tour 10 of 11
Chinese New Year
Printed money envelope
The inscription on the diamonds at the top of
this brightly coloured envelope says 'Happy New
Year'. The character on the red decorative hanging is
fu, 'good
fortune'. It is presented upside down, to encourage the
good fortune to pour out. This is similar to the English custom of
placing a horseshoe with the open side facing down, in order that
the good luck may spill
out.
Two children beat out
loud music surrounded by firecrackers and shining stars. When
Chinese celebrations are going well, people talk about
renao, the noisiness and
excitement created by people getting together.
Re means
'hot';
nao means
'hustle and bustle'. The Chinese character for nao
is the character for 'market-place' inside a
'doorway'.
The
sound of firecrackers exploding can be deafening at Chinese New
Year. However, for safety reasons, they have been banned in big
cities in China, such as Beijing, except at organised
displays.