New Year: shared traditions

by | 22/06/2023 | China, France, Japan, South Korea

Once Christmas is over, we find ourselves looking forward to another of our favourite holidays: New Year! The family and friends gathering, the great dinner, the countdown before midnight, the fireworks display, and the emotional celebration are some of the traditional elements that we surely think of when we refer to this date.

However, we are not limited to just these traditions. There are some others that are also performed around the world. Interestingly, we give these traditions different meanings although we perform the same. Hence, we want to share with you some of them and what is their purpose in other countries.

  1. To clean up the house

Doing a thorough cleaning of the house and removing everything that is no longer needed is a common tradition in Mexico and other Latin American countries. By doing this, the following year will bring abundance and prosperity, although it may seem like a difficult task.

People in Japan take this tradition further than cleaning the house. They clean workplaces, temples and schools. They designate a specific day to do this cleaning with great commitment, starting early in the morning. This tradition is a way to start the year off right, leaving in the past the unnecessary loads. It is called Oosouji, which is translated as “great cleaning”.

  1. To eat lentils

Although it is performed in Mexico, this tradition is from Italy. It is very common for Italian people to have lentils as part of the menu on the December 31st dinner. Lentils symbolize wealth, due to their similarity to ancient coins. Some people even place them in wallets and bags where there is usually money.

  1. To eat 12 grapes

This originally Spanish tradition has reached the entire world, including countries such as France, England, the United States, Italy, and Latin American countries like Mexico, of course. According to the vox populi, each grape represents a month of the coming year, and eating them symbolises good luck; Thus, in order to achieve good luck throughout the year, each grape must be eaten one by one along the bells tolling 12 times.

  1. Bell Tolling

Speaking of bells, we may consider this one as a quite popular tradition. Generally, when midnight arrives, bells are tolled 12 times representing the 12 months of the year. This practice was born in Spain and is currently done in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and many other countries.

In Japan, instead of this, Buddhist temples toll their bells 108 times, to get rid of 108 “defects” that bring trouble to people. They call this tradition Jyoya no kane (除夜の鐘), which is translated as “New Year’s Eve bell”.

  1. To watch the first sunrise of the year

This is an important tradition in which we welcome the New Year and all that it’s bringing. Due to this fact, we aren’t the only ones who do it. In South Korea and Japan, for example, they even travel for hours to witness the first sunrise from the beach or from a mountain. It is very common to make wishes when you see the first sunshine.

  1. To visit friends and family

The first day of the year is a special day. We usually go to visit our relatives to deliver our best wishes to them in the new current year. Something curious about this tradition is that in England the first person who visits you settles how the year will go for you. If the first person who enters your house is a dark-haired man, it will suit you well, but if it is a blonde or redhead woman, it will bring you bad luck; This belief is associated with the history of Vikings invading England to loot.

Have you ever participated in any of these traditions? Do you know any other? Let us know in the comments!

HANXUE SCHOOL WISHES YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 

Eastern Christmas

by | 21/06/2023 | China, Japan, South Korea

Christmas came into being with the Christian religion. In countries where this religion predominates, it is very common to celebrate it in a big way and with very similar traditions, such as mass and dinner on the 24th of December, or a family meal on the 25th. But Christmas is not exclusive to Christians; it has become so popular that it is even celebrated in a secular way, making this celebration more varied. In general, it is a celebration mainly for relaxation, spending time with family, sharing a nice meal, and giving gifts. 

In Asia, Christmas is considered an alien celebration, since the predominant religions are Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, and not Christianity as it is in Europe or America. However, such is the impact that Christmas has had on the world that it has been adopted and adapted in countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China, although the way it is celebrated is somewhat different. Do you know how it is celebrated? 

South Korea 

Christmas decorations in South Korea can be found in shops and establishments, as well as pine trees decorated with lights and spheres, just like in our country, but in this country, the celebration has a slightly different meaning, as the population is mainly Buddhist, and they celebrate in a secular way. 

Christians in South Korea, who make up about 30 percent of the population, treat it as a religious holiday and have dinner with their families on 24 December, even though there are no different dishes than the ones they eat every day. The others prefer to take the 25th as a day off and choose to go shopping, go out for fun with friends, watch Christmas-themed movies at the cinema, and do other more everyday activities. 

Couples and engaged couples often have dinner together on this date. It is like a second Valentine’s Day, and they exchange gifts. Incidentally, many couples try to coincide Christmas with the 100th day of their relationship. Starting on 17 September, also called Gobaek Day (Confession Day), they try to give or receive a declaration of love so that they can spend Christmas together. 

Japan  

In Japan, the percentage of the population that is Christian is even smaller than in South Korea, as Buddhism and the country’s own religion, Shintoism, predominate. Due to its popularity, Christmas has also come to Japan, but its meaning has been adapted to Japanese culture. Thus, we can find all the typical decorations and ornaments, along with pine trees specially illuminated with coloured lights in shops and public spaces, but not so much in homes. 

