Happy Chinese New Year: The Year of the Pig

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: LY86
Chinese peoples around the world are celebrating the New Year this February, marking the Year of the Pig.

Chinese New Year is celebrated across China and around the world. The Chinese calendar (Lunar calendar) follows the Chinese zodiac and each year represents one of the 12 zodiac symbols: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Pig.

This year (2019) is the Year of the Pig, the idea being that those born in the Year of the Pig will have a year of good fortune.

Many Chinese and other Asian communities will have gathered around the city to celebrate. This year is supposed to represent abundance, diligence and generosity.

Jessie Shi, the international student life co-ordinator at Fanshawe, says that Chinese New Year is basically their Christmas. There are many traditional activities during the celebrations such as the Chinese New Year lion dance and exchanging red envelopes filled with money, a gesture of love and good fortune.

Many families gather for family reunions on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the New Year. This includes many traditions with food. One of the biggest traditions include having fish as a meal on New Year’s Eve.

“Because, the pronunciation of fish (in Mandarin) is the same pronunciation of surplus, in China it’s like good wishes,” Shi said.

“Eat a dish of fish on your table and you leave it for the next day until the New Year. That means you will have a surplus in the next year,” Shi added.

Shi went on to explain that there are also other traditions with food including having sticky rice balls and dumplings.

“The shape of dumplings is originated from the currency. So that’s what started the idea of the tradition,” Shi said.

The tradition includes making dumplings and one having a coin inside. Whoever gets the dumpling with the coin is supposed to have a lot of luck in the New Year.

The celebrations continue as the New Year begins.

“On New Year’s Day, people go out to greet other friends and families. They bring a red pocket with cash to give to young children. We don’t give physical gifts like you would at Christmas,” Shi said.

Shi said she thinks it is important to continue with these traditions regardless of being in a different country like Canada.

“It’s very important for anybody to remember their traditions,” she said.

“We are in Canada which is an immigrant country. So we get to see celebrations of different traditions. That’s the amazing charm of Canada,” Shi added.

Chinese New Year is a 15 day long celebration. On the 15th day, it is known as the Lantern Festival. This year it will land on Feb. 15.