❥ There are other stories that exist around New Year's and New Year's Eve. One in particular is the Nian and New Year's Eve. The Nian usually lives at the bottom of the sea, but it comes up once a year to feast on animals and humans. During this time, the villagers would flee to the mountains. One year, a beggar came to seek shelter, but everyone hurried away, ignoring him. An old woman helped him, and he promised to chase the Nian away. He busied himself with decorating the homes and at midnight, the Nian appeared but stopped when it saw red paper on the doors. Firecrackers resounded when it roared in anger, causing the Nian to tremble in fear. It ran away when it saw the beggar dressed in red, laughing at it.

The villagers returned the next day and were surprised that the homes weren't destroyed. They discovered that the Nian was weak to loud noises and the color red, so this is why families eat dinner in their homes fortified by red decorations, with firecrackers at midnight, on New Year's Eve. people would also wear new red clothing to celebrate.

❥ A tradition that Chinese people love are Spring Festival couplet poems. They are pasted on both sides of the doorframe, protecting the people from the Nian and other monsters. It is said to guard against demons who might wander around the human world at night, looking to cause trouble. They have to return to the Underworld at dawn. Any demons that harmed humans at night would be seized and fed to the tigers. People began to carve the gods' names, who guard the entrance of the underworld under a giant peach tree, into peach wood tablets to safeguard their homes and scare the demons away.

❥ During the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor ordered every household to decorate by pasting calligraphy of the word fú (福), which means happiness or fortune, to their doors. He sent soldiers to check to make sure every household did it but found that one illiterate family had pasted the word upside down. He ordered the family be executed, but the Empress jumped in to try to save them. She explained that "Upside down" (倒 / dào) is a homophone of "here" (到 / dào) so when it's upside down, it means that happiness or fortune is here. From that point on, people would hang the word upside down in remembrance of the Empress' kind act.

❥ Nuwa created humans out of yellow clay, but she realized the ears would freeze and crack off in the winter. She solved the problem by sewing the ears in place and putting them on the end of the thread in humans' mouths. To thank Nuwa, people molded dough into the shape of ears and stuffed it with meat and vegetables, instead of thread.

❥ Tusu wine (屠苏酒) is a drink that is specific to Chinese New Year. The story foretells a plague going around villages, killing many people. A man decided to put some herbs, leaves, and grains into bags, and brought one to each of his neighbors to tell them to soak the bag in water. They drank the water on New Year's Day, and they discovered this magical drink saved them from the plague. It became known as Tusu wine because it was named after his Tusu-structured home.

❥ According to old legends, there used to be an evil Nian, or spirit called Sui that would appear on New Year's Eve to pat the heads of sleeping children three times. The children would end up getting a fever, and even if they recovered, they would never be the same. One couple placed coins on red paper and left it on their child's pillow after playing with them with the child. When Suit arrived, the coins flashed and scared it away. From this moment on, the parents would give children money wrapped in red paper every New Year's Eve.

In another version of this old legend, a Nian would come out of the forest at night and devour entire villages. Parents would give children money that night so that they could bribe the monster or other evil spirits with.

By giving money to the children, the elders are hoping to pass on a year of good fortune and blessings. There are other versions in which younger generations will give them to the elderly as a blessing of longevity or a show of gratitude or married couples to unmarried friends to transfer some of their luck. This transition began in the Han dynasty and started as small collectibles instead of real money. There would be phrases and symbols like "Worldwide peace" (天下太平 / tiān xià tài píng), "Longevity and fortune" (千秋万岁 / qiān qiū wàn suì) engraved onto the surface.

❥ In one story, the Stove God would return to the heavens to report to the Jade Emperor about how each family was. He would return to Earth to bless or punish families, as the Jade Emperor ordered. This is why families make malt candy gourds to leave out at night (this is equivalent to leaving cookies for Santa Claus). The candy would sweeten the Stove God's mouth so he would only praise the family. It can also force his teeth to stick together so he wouldn't say bad things.

❥ Your zodiac animal year is known as your benming year (本命年 / běn mìng nián). During this entire year, you're prone to catching demons. The best way to protect yourself is to wear red underwear. It is also believed that before turning 100 days old, the souls of infants could be taken back at any time, so parents would gift their infants with a lock pendant. During the Liao dynasty, this year was known as rebirth, so people would celebrate their rebirth through a ceremony conducted by a priestess.

❥ The Lantern Festival is 15 days after the Spring Festival and marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. During this, people would light lanterns. This goes back to an old story, in which a heavenly swan was killed by a hunter when it visited the human world. The Jade Emperor wanted to send his knights and burn the earth to avenge its death. The lesser gods went to secretly warn the humans. On that night, the humans lit firecrackers and hung lanterns for each household. It seemed like the Earth was burning from the heavens, so it tricked the Jade Emperor and saved humanity from his wrath.

❥ Some people call the Lantern Festival Day as the true Chinese Valentine's Day.

❥ 2022 is the year of the Tiger and 2023 is the year of the Rabbit.

