Happy Chinese New Year - 2011

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Feb 3, marks the start of the Chinese New Year 4709 - the year of the Rabbit. Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on the Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in rabbit years are popular, compassionate, and sincere. Wishing all of our members celebrating the Chinese New Year a healthy, lucky, and prosperous new year!

Cheers,
BD

[Molly Taco]

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

[etex]

Happy Chinese New Year!!

[lanhua]

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all of you.

[mazlani]

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all Chinese

[catttan]

A belated THANKS BD and wishing all our Chinese friends as well as our Vietnamese friends and all who celebrate the Lunar New Year A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

BTW For the Chinese the New Year celebrations begin on the first day of the lunar calendar (Feb 3, this year) and ends on the 15th day (17 Feb), However certain days are more auspicious for different ethnic groups, thus the Cantonese consider the 8th day as very auspicious, the Hokkiens (people who originate from Fujian province) in Malaysia consider the 9th day as special for them. The 15th night is celebrated by the Chinese in Malaysia especially the Hokkiens as Chap Goh Meh( the 15th Night). In the old days young maidens (the unmarried ones) would throw oranges from bridges to the young men below.It was believed that the lucky(?) man who caught the orange would end up the lucky groom to the female who threw the orange. A practice peculiar to local born Chinese, who are called 'Peranakan", is the singing of the Chinese/Malay folksong called the 'Dondang Sayang' and also the 'Kroncong' of Indonesian origin, from door to door during the 15th ninght, much like the carol singing in the West. Glad to say this practice is still alive in the states of Penang and Melaka.