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A Guide to Understanding the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year and its associated traditions are not based on the Western and Abraham religions of Judaism, Islam, and its separate branches, as well as the other branches of the main Christian beliefs of Catholicism, Protestantism, and orthodoxy.
(Here is my behind the paywall link.)
However, the Chinese New Year does have some common features and similarities to the Western culture; for example, rather than gift-giving taking place during Christmas time, this process instead happens during the Chinese New Year.
Also, unlike the Western cultural model in East Asia, such as South Korea, Japan, and other cultures from the Confucian and Chinese associated cultural groups, the Chinese have a strong family tradition of honouring their ancestors and elders.
According to author and writer Louise Perry, the institution of the family has declined in Western development, particularly in the global North nations. People have become atomised from interactions with their families.
The Chinese Calendar
The beginnings of the Chinese calendar can be traced back to the 14th century B.C.E. Legend has it that Emperor Huangdi invented the calendar in 2637 B.C.E. He is also the legendary first Chinese Emperor known to history as the Yellow…
