Are You Ready to Celebrate Chinese New Year with Gong Xi Fa Cai?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Saint
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Year
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the celebration of Chinese New Year, specifically the Year of the Monkey, including cultural practices, greetings, and personal experiences related to the festivities. The scope includes cultural expressions, personal anecdotes, and community engagement during the holiday.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Participants share traditional greetings such as "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and "Kung Hei Fat Choy," noting variations in pronunciation and cultural significance.
  • Some participants mention the significance of red packets (hong bao) during the celebrations, with differing personal practices regarding their distribution.
  • There is a question about which animal represents the current year, with some humor regarding the implications of being born in the Year of the Monkey.
  • Concerns about the economy affecting traditional practices, such as the giving of red packets, are expressed by some participants.
  • Descriptions of personal experiences during the New Year celebrations, including family gatherings, fireworks, and cultural events, are shared.
  • Some participants discuss the large-scale movement of people in China during the New Year, comparing it to the population of Canada moving multiple times.
  • There are humorous exchanges regarding age and zodiac signs, with some confusion about the implications of being born in a specific year.
  • Participants reflect on the festive atmosphere in places like Hong Kong and Brunei, noting changes in spending and celebration practices compared to previous years.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion includes multiple competing views regarding cultural practices and personal experiences, with no clear consensus on specific traditions or interpretations of the New Year celebrations.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the timing of the New Year and the significance of various cultural practices, indicating a reliance on personal experience and local customs.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in cultural traditions, celebrations, and personal anecdotes related to Chinese New Year may find this discussion engaging.

Saint
Messages
438
Reaction score
0
Gong Xi Fa Cai
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Gong Xi Fa Cai

Hong bao na lai
 
Kung Hei Fat Choy

利是到來 (Character coding: BIG5)

In Chinese New Year, we have to say Kung Hei Fat Choy to every person we meet.
 
In Chinese New Year, we have to say Kung Hei Fat Choy to every person we meet.

Not in my family, i just address them and get the red packets.
 
I know I am ignorant but which animal is this the year of? :wink:
 
Originally posted by jimmy p
I know I am ignorant but which animal is this the year of? :wink:

monkey, is a bad year for bush since he looks like a monkey.
 
LOL! or maybe it is a good year for monkey-lookie-likies. Maybe he will be fired or something...
 
I think this thread started a little bit too early. In fact The Year of Monkey will start on 22rd Jan. :smile:
 
My pin yin may be out of whack, but nonetheless

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Chinese New Year is actually quite a big thing from where I am from in Brunei, even though only 20% of the population celebrates it. All the shops are emblazoned in red, but then again most of the businessmen here are Chinese. Fortune tellers are saying that the year of the monkey will be a good year, but isn't that the same thing they have said about other years?
 
  • #10
Heard that there will be something like one hundred million people moving around ('visiting relatives'...just like everyone else does) in China for this event, All of the population of Canada all moving around three times!

I am born in the year of the Monkey, '56...anyone smell banana?
 
  • #11
I am born in the year of the Monkey, '56...anyone smell banana?
Why can't your age be divisible by 12 if you're born in the year of the monkey ?

My pin yin may be out of whack, but nonetheless

Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Kung Hei Fat Choy :smile:
Your pin yin is probably better than mine cos I don't speak good Manderin. Cantonese is my mother tongue. That's why I speak Kung Hei Fat Choy (Cantonese) instead of Gong Xi Fa Cai (Manderin).
 
  • #12
Originally posted by KLscilevothma
(SNIP)[/color] Why can't your age be divisible by 12 if you're born in the year of the monkey ? (SNoP)[/color]

Why is it difficult to divide 48 by twelve? ("Soon to come... at an MRP near you..." HUH? FOURTY EIGHT!)

Kung Hei Fat Choy![/color]
 
  • #13
Originally posted by Mr. Robin Parsons
Heard that there will be something like one hundred million people moving around ('visiting relatives'...just like everyone else does) in China for this event, All of the population of Canada all moving around three times!

I am born in the year of the Monkey, '56...anyone smell banana?


Becareful if you are a monkey in the year of Monkey... all things might have a chance to go against you, but since New Year is coming, I'm suppose to say good things.

