It's out with the goat and in with the monkey for any onecelebrating the Chinese New Year.
Today marks the first day of the Chinese New Year and representsa changing of the guard in the Chinese zodiac calendar.
"In China, each year is designated by one of 12 animal signs.Last year was the year of the goat, now we are entering the year ofthe monkey," said De-An Wu Swihart, associate professor ofChinese.
The scheme for counting years in the Chinese calendar is to usea 12-year cycle instead of inventing new symbols.
"This way in China nobody asks you your age or birthday, theyjust ask you your sign, and they can guess whether you are 12, 24,36 and so on," Swihart said.
But the animal zodiac is only a small part of what the new yearmeans as a part of Chinese culture.
"When I was a kid it was fun because there were lots offireworks and colorful festivities," said Lung-Kee Sun, historyprofessor. "Elders would also give us red envelopes with a littlebit of money in them."
Aside from viewing spectacular light shows, the Chinese alsoparticipate in other more solemn traditions each New Year.
"It is very much a family holiday, so everyone spends the daytogether, giving gifts and congratulating their neighbors andfriends on the New Year," Swihart said.
After exchanging gifts it's customary to dine on a symbolicfeast.
"Most of the foods eaten at the New Year's banquets have namesthat are homonyms for being very auspicious," Sun said.
An example is black moss seaweed, which is a homonym forexceeding in wealth, he said.
While wealth is a common theme during the Chinese New Year,fertility is the most significant.
"In a traditional dinner, everyone serves lotus seeds becausethey signify having many offspring," said Swihart. "As you can see,all of the traditions are very different from the ones (in theUnited States)."
The Chinese New Year is celebrated in other ways that differfrom western New Year's Day celebrations.
"We always celebrate Chinese New Years on a different day,"Swihart said.
The reason for this has to do with the lunar calendar used inChina, she said.
"The Chinese calendar is based on the location of the moon,while (Western) calendars are based on the location of the sun.That is why there is a difference," Swihart said.
When compared with the solar calendar we use, the Chinese NewYear falls on a different day every year.
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association at The Universitywill be holding a traditional Chinese New Year celebration at 2p.m. Saturday at the Michael Rose Theatre. The festivities are opento everyone and will include traditional Chinese dance and martialarts performances.
"So many Chinese people (in the United States) cannot celebratewith their families (because they live overseas)," said Swihart."But this allows them to celebrate the New Year as acommunity."
