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Why is Chinese New Year called Guo Nian?
The Nian retreated to the mountains or under the sea from where it came. But they will never test fate again. As long as they perform these tasks every year, they can keep the Nian at bay. That’s why Chinese New Year is known as Guo Nian, which means “crossing the Nian.”
What does Guo Nian mean?
Pass the Year
In Chinese parlance, it’s simply Guo Nian. “Spring Festival”, by the way, is an apt translation. Literally “Guo Nian” means “Pass the Year”. According to legend, the “Year” (pronounced Nian in Mandarin) is an animal, a man-eating and havoc-wrecking beast.
Why is it called the Spring Festival?
The oldest and most important festival in China is the Spring Festival, which marks a new year on the lunar calendar. The Spring Festival represents the desire for a new life. It’s called the Spring Festival because it marks the beginning of spring and the end of winter.
What is the story of Nian?
Long, long ago in ancient China, there was a fierce beast called “Nian”. Its head looked like a lion with a sharp horn on it which could be used to attack its prey. It lived at the bottom of the sea most of the time and would go ashore only on the last day of the lunar year to eat people and livestock.
What is Chinese Nian?
According to Chinese mythology, a ‘Nian’ (simplified Chinese: 年兽; traditional Chinese: 年獸; pinyin: nián shòu) is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. The character nian more usually means “year” or “new year”.
What does the name Nian mean?
Nian. According to Chinese mythology, a Nian is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. Once each spring, on or around Chinese New Year, it comes out of hiding to attack people, and prefers children.
What is another name for Spring Festival?
‘Spring Festival’ refers to the same festival more commonly known in English as the ‘Chinese New Year’. In China, Spring Festival is the common name for Chinese Lunar New Year.
What do we say in Spring Festival?
Mandarin is the most common dialect in China, and people often use the phrase “Happy Spring Festival” at this time of year. In Mandarin that would be 春节快乐, pronounced “chūn jiē kuài lè”.
Why is the story of Nian important?
Many existing customs and activities of the festival actually can be traced back to a popular story of the Monster Nian, which helps to explain why and how the festival is celebrated. Therefore, every time before the New Year’s Eve, all the villagers would escape to remote mountains to avoid Nian’s attack.
Is the Nian a dragon?
Long long ago deep down in the sea, there lived a ferocious monster named Nian. The fabled creature appeared as half-dragon, half-unicorn. Legend says that on the eve of every New Year, “Nian” would descend upon the nearby village and devour the grain, the livestock and the townspeople.
Is Nian a boy or girl?
Nian
| Name | Nian |
|---|---|
| Meaning | One who Knows |
| Gender | Boy |
| Numerology | 2 |
Why is Chinese Spring Festival important?
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important celebration observed in China, with cultural and historic significance. The festival signals the beginning of spring, and the start of a new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.