Wish you the best fortune and luck.
 
  • #14
Originally posted by PrudensOptimus
Becareful if you are a monkey in the year of Monkey... all things might have a chance to go against you, but since New Year is coming, I'm suppose to say good things.
Wish you the best fortune and luck.
Thanks, heard it is a year for "Change" (Nickles?? dimes??) and same to you...BTW could you tell me what "Luck" Actually is?
 
  • #15
Originally posted by Mr. Robin Parsons
Why is it difficult to divide 48 by twelve? ("Soon to come... at an MRP near you..." HUH? FOURTY EIGHT!)
oops, I thought you meant you were 56 years old. But I just realized what you meant was that you were born in 1956.

Kung Hei Fat Choy![/color]
:wink:
 
  • #16
Originally posted by Bubonic Plague
Hong bao na lai

Sorry, economy in malaysia is bad, this year no Ang Pow.
 
  • #17
Sorry, economy in malaysia is bad, this year no Ang Pow.

This isn't a good excuse. When the economy gets better, you owe me a meal. Have it fed-exed to my house.
 
  • #18
Originally posted by Saint
Sorry, economy in malaysia is bad, this year no Ang Pow.
Will you say this to your kid(s) ?
 
  • #19
just had dinner with whole family members
 
  • #20
Watching CCTV-4 right now :D
 
  • #21
As of Wednesday, 21st of January 2004, 11.57pm, I've earned $144 currently and about 1/4 there to an iPod.
 
  • #22
Originally posted by Bubonic Plague
As of Wednesday, 21st of January 2004, 11.57pm, I've earned $144 currently and about 1/4 there to an iPod.

11:57 pm on the 21st of January? And I thought you were from Europe (which is several timezones behind Asia). Or are you visiting Asia at the moment?

Your message was posted at 10:58 pm my time. You must be in Japan/NZ/Australia, but you cannot be in Europe.

EDIT: I don't mean any offense by the postings. I am just curious.
 
Last edited:
  • #23
Happy New Year to all! The fireworks here in my neighbourhood have been going on for the last 30 minutes, and I am a little deaf in the ear now. I'm looking forward to later in the day, as we will be having the lion dance and MORE firecrackers.
 
Last edited:
  • #24
Happy Chinese New Year! Wish you all good health and may all your wishes come true in the year of the monkey!

Bubonic Plague's clock is the same as mine. So I guess he may be in China, Singapore or Pillipine. The time now is 2am, 3 hours has already passed in the year of the monkey!

I did some shopping with my father tonight and went back home at 00.00. My neighbour detonated firecrackers not very far away from me when I just arrived home. Well, I'm not deaf yet. In fact, owning firecracker or firework is illegal here, though I feel glad to have some explosions nearby.

Once I went to mainland China to celebrate Chinese New Year. It was really fun to detonate firecrackers. My brother and I emptied the gunpowder inside several firecrackers, poured the gunpowder on the floor and ignited it. The powder then burnt like a mini-firework!
 
  • #25
11:57 pm on the 21st of January? And I thought you were from Europe (which is several timezones behind Asia). Or are you visiting Asia at the moment?

Your message was posted at 10:58 pm my time. You must be in Japan/NZ/Australia, but you cannot be in Europe.

EDIT: I don't mean any offense by the postings. I am just curious.

None taken. I'm from Singapore.

firecrackers.

I can't believe they banned fire crackers here. Something about people being injured...
 
  • #26
Live Long and Prosper
 
  • #27
Kung Hei Fat Choy Ya'all.
 
  • #28
Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
Kung Hei Fat Choy Ya'all.
Kung Hei, Kung Hei :wink:

Yesterday, which was the first day of the year of the monkey, there's a big show here in Hong Kong. The show will be broadcast in other parts of the world, including USA. :wink:

This year, Hong Kongers really have a cheerful Chinese New Year. Compared to the past few years, we are willing to spend more money buying things and eat in restaurants in this holiday.
 

Similar threads

How Do You Find The Surface Tension of Water? 14 years old; Science Fair Project
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
8K
A REAL new years resolution to save you money
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
October 12 to recall discoveries, and who was Saint Tammany?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
Graduate Integrate Fun Math Challenges for New Year's Celebration
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K