Byb Marione Borela Lineses


Beginning this Friday, Chinese all over the world will start celebrating their most awaited holiday, the Chinese New Year. It begins January 31st and traditionally, culminates on the 15th day.  
Festive parades such as acrobatic demonstrations, lion and dragon dances synchronised by the thundering sounds of drums, gongs and cymbals, as well as letting off of firecrackers will fill Chinatowns festive air across the hinterland.
It has become a time-honoured tradition passed down many generations, celebrating the reunion of families and friends, offering thanksgiving and wishes of prosperity and health for everyone.   

History of the Chinese New Year
Legend has it that the origins of the Chinese New Year vary, yet most of them linked to a lion-like mythical beast named Nian (Chinese word for year) who would come to torment a village every first day of every New Year.
To ward off Nian, the villagers heeded a wise old man’s advice and created loud drum noises and hung red paper cut-outs on their doors, as Nian was presumed to be petrified of the colour red.  The Chinese recognise the “passing of the Nian” —known in Chinese as guo nian — to be synonymous with celebrating the New Year.

Preparations
With preparations taking weeks ahead of time, family members spend it spring cleaning; getting a haircut; shopping for gifts and new clothes; decorating homes with live blooms, platters of fruits, candy trays and red couplets on the walls and doors inscribed with good wishes as well as preparing vast amount of traditional festive meals, all to symbolise abundance and good fortune.
Community caught up with some expatriates on how they plan to partake this festivity, being away from home.
Singaporean Chris Poh, whose family is back home, plans to celebrate with colleagues after work over a steam pot in their apartment or head out for dinner.
“It’s rather simple here as the Chinese community is not so big and it’s not a public holiday for us. Usually on the first day, I will call or Skype my family to greet and send my blessings.
“Also, on the eve of the Chinese New Year, I will stay up the whole night — this is called shou shui (literally, guarding sleep), not exactly sure what this is for but I believe it’s like a blessing to our parents, I’ve been practising this since I am young,” he adds.
According to Chinese belief, shou shui is performed when members of the family stay awake throughout the night after the reunion dinner. This is believed to welcome the New Year and pave for the longevity of parents.
Another expat, Siew-Ching Leong from Malaysia, recently visited, along with other Chinese mothers, her daughter’s school in Doha, to explain to the class about the tradition and customs during this special time. “In a small way, I hope this will help the children understand a bit more about my culture,” she says.
Since some expats have a difficulty finding shops here selling Chinese decor (where many symbolic traditions and good luck charms are involved), Siew-Ching plans to bring back lots of them and non-perishable Chinese New Year goodies when she goes home for the occasion.
“I am going to go home to Malaysia to celebrate it with my daughter, taking advantage of the fact that Qatar is not too far away from Malaysia. I am looking forward to her experiencing all the traditions and customs, first hand,” the mother says.
Based on tradition, the Chinese also follow the Sheng Xiao or the Chinese Zodiac, a twelve-year cycle, and each lunar year is symbolised by one of 12 animals or the circle of animals, (similar to the Western Astrology concept).  
Each animal represents a unique character trait for people born in that year. For this New Year, it is the Year of the Horse!  
Airy Tan, an expat from Malaysia, has also proved equal to the daunting task of looking for specific symbols every year, by bringing in, this time, items of common decor from home so that it can be used for the coming years.
This was evident when Community paid a visit to her home filled with reusable decor, like wall posters, lanterns, dragons, paper money, and displays which were brought from her last trip.
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, family members, regardless of distance, get together to celebrate and call it the Reunion Dinner.
“Back home, we would have dinner with our family, here in Doha we dine together with our friends in a Chinese Restaurant. Normally, we will form a table — that’s 10 people to a table. We will wear red outfit. We also visit each other’s house, and do some potluck.”
According to Tan, during home visits, it is customary to bring auspicious fruits like pineapple and oranges. On top of that, the children are given red packets (Hong Bao, Ang Pao, or Lai See), “They will be very happy receiving the packets, it doesn’t matter how much — our blessings are what matters,” she adds, a touch philosophically.
Although far from home, tradition still runs deep with the Chinese expatriates here. “We greet each other and say: “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, meaning, “Congratulations and be prosperous”, Airy says.

Lunar New Year
Some of us may be curious to know why the Chinese New Year dates change yearly. Experts say it is because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar. Chinese New Year is based on the astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude and the moon’s phases, where the new moon should fall closest to the beginning of spring. Hence, it is also called the Spring Festival.