Source: Infoplease.com
Tri Valley Magazine,
January/February 2008 Issue

The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year 4706 begins on Feb. 7. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve 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 rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Eminem, Prince Charles, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, William Shakespeare, and Mozart were all born in the year of the rat.

At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which, according to legend, can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.

The New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other’s homes for visits and share meals. Many Chinese in the United States have found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead, which, like the Pleasanton-based Chinese-American Cooperation Association, host big banquets and other New Year events. People often present oranges to their friends and relatives.

Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the fullmoon. In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which mightstretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held a loft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the NewYear is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.

BAY AREA CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
What: The Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade, San Francisco. A San Francisco tradition since after the Gold Rush, the lunar New Year parade delights and entertains thousands of people.
When: Feb. 23
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Where: For the parade route visit www.chineseparade.com/route.asp

What: Chinese New Year Spectacular
When: Jan. 23-26 Time: 8 p.m.
Where: The Orpheum Theater, 1192 Market St., San Francisco www.orpheum-theater.com

What: The Chinese American Cooperation Council’s annual New Year’s celebration and the 6th annual Tri Valley Chinese Culture Day. Traditional holiday food, games, and performances celebrating The Year of the Rat.
When: Feb. 17
Where: Amador Valley High School, 1155 Santa Rita Rd., Pleasanton
For more information, visit www.caccusa.org