The Chinese New Year
will begin on February 10, 2024
.
It will be commanded by the Dragon, the most revered in the Asian nation and the only creature in the Chinese Horoscope.
which is not a real animal.
In this year, 4722 according to the lunisolar calendar, the ruling element will be wood.
Ludovica Squirru Dari
, the famous author and expert in Chinese astrology, details in her new book,
Chinese Horoscope 2024: Wooden Dragon
(Editions B), the predictions for a year that will culminate on January 28, 2025, when she will give way to the year of the Wood Serpent, the “karmic sister” of the dragon.
The Chinese worldview is mainly fed by three great ancient schools: Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.
Therefore, in their mythology we find legends that today have become customs and ceremonies during the celebration of a new lunar year.
In dialogue with
Clarín
, Squirru describes what the deployment is like on the most important date for the Asian giant: “The Chinese, before a new year, try to make a very strong order of cleaning in the houses, removing everything that is no longer useful , what is cutting, mirrors that cut, take out, out, out.
They do a
truly physical and spiritual cleansing
and prepare altars to receive the dead.”
Cleaning should always be done before the new period begins, if done after it is believed that this drives away good luck.
It generally occurs on New Year's Eve (
Chúxi
, in Chinese), the last day of the year, a date on which members of the Chinese community from all over the world travel to spend the holidays with their family in one of the movements most important annual migrations.
“Crowds are moving,
crowds arriving from abroad
to join their families.
At the same time, afterwards they have no more holidays throughout the year.
So they celebrate from the beginning with that famous dragon dance that goes around the world.
This year they are going to celebrate much more because for them the Dragon is the most important symbol in China," Ludovica explained.
The astrologer also announced that it is very likely that in 2024 there will be "a
baby boom
" because many will try to "have dragon children", since it is thought that they will be blessed with good luck, strength and wisdom.
Rituals for Chinese New Year: banquet, gifts and how they drive away evil spirits
Once the house is cleaned, several red signs are placed at the entrance.
There are two vertical strips that are glued to each side of the house door frame and a horizontal one that goes on top of the top frame.
They all have a good omen message written on them.
Also located in the upper center of the door is a diamond-shaped sign with
the Fu symbol
, which means “blessings.”
The house is decorated with images of the dragon, the king of the heavens for the Chinese.
Photo: Shutterstock illustration
The inside of the houses is decorated with images of the sign they are about to receive and
no one should wear black
or white clothing.
Red and gold are the colors par excellence, since a legend maintains that thousands of years ago, on New Year's Eve, a demon called
Nian
emerged from the depths of the sea , who fears this color and the strident lights and sounds. which led to the launching of firecrackers and fireworks during the party.
That same night, with the family gathered, a banquet of several traditional dishes is cooked.
Among them, a fish is cooked (since its sound is similar to that of the word “money”) and then dumplings
(rice-filled dumplings)
are prepared .
One of the
dumplings will have
a small coin
in the filling
, an excellent omen of prosperity for the diner whose turn it is.
Later, the Hóngbao is delivered, a
red envelope
that the elders give to the children of the family with some money inside.
On other special occasions, such as a wedding, they are also given to the newlyweds.
Those who receive them
should not open them publicly
until later, when they are alone.
The little ones receive a red envelope with money from their elders.
Photo: Shutterstock illustration
The Hóngbao tradition is also interpreted as the wish for
a prosperous and healthy life
, since wishes of good fortune for its recipient are written on the outside of the envelope.
After midnight, children and adults welcome the New Year with fireworks, sparklers and sounds.
The Spring Festival (
Chūnjié
in Chinese) ends two weeks later;
in sync with the next full Moon, when the
Yuan Xiao
or
Lantern Festival
is celebrated .
That night, paper lanterns are illuminated and a tribute is offered to the deceased.
The astrologer indicated: “They entrust themselves to them to continue helping them, that is,
they also ask for protection
, that they do not lack work, a lot of holistic health, they always try to compensate for everything they feel that they have inherited as learning, so that “It is very interesting, the connection with family members who are no longer here.”
The words "fish" and "money" sound the same in Chinese, which is why it is prepared at Chinese New Year dinner.
Photo: Shutterstock illustration
Ludovica lived through the Chūnjié of 1988 in China, when the Earth Dragon was welcomed.
When remembering that party, she highlighted the importance that society gives to energy cleansing and offerings before starting to prepare the banquet.
“In addition to preparing themselves, they pay tribute to the oven because
the god of the kitchen
is there , so that they always have food,” she explained.
The symbolism of any ceremony is what gives them a lot of power in our daily lives and, because of this, some traditions can be adapted.
We can, for example, make our own red envelope writing wishes for the coming year and place some bills or coins inside as a good omen.
In any case, from all corners of the planet it is possible to take advantage of the beginning of the Year of the Wood Dragon to plan and act accordingly.