December 25 is not considered a holiday, so the Japanese go to school and work like any other day. At the end of the day, it is very common to go shopping for the family or partner, as Christmas for them means giving a gift. Parents usually give presents to their children instead of Father Christmas. 

For Christmas dinner, the main dish is usually chicken from KFC. It may not seem special to us, or the typical gala dish for the occasion, but for them, it has become a tradition. For dessert, they usually eat Christmas Cake, which is a cake topped with cream and strawberries. 

China 

In China, Christmas is a foreign holiday. In the 1980s, the government itself declared that Christmas is an irrational holiday that goes against socialism and Chinese traditions. There are even cities where it is forbidden to put up Christmas decorations and organise Christmas dinners, as in Liaoning. Despite the high export of Christmas products, it is not a bank holiday in China, nor is it as relevant as its own celebrations. For many Chinese, Christmas is simply a time for eating and gift-giving. 

However, in recent years, especially for young people, Christmas has become more widespread and is slowly becoming accepted in society. Some people put up Christmas trees in their businesses and homes. There is a tradition of giving red apples on Christmas between couples, as the word they use for “peaceful night” (ping’an ye) has a similar pronunciation to “apple” (pingguo). Exchanging gifts has also become popular and many take advantage of discounts at large shops. 

Christmas is mostly an excuse to spend time with family or friends, exchanging gifts and eating. The main dish at Christmas dinner is fish. For this reason, the spelling of “fish” is used as a sinogram for “abundance”. 

What do you think about Christmas, how do you celebrate it, let us know in the comments!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

 

 

Chongyang Festival

by | 21/06/2023 | China

The Chongyang Festival (重阳节 – Chóngyáng jié), also known as the Double Nine Festival or Festival of the Elders, is a very beautiful celebration that is part of Chinese culture, to celebrate the elders and ancestors. It is held on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar; Therefore, its date varies every year, usually in the month of October. On this day, sons and daughters take the opportunity to meet their parents and grandparents and keep them company. 

During this festival, it is very common to eat Chongyang cakes, also called “double nine” cakes. This is a traditional cake made from rice flour and sugar, decorated with almonds and chestnuts. Eating it is considered to bring good luck and is often accompanied by chrysanthemum wine. 

In addition to eating cakes, they often do various activities to pay their respects to the elderly, for example, they celebrate the day by hiking in the mountains carrying a bag of zhuyu, a fragrant flower, which represents hope in life. Also, they hold various events for the elderly, including theatrical, literary, and musical performances in places such as nursing homes and hospitals. Another gesture of respect from the young to the elderly is to serve tea and give massages.    

 According to the regions of China, the celebration of Chongyang may be a little different. In southern China, the main activity on this day is kite flying. In Hong Kong, the festival is called Chung Yeung, and it is a day to worship ancestors.  On this day, people clean the graves of their ancestors, burn incense, and offer food at the cemeteries. In Beijing, it is customary to place branches and leaves of chrysanthemums on the doors and windows of houses in the belief that this will bring luck. Whereas Shanghai hosts the Chrysanthemum Fair in the Yuyuan Garden during the Chongyang Festival. 

 

 

National Day of the People’s Republic of China

National Day of the People’s Republic of China

by | 03/10/2022 | China

Every year, October 1 is celebrated as China’s National Day, called 国庆节 (Guóqìngjié) in Chinese. It is one of the seven major holidays in this beautiful country. 

The significance of this day dates back to the fall of the Chinese empire in early 1912, when Pu Yi, the last Emperor who was only 6 years old, was overthrown. Subsequently, China went through a long period of civil war to take control of a country that had evolved from a centuries-old empire to a new republic, as well as the Japanese invasion during World War II. 

On 1st October 1949, Mao Zedong’s Communist Government defeated Chiang Kai Cheng’s nationalists and founded the People’s Republic of China known nowadays, finally bringing stability to the country. Therefore, this day was decreed to be the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. 

Furthermore, every October 1, the country dresses up in patriotic colours, and portraits of national leaders are displayed. Tian’anmen Square, where Chairman Mao Zedong raised China’s first communist national flag, is decorated with flowers and flags. The celebrations, which start with the national flag raising in this square, include concerts, cultural and sporting events, and fireworks that light up the whole country. Anyone can attend these events, which is the reason why many foreigners visit China at this time of year. 

Around this time there are 7 days to celebrate, known as the Golden Week, which is taken advantage of by the inhabitants to travel around the country, thus encouraging a lot of tourism (hence the name). This season is also a good time to go for a walk and enjoy the days off, and shops even offer special discounts. 

Every 10 years, large military parades are organised to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The last parade was seen in 2019, so if we want to see it again, we would have to wait until 2029. 

Finally, visitors who wish to visit China during the National Holiday season will undoubtedly find many shows and celebrations of great cultural value, but it is important to bear in mind that tourism is also very busy at this time of year and everything should be planned well in advance.