Chinese New Year 2022: What gifts to give in the Year of the Tiger?

Festive and hectic January is coming to an end. However, at the end of the month we will still have a reason to feast. Next week, on the night of January 31 to February 1, you can celebrate the new year in Chinese. This night is the second new moon after the winter solstice (December 21). This event in China is considered the beginning of the countdown: it is at this time, according to long-standing traditions, that the new symbol of the year comes into force. How is it customary to celebrate this date, and what should you definitely give to your loved ones? Read in our material

Chinese New Year 2022: exact time and how to meet

The date and duration of the Chinese New Year changes each time. And all because it directly depends on the lunar cycle. The tradition of such a reckoning was formed in the Celestial Empire in the 14th century, so next week the Chinese will meet not 2022, but 4720. It will start

January 31 at 23.00 Kiev time and will last until January 21 next year. The symbol of the year according to the Chinese calendar will be Black (Blue, Cyan) Water Tiger.

Unlike our new year, in the Celestial Empire with the second new moon, the arrival of spring is celebrated. The holiday is called Chun Jie (Spring Festival), and symbolizes renewal and everything connected with the beginning of a new life. The Chinese used to celebrate Chun Jie for a whole month, and only in the last few hundred years have the celebrations been reduced to a "modest" two weeks. The celebration ends with a large-scale Chinese Lantern Festival (this year on February 15), which is released into the sky throughout the country.

If you want to celebrate the New Year in Chinese, then remember that the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom value traditions very much. So, a few days before the holiday, it is customary to carry out a general cleaning in the house and get rid of unnecessary things without regrets. After that, it is necessary to decorate the house: usually the Chinese hang "couplets" on the walls and on the doors - these are paired wishes on red paper. Red ribbons and red paper lanterns are also welcome in the decor.

The traditional Christmas tree for the Chinese New Year should already be removed. Indeed, instead of her, in the Celestial Empire they dress up a dwarf tangerine tree in a pot. If you do not have such a tree, you can choose something suitable from indoor plants - for example, it will be very symbolic to decorate a money tree with red ribbons on this holiday.

Also remember that it is customary to celebrate the New Year in China at home and with family - on New Year's Eve, according to tradition, all relatives and friends should gather at the same table. Therefore, on the eve of the holiday, young Chinese travel to all corners of the country to spend this holiday with representatives of the older generation. But you need to visit guests and congratulate friends in the 15 days following the holiday, so you will have a good reason to organize friendly gatherings for the weekend.

Chinese New Year 2022: what is customary to give for the holiday

In China, it is not customary to present valuable gifts on New Year's Eve. Most often, the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom give each other pleasant little things and symbolic souvenirs. The exceptions are children and next of kin. They are usually given hongbao, red envelopes in which a small amount of money is invested (50-100 yuan or 300-500 UAH). By the way, the money received as a gift for the new year must be spent on something useful.

One of the symbolic gifts in China are tangerines (symbol of abundance). But remember that there must be a pair of them - these are 2, 6, 8 or 12 pieces. But the number 4 in Asian countries is trying to be avoided: the fact is that its name sounds exactly the same as the word "death". Therefore, giving some items in the amount of 4 pieces is considered a very bad omen: such a present will attract illness to the house and can become a source of failure for the donor.

In general, any couple gifts for the New Year will be very handy. So you can safely give family and friends socks, slippers, gloves, paired sets of dishes (for example, two cups) or towels. You can also bring two bottles of good alcohol as a gift (in China this is considered a rule good taste) or a paired set of sweets - for example, cakes or traditional rice in the East cookies.

If you want to focus on the holiday, you can bring as a gift figurine or vase depicting the symbol of the year, the Tiger. Such a souvenir, according to legend, will bring good luck to the house and protect it from negative energy. And if you are a supporter of useful and healthy gifts, then the best solution would be tea set. But keep in mind that tea bags are not recognized in China, so it is better to choose more expensive loose leaf teas for a present.

Remember that a gift also needs to be given correctly: in China, it is done in private, always with two hands and by seniority - from the oldest family member to the youngest. By the way, before the Chinese exchanged presents at the end of the holiday, leaving the guests. However, now it is believed that you can give gifts when it is convenient for the owners of the house. This is usually done at night, right after the New Year.

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