Chinese New Year 2015 – Happy New Year!

春节(chūn jié) Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most traditional and grand festival in China. It falls on the first of every January in the lunar calendar. 除夕(chú xī) Chinese New Year’s Eve is the last day of last year and means ringing out the old year and ringing in the new. There are three main activities in Chinese New Year’s Eve: having 团圆饭(tuányuán fàn) family reunion dinner or 年夜饭(niányè fàn) the dinner on new year’s evening, 祭祀(jìsì) offering sacrifices to ancestors and 守夜(shŏu yè) staying up. You can taste all kinds of food for Chinese New Year including different dishes, which includes dumplings and new-year’s rice-cake which is very popular in the south of China. When staying up, children can gain 压岁钱(yāsuì qián) gift money from their 长辈(zhăngbèi) seniorities, symbolizing good wishes for safeness. Many people also will put up 春联(chūnlián) Spring Festival couplets and New Year paintings on their doors and walls this day. 大年初一(dànián chūyī) The first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families 拜年(bàinián) visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. Celebrations for Chinese New Year vary from different places, but basically in China people will invite 舞龙舞狮(wǔlóng wǔshī) a dragon and lion dance troupe and 放鞭炮(fàng biānpào) set off fireworks and firecrackers as symbolic rituals to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.

On Chinese New Year, you can hear all kinds of greetings for Chinese New Year, such as “新年好(xīnnián hăo) Happy New Year!” and “新年快乐(xīnnián kuàilè) Happy New Year!” There are other common greetings such as “恭喜发财(gōngxǐ fācái),” which means “Wish You Great Prosperity!” and “蛇年吉祥(shénián jíxiáng),” which means “Good Luck in the Year of the Snake!,” for the upcoming Year of the Snake has become very popular. And now, text messages are a popular way for people to greet each other. Text message greetings for Chinese New Year are usually used by many people.

Huānhuānxǐxǐ yíng xīnnián, wànshìrúyì píng’ān nián,
1. 欢欢喜喜            迎    新年，   万事如意    平安      年，
Welcome the New Year happily! All will be well in the safe year;

yángméitǔqì shùnxīn nián, mèngxiăngchéngzhēn fācái nián,
扬眉吐气          顺心      年，         梦想成真                   发财  年，
feel proud and elated in the satisfactory year; hope your dreams come true in the wealthy year;

shìyè huīhuáng chénggōng nián, zhù jūn suìsuì yŏu hăo nián!
事业        辉煌          成功          年， 祝    君    岁岁   有    好   年！
Wish you a brilliant career in the successful year. Wish you well in the years to come!

Xīnnián zhùfú nǐ, hăoyùn péizhe nǐ,
2. 新年    祝福   你，好运       陪着   你，
Bless you in the New Year with good luck accompanying you,

cáishén gēnzhe nǐ, míngchē shǔyú nǐ,
财神        跟着    你，名车        属于  你，
with wealth following you, a name brand car belonging to you,

méiyùn duŏzhe nǐ, xǐshì wéirào nǐ. Wŏ ne shíshí bànzhe nǐ.
霉运       躲着    你，喜事  围绕   你。我   呢   时时    伴着    你。
misfortune avoiding you，and happy occasions around you. And for me, I will often accompany you.

There are many melodious songs for Chinese New Year which people sing or listen to during the Chinese New Year. Some popular and classic examples are “新年好(xīnnián hăo) Happy New Year!,” “欢乐中国年(huānlè zhōngguó nián) Happy Chinese New Year,” “过新年(guò xīnnián) Celebrations for Chinese New year,” and “恭喜恭喜(gōngxǐ gōngxǐ) Good Wishes to You,” etc. Here, we provide one of them for you to learn. If you want to learn more songs for Chinese New Year, please sign up for a free trial!

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恭喜恭喜(gōngxǐ gōngxǐ) Good Wishes to You

Měi tiáo dàjiē xiăoxiàng, měigèrén de zuǐlǐ;
每     条    大街    小巷，       每个人     的 嘴里；
Everyone meets each other in the streets and lanes;

Jiànmiàn dìyī jù huà, jiùshì gōngxǐ gōngxǐ.
见面          第一句 话， 就是    恭喜     恭喜。
And says good wishes to you as the first sentence.

Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ yɑ, gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ.
恭喜       恭喜    恭喜  你 呀，恭喜      恭喜   恭喜    你。
Good wishes to you, good wishes to you!

Dōngtiān yǐ dào jìntóu, zhēnshì hăo de xiāoxi;
冬天         已    到   尽头， 真是      好   的   消息；
It is really good news that the winter has come to an end

Wēnnuăn de chūnfēng, jiùyào chuīxǐng dàdì.
温暖           的     春风，     就要     吹醒      大地。
warm spring breeze wakes up the earth.

Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ yɑ, gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ.
恭喜       恭喜      恭喜   你 呀，恭喜      恭喜    恭喜    你。
Good wishes to you, good wishes to you!

Hàohào bīngxuě róngjiě, yăn kàn méihuā tǔruǐ;
皓皓        冰雪       溶解，   眼   看     梅花     吐蕊；
The snow has melted and the plum blossom is in bud;

Mànmàn chángyè guòqù, tīngdào yìshēng jītí.
漫漫             长夜       过去，  听到     一声     鸡啼。
Long night has past, and the cock crows.

Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ yɑ, gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ.
恭喜        恭喜    恭喜  你 呀，  恭喜       恭喜    恭喜    你。
Good wishes to you, good wishes to you!