![]() This year the moon and lanterns are still the same, yet you are not here anymore. ![]() We met after dusk when the moon rose behind willow trees. It goes like this: "Last lantern festival, the flowers fair, decorated with lights were daylight bright. Ouyang Xiu, a famous poet from the Song Dynasty, depicted a woman's longing for the man she met during Lantern Festival in his poem Yuan Xi. Romance often happened, although not all of these stories ended happily. On the night of that day, unmarried men and women would meet at the flower fair and lantern-decorated street. Lantern Festival is one of the festivals that provided ancient Chinese single young men and women a chance to meet and get to know each other. Ancient Chinese had milder ways to encourage people to find a spouse, such as fairs and meetings during festivals. However extreme policies to force people to get married were rare, and young people still had certain freedoms to get married with people they liked, rather than being completely manipulated by their parents or government. If a female was still single at 17, there would be a forced marriage with local administrators' involvement. Single women had to get married by a certain age. During some periods, like the Jin Dynasty (265-420), marriage policies went to extremes. ![]() In ancient China, marriage was often decided by parents or even the government. It has been an important festival since the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD 24). Lantern Festival, which was celebrated on Saturday this year, marked the final day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. “In modern times, it’s quite common for red envelopes to be given by friends and co-workers, children to teachers, as casually as the greeting card,” said co-owner Jeff Lien, adding that gift cards or stickers often replace money.Two shots from the 2000 TV series Da Ming Gong Ci, featuring Princess Taiping's first accidental meeting with her future husband Xue Shao on the night of Lantern Festival in the Tang Dynasty. 3, said Ying, when lucky red envelopes containing monetary gifts are customarily given to children.Ĭhunky Paper in Chinatown specializes in modern riffs on red envelopes and goods from Asian American and Pacific Islander makers. 31), firecrackers sparking into New Year’s Day, and visits to family and friends through Feb. Not fierce.”Ĭelebrations include a banquet on Lunar New Year’s Eve (which this year falls on the evening of Jan. A hard, stuffed tiger is one of the most popular, traditional children’s toys in China. In a new-agey way, you could say it goes with the flow, with the force of least resistance. “Think of water in contrast to what it is not - immobile, stable or fiery,” Ying said. So what are the qualities of the water tiger? “Lunar New Year is celebrated in much of East Asia, including China, Vietnam and Korea, but not in Japan since the adaptation of the Gregorian calendar in 1873.” “The folk tradition of 12 zodiac animals and the cosmic scheme of five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) are mapped onto the traditional Chinese calendar, so the water tiger comes up every 60 years,” Ying explained. Hu Ying, a professor of East Asian studies at UC Irvine’s School of Humanities, explains that the backbone of the holiday is the ancient Chinese lunisolar calendar. With high teas, poon choi and beyond, here’s how to make this Lunar New Year roar. Concierges at Americana at Brand and the Grove will hand out red envelope discounts and complimentary totes.įood Five food specials and festivals to celebrate Lunar New Year 20, includes themed offers, menus, music, an interactive botanical display and Liuli Crystal Art tiger sculptures as a gift with purchases over $2,500. 5 and 6, the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens hosts a festival with martial arts presentations, lion dancers, live music, calligraphy and floral arts (advance online tickets required, adult admission is $29, free for members). 13, Disney California Adventure Park visitors can experience Asian cuisine and crafts, as well as Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession. Despite some festivities being canceled due to the coronavirus surge, spirited events are braving Omicron, supplemented by an array of themed goods to welcome the new year. 15, this Lunar New Year ushers in the Year of the Water Tiger. 1 and culminating in the Lantern Festival on Feb.
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