beauty, so the more elegant the house is, the more his monster will be afraid.

New Year in China

The hostess of 2020, the White Metallic Rat, is an ambitious animal with a sense of purpose. The year promises to be eventful, you won’t have to relax. With efforts, rats can expect good results.

Traditions and rites

Whatever the color of the year, in the Celestial Empire, all jewelry is traditionally red. According to legend, one day Nyan was very scared of a child in red clothes, so he immediately left the inhabitants alone. The second tradition is the purification of home and soul. The third is a festive table. Among the treats there must necessarily be jiaozi (outwardly resembling dumplings) as a wish for the birth and well-being of sons. To ensure that there is always plenty in the house, a dish with tangerines and oranges is placed on the table.

Each day has its own traditions:

On the night of the celebration, the whole family gathers together. It is good when several generations sit at the same table. At night, the house should have a lot of light and decorations. When 2020 begins on the eastern calendar, thousands of fireworks will fly into the sky, like a greeting to the Rat.
The second day is the day of the son-in-law. It is customary to visit each other to visit distant relatives.
The third day is the day of sacrifice. It is customary to make paper figures, and then burn them.
From the fourth to the sixth day, they meet Chun Jie with friends.
The seventh and eighth days are spent in a quiet family circle, without noise and fun.
The ninth day is the day of remembrance of the ancestors. Here the number 9 is symbolic, which in the Christian tradition is associated with remembrance.
After 10 days, prepare for the Lantern Festival, which ends the New Year's Eve. Lanterns illuminate the path of the departing symbol and the souls of the dead to heaven.

How to celebrate New Year in China: video