Chinese New Year 2012

CHINESE NEW YEAR

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON 2012

Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year's day.
The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change, out with the old and in with the new!

The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements.

The chinese have many traditions, more so on New Year and they believe many different things:

• Certain events that occurred during New Year’s Day may impact your life for the rest of the year. 

• Everything associated with New Year's Day could represent good fortune. To single people, good fortune may mean love and romance.

The celebration actually starts on New Year's Eve with the reunion dinner. By New Year’s Eve, due to tradition some of the following customs are observed:

• Cleaning the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year.
• Put away all brooms and brushes.
• Pay respect to ancestors and household gods. Acknowledge the presence of ancestors because they are responsible for the fortunes of future generations.
• Open every door and window in your home at midnight to let go of the old year.

These are just a few of the Chinese traditions, that are carried out on Chinese New Years Eve. 

Red is Classed as a lucky colour, but it is bad luck to drop your chopsticks. 

Chinese New Year which starts on Monday 23 January 2012 is a great time to decorate your house in Chinese themed decorations and we have a vast selection of China party supplies, good luck Chinese lanterns and more.

Everyone at Party Tracker would like to wish you a prosperous and happy Chinese New Year!!

Festival of Hungry Ghosts - China

THE FESTIVAL OF HUNGRY GHOSTS - CHINA

TO BE HELD 14 August 2011

On the Chinese or Lunar 7th Month, the Hungry Ghost Festival is one where literally all hell breaks loose, as the gates of hell open out to let out the 'Hungry Ghosts' to Earth. Find out what needs to be done to appease them. Just as we have Halloween, the Chinese have their own version of a Ghost Festival. The Ghost Festival is celebrated mostly in South China, Hong Kong Twain, and especially in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is one that is taken very seriously by the Chinese and is a mix of Taoist/Folklore occasion. Filial Chinese Families celebrate this festival to pay tribute and remember there dead family members. Also, they pray to unknown Ghosts so that their wandering souls do not bring bad luck and misfortune to them. Another belief is that the wandering dead return to visit their living families during the 7th Month. So they prepare a sumptuous feast for the 'ghosts' to satisfy them and bring good luck and fortune to them. During the 7th Month celebrations, the Chinese pray to the deceased, burn Joss Sticks, Paper Money and offer Food. In Singapore and Malaysia, it is a common sight to see entertaining, 'wayang' or Chinese Opera and concerts on outdoor stages.
These events are always held at night, and are a very noisy and loud occasion, this is because they believe that the loud entertainment would attract and appease the Ghosts. There is a lot of superstition surrounding this festival: It is bad luck to go swimming, they believe that an evil ghost may drown you, Also they advise Children not to wander about late at night and to return home early in case anything may harm them.
The Chinese do a lot of offerings to the deceased. These offerings are such burning paper money, known as HELL MONEY , and even paper televisions or radios. A very important date is the 15 day of the Lunar 7th month , the Chinese cook lots of dishes to offer to the deceased. They do this to appease the dead and to bring good luck to their family, they believe that the Ghost will return to where they come from, after a month of merrymaking. At Party Tracker, we have a large selection of Girls fancy dress Chinese costume , China Paper Flags, and China Themed products for you to celebrate the festival of hungry ghosts in the UK.