Year of the Rat: A New Cycle Begins
As Chinese New Year traditions are lost and forgotten in the rush of modern life, a few individuals and organizations are working to keep those traditions alive
By Kerry Miller
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envelopes) in a bowl on the bed, that’s only our custom.”
Starting Jan. 23, this year families could start doing the new year’s cleaning, and temples can be prepared for the new year.
“On the 24th day of the lunar calendar, in the 12th month,” explains Pang, “you can’t ‘t-off’ the Kitchen God. There’s a deity known as the Kitchen God, it oversees the household and reports up to heaven to kind of tattle-tale on the good and bad of everybody. After he leaves, then that means that all the deities and gods are on vacation, so you can do your house cleaning; you can do everything without a watchful eye over you.”
Following this, he says, “Chinese just try to pay off all their old debts. After Chinese New Year, they start worrying about tax season.
“Chinese New Year is really a religious holiday. It’s not just a holiday or a day the new year comes. There’s the religious part, giving thanks for the old year, and after we do that we can get ready to prepare for the new year. Getting rid of the old and starting fresh.”
With 2008 being the Year of the Rat, it definitely goes with the idea of starting fresh. The rat is the first animal in a zodiac cycle of 12, part of the Chinese lunar calendar. Each cycle lasts 60 years and we are in the second cycle of the Year of the Rat. Chinese New Year begins Feb. 7 this year and ends next year on Jan. 25.
Speaking of the Year of the Rat, Pang and his “team” are excited to celebrate this year at the Honolulu Chinatown festivities.
Pang’s Kuo Min Tang Physical Culture Association is performing lion and dragon dances at some big events.
“We’re performing in Chinatown Feb. 1 and 2. We’re opening the street fair on Maunakea Street, at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, and (performing again) at night on stage. In the parade (Feb. 7, Chinese New Year’s Day), that’s where we’ll be playing the 150-foot golden big dragon,” says Pang, who reveals that it takes 17 people to play the dragon, and with the musicians that go along with them, it totals about 23 people. “Chinese people like to see these auspicious animals come out; it’s like a good omen to see them.”
Also, on Chinese New Year’s Eve and on Chinese New Year Day several Chinese restaurants have requested the group to come and do their lion dance at their respective establishments.
The lion and dragon costumes they use for their performances are brought in from China, says Pang.
“We don’t have the material to build them here; we don’t have the craftsmen. Whenever we have a chance, we’ll bring in a new one. That’s another story, how we bless them. It’s a Taoist ritual; we have to use rooster’s blood and you dab it with blood. All we do is pinch the comb of the rooster and use the blood,” he explains, adding that no harm is done to the animal.
At the end of the year, other rituals are performed in the temples like making sacrifices to ancestors and to heaven and earth. From Chinese New Year Day to the 15th day there are many other minor rituals, like on the fourth day is when the gods come back to work, they come and do divinations for the new year.
The seventh day is everybody’s birthday, and the ninth day is Jade Emperor’s birthday. The 15th day is the lantern festival, which, Pang says, brings New Year’s to a climax.
“That’s the first full moon of the year,” he explains.
For a complete list of what’s happening in Chinatown for Chinese New Year, check out www.ChinatownHi.com, or for more information, call 948-2007.
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