Each country has its own customs and traditions. But there is one holiday that is common for almost all of us – New Year. This holiday is special, because people gather at the family table with their loved ones to celebrate the beginning of a new year. We all try to enjoy the celebration as much as possible. People want to spend the next year with love, happiness and success in all our endeavors. There is a wise saying: a good year beginning makes the whole year good.
Let’s compare the New Year’s celebration in Belarus and China. What are the similarities and differences between these two cultures?
When it happens
New Year in Belarus is really a very important holiday… In fact, it’s not New Year’s Day, the first of January, that people celebrate on a grand scale. Most of the activities falls on the night of December 31st – New Year’s Eve.

In China, the new year is celebrated during the new moon – the so-called «Chinese New Year» – Chunjie (Spring Festival). Celebration of the New Year in China begins on the first day of the new moon and lasts 15 days – until the full moon. Their New Year always comes between January 21 and the last days of February, when the end of the cold winter period comes, it becomes warm, the renewal of nature begins. Therefore, the New Year in China is called the Spring Festival. In China people watch the TV show «Spring Festival Gala» with the whole family.
Symbols
In their homes, Belarusians install artificial or live New Year’s trees, usually spruce trees. They decorate them with garlands and colorful ornaments. But in China, decorating a New Year’s tree is not considered a tradition.
Since mid-December, the streets and houses of Belarusian cities are lit up with flickering garlands. Signboards and shop windows turn into fabulous New Year’s compositions. In China people clean the room, and then hang Chinese knots and lanterns. Also they put the Spring Festival couplet and the word «Fu» (meaning “blessing”) on the door. The word «Fu» is put in the middle, and next to it there is the couplet. «Fu» is a symbol of happiness and good fortune.
Things people give to each other
Belarusians present postcards and various gifts to relatives and friends for New Year. Father Frost or Ded Moroz brings gifts to children in Belarus. They write him letters in advance with their wishes. Children find New Year’s gifts under the New Year’s tree on the night from December 31st to January 1st.
In China people also present different gifts to each other. However, there is an interesting fact that cups are usually not used as gifts in China. The thing is that in Chinese the pronunciation of the word 杯具 (bēijù) meaning “cups” is similar to the word 悲剧 (bēijù) meaning “tragedy” and it is considered bad luck.
Special Food and drink
Both Belarusians and Chinese prepare many different dishes so that the festive table is bursting with a variety of treats. The main dish of the Chinese table is jiaozi. These are dumplings, in the preparation of which the whole family takes part. On the Belarusian festive table there is a famous salad «Olivier» (Russian salad), pancakes with meat and mushroom filling, baked fish or chicken and of course different appetizers like cheese, pickles, cold cuts etc.

Other traditions
To make your dreams come true, you need to raise a glass of champagne at midnight and make a wish. It is better to write down your wishes and set them on fire. The ashes are dipped into a glass and drunk. Such a ritual should lead to the fulfillment of your wish.
«In the past, during the Chinese New Year, Kongming lanterns were set off to make wishes and fireworks were set off, but now people don’t do it anymore because they will damage the environment», – narrated by Wang Ruohan, a second year student.
Yulia Shevtsova, a second-year student, Periodical Press and Web Journalism Department
Wang Ruohan, Sunyan, Zhang Zixing, ZhangHongchang, second-year students, International Journalism Department, fact-checkers
Anastasia S. Petrovskaya, trainee teacher, proofreader
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