狗年大吉 HAPPY NEW YEAR
The Good Customs of Chinese New Year
农 历 新 年 的 好习 俗 文／译◎ Elvie Yap 叶俐廷
First Day of Chinese New Year
On the first day of Chinese New Year, the entire family wakes up early, puts on new clothes, washes up and puts on makeup, prepares New Year dishes, enjoys Nian Gao and extend New Year greetings to one another. This sets the stage for a day of joyous celebrations. 大年初一，全家一早起床，穿新衣，梳 洗打扮，煮年菜，吃年糕，拜早年，说吉利 话，拉开了千家万户普天同庆过年的帷幕。
Second Day of Chinese New Year “Returning to mother’s house” is a traditional custom commonly practiced during the second day of Chinese New Year. On this day, married females will pay a New Year visit to her parent’s home with their husband and children. 农历年初二有“回娘家”的习俗，即出 嫁的女儿这一天要带着女婿和儿女回娘家 拜年。
Third Day of Chinese New Year This day is known as “Day of the Red Dog”. According to ancient folklore, the Red Dog is the god of fury. Whoever that meets the Red Dog will encounter bad luck, and that is why people stay at home on this day, refrain from visiting others and present offering to the deities and ask for their blessings. 这一天被称为“赤狗日”，赤狗是古代 传说的“怒之神”。如果遇到了赤狗会倒 霉，因此这一天不宜出门、请客，要在这天 祭祖祀神，祈求保佑。
Seventh Day of Chinese New Year The seventh day of Chinese New Year is known as “Man’s birthday”. According to legend, the goddess Nuwa created the rooster, dog, pig, goat, cow and horse in sequence, and created humans on the seventh day. This is why “Man’s birthday” is celebrated on this day. In Singapore and Malaysia, tossing yusheng (raw fish) has become a popular practice during Chinese New Year. Colourful strands of vegetables and fruits are tossed and eaten
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together with yusheng as an appetizer. This dish signifies good fortune. This dish can easily found in Chinese restaurant in Perth during Chinese New Year period. 正月初七是“人日”，所谓人日，传说女娲创 造苍生，顺序造出了鸡狗猪羊牛马等动物，并于 第七天造出人来，故此初七为人的生日。 在新加坡、马来西亚，华人盛行在初七“ 捞生”，五颜六色蔬果拔成细丝，和鱼生一起 捞匀来吃，是一道开胃菜，带有吉祥意味，是 祈求来年好运和发财的菜式。春节期间，这道 菜也相当容易可以在中餐馆食用。
Ninth Day of Chinese New Year On the ninth day of the first month of Lunar calendar, it would be the special celebration known to Chinese Hokkien people as the “Phai Thien Kong” which literally means “praying to the Heaven God”. This day is especially important to Hokkiens because they believe it is the birthday of the Jade Emperor (Thien Kong) who protected the ancestors of Hokkien people from ruthless army in ancient China. All the Hokkiens start their prayers at 11pm on the eighth day of Chinese New Year. On this night, the Hokkiens set up a table full of Hokkien delicacies for serving the Jade Emperor. The Hokkiens made piles of folded pieces of gold paper, these papers are hung from the sugarcanes before being burnt as a thanksgiving offering to the Thien Kong. There will be fireworks and firecrackers that mark the beginning of the ninth day as well as the survival of the Hokkien people. 农历大年初九，是福建人拜天公、大过年 的日子，年初八晚上十一点就准备好拜天公仪 式，供品包括福建小吃红龟粿、素果和五牲荤 食等、还有用拜神金纸挂在甘蔗，敬拜天公。 此外还会燃烧金纸鹤燃放烟花、鞭炮以示庆 祝。祭拜仪式过后，大家吃一顿丰富的年餐， 以示团圆、吉祥。 传说明朝时一年的农历新年，福建沿海 一带的乡民遭到迫害，乡民扶老携幼逃命。 乡民在黑夜中逃到一处偏僻郊野时，突然前面 出现一大片蔗林助他们逃过一劫。这天正是 大年初九，逃出生天的乡民都认为这是天公救 命，于是每年的大年初九凌晨便祭拜天公，以 谢救命之恩。 资料来源 Resources：https://baike.baidu.com/item/天公
Fifteenth day of Chinese New Year The fifteen day of the lunar month marks the end of Chinese New Year, and is widely known as Yuan Xiao. According to Chinese cultural traditions, people need to hang up colourful lanterns on the night of this day against the full moon as a form of celebration. The entire family will gather to admire the full moon, light up lanterns, solve lantern riddles and enjoy a sumptuous meal together. “Solving Lantern riddles” is an activity that people have long engaged in during Yuan Xiao. The riddles are written on pieces of paper and pasted on colourful lanterns for others to solve. 农历正月十五是春节的最后一 天，也被称为元宵节。按中国民间的传 说，在这天皓月高悬的夜晚，人们要点 起彩灯万盏，以示庆贺。出门赏月、燃 灯放焰、喜猜灯谜、共吃元宵、合家团 聚、同庆佳节，其乐融融。 “猜灯谜”是元宵节后增的一项 活动，把谜语写在纸条上，贴在五光 十色的彩灯上供人猜。