Long ago, the heavenly Jade Emperor came to the decision that time should be arranged into cycles of 12 years, with an earthly animal representing, and essentially guarding, each cycle. He announced that the first 12 animals who arrive at the Heavenly Gate will earn a place in the zodiac calendar in the order in which they pass through the Gate.

At that time, the Rat and Cat were great friends and neighbors. The Cat had a tendency to sleep in, so they made a pact to wake each other up early to go to the Heavenly Gate together. On the day of the race, the Rat woke up early but forgot its promise to the Cat in its excitement, so it went to the Heavenly Gate by itself.

While on its way to the Gate, the Rat came across a river that flowed very quickly. He was unable to cross it on its own, so it stopped and waited for the other animals to catch up. The Ox was the second to arrive at the river, so the Rat jumped into the Ox's ear to cross with it. The Ox didn't mind and continued towards the Heavenly Gate.

When they reached the shore, the Ox ran towards the palace. And right when it was about to pass through the Heavenly Gate first, the Rat jumped out of the Ox's ear, taking first place. The Ox came in second. The Tiger came in third, due to its agility and competitiveness. The Rabbit came in fourth, crossing the river by hopping from stone to stone.

The Dragon came in fifth by flying, though it stopped at a village on the way to bring rain to desperate farmers who needed it. The Jade Emperor said that Dragon's son could be sixth, but his son didn't come with him that day. The Snake came forward and said the Dragon was his adoptive father, so the Snake came in sixth, knocking the Horse out of the way. The Horse came in seventh.

The Goat, Monkey, and Rooster came in eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively after working together to build a raft to cross the river. The Dog was a great swimmer and runner, but it took its time to splash and bathe in the river, securing its place in the eleventh spot. The Pig took a nap in the middle of the race, so it took the last place in the zodiac cycle.

When the Cat arrived, the race was over. Other versions of the story say that the Rat pushed the Cat into the river when they crossed it together. Despite the version, the Cat fails to enter the zodiac and holds the Rat accountable, creating the belief that these two animals are sworn enemies.

❥ Nian: a beast in Chinese mythology that lives under the seas or in the mountains. Some say it resembles a flat-faced lion with the body of a dog and prominent incisor. Others describe it as larger than an elephant with two long horns and many sharp teeth.

❥ Nuwa: a Chinese goddess associated with fertility and marriage.

❥ Stove God: one the most important Chinese gods that protects the home and family.

❥ The Chinese zodiac animals have certain characteristics associated with them. Below are the personality traits for each Chinese zodiac animal:

Rat: quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, and kind. Your luck is associated with numbers 2 and 3; colors of blue, gold, and green; flowers like the lily and African violet; and west, northwest, and southwest directions.

Ox: diligent, dependable, strong, and determined. Your luck is associated with numbers 1 and 4; colors of white, yellow, and green; flowers like the tulip and peach blossom; and north and south directions.

Tiger: quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, and kind. Your luck is associated with numbers 1, 3, and 4; colors of blue, gray, and orange; flowers like the yellow lily and cineraria; and north, south, and east directions.

Rabbit: quiet, elegant, kind, and responsible. Your luck is associated with numbers 3, 4, and 6; colors of red, pink, purple, and blue; flowers like the plantain lily and jasmine; and northwest, south, and east directions.

Dragon: confident, intelligent, and enthusiastic. Your luck is associated with numbers 1, 6, and 7; colors of gold, silver, and grayish white; flowers like the bleeding-heart glory bower and dragon flowers; and north, south, and east directions.

Snake: enigmatic, intelligent, and wise. Your luck is associated with numbers 2, 8, and 9; colors of black, red, and yellow; flowers like the orchid and cactus; and east, west, and southwest directions.

Horse: animated, active, and energetic. Your luck is associated with numbers 2, 3, and 7; colors of yellow and green; flowers like the calla lily and jasmine; and east, west, and south directions.

Goat: calm, gentle, and sympathetic. Your luck is associated with numbers 2 and 7; colors of brown, red, and purple; flowers like carnations and primroses; and north direction.

Monkey: sharp, smart, and curious. Your luck is associated with numbers 4 and 9; colors of white, blue, and gold; flowers like the chrysanthemum and crape myrtle; and north, northwest, and west directions.

Rooster: observant, hardworking, and courageous. Your luck is associated with numbers 5, 7, and 8; colors of gold, brown, and yellow; flowers like the gladiola and cockscomb; and south and southeast directions.

Dog: lovely, honest, and prudent. Your luck is associated with numbers 3, 4, and 9; colors of red, green, and purple; flowers like the rose and cymbidium orchids; and east, south, and northeast directions.

Pig: compassionate, generous, and diligent. Your luck is associated with numbers 2, 5, and 8; colors of yellow, gray, brown, and gold; flowers like the hydrangea and daisy; and east and southwest directions.

❥ What year of the zodiac were you born in?

❥ What is your favorite Chinese zodiac animal?

❥ If you had the opportunity to rewrite the story, what would you change?

❥ What was something new you learned from this chapter?