Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of the Lunar New Year
Origins of the Lunar New Year
Knowledge check
Q1. Which lunar-based calendar system is the Chinese New Year traditionally based on?
- A. The Gregorian calendar
- B. The lunisolar calendar ✓
- C. The solar calendar
- D. The Julian calendar
Why: The Chinese New Year follows the lunisolar calendar, which tracks both the Moon's phases (months) and the Sun's position (solar terms). This is why the holiday falls on a different date each year, usually between late January and mid-February.
Q2. Roughly when does the Lunar New Year begin in the traditional calendar?
- A. At the winter solstice
- B. At the spring equinox
- C. At the new moon nearest the start of spring ✓
- D. At the first full moon of the year
Why: The festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month, which is the new moon that falls around the period between late January and February, marking the approach of spring.
Q3. How long is the traditional Lunar New Year celebration period?
- A. One day
- B. Three days
- C. Seven days
- D. Fifteen days ✓
Why: The celebration traditionally lasts about fifteen days, ending with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which is marked by lantern displays and the eating of sweet glutinous rice balls.
Q4. Which legendary creature is said to have been driven away by loud noises and red decorations, origin of several New Year customs?
- A. The dragon
- B. The phoenix
- C. The Nian beast ✓
- D. The qilin
Why: According to folklore, the Nian beast would emerge at the new year to attack villages. People discovered it feared loud noises and the color red, which led to firecrackers, red decorations, and red envelopes becoming central New Year customs.
Q5. Which animal sign does the Chinese zodiac assign to a year in a 12-year cycle, linked to Lunar New Year celebrations?
- A. Each year is associated with one of twelve animals ✓
- B. Each year is associated with one of ten elements
- C. Each year is associated with one of four seasons
- D. Each year is associated with one of six planets
Why: The Chinese zodiac assigns each year one of twelve animals (such as the Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on) in a repeating cycle. Each New Year is therefore named for its animal sign, which is a major part of the celebrations.
Module 2
Module 2: The Chinese Zodiac Calendar
The Chinese Zodiac Calendar
Knowledge check
Q1. How many animals are in the traditional Chinese zodiac cycle?
Why: The Chinese zodiac has 12 animals, each representing a year in a repeating 12-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Q2. Which animal comes first in the Chinese zodiac cycle?
- A. Ox
- B. Tiger
- C. Rat ✓
- D. Dragon
Why: The Rat is first in the cycle. According to legend, the animals were summoned by the Jade Emperor, and the Rat finished first by riding on the Ox's back and then leaping ahead at the finish line.
Q3. Which animal is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac?
- A. Tiger
- B. Snake
- C. Dragon ✓
- D. Horse
Why: The Dragon is the only mythical animal in the zodiac. The other eleven animals are real creatures that people in ancient China would have known about.
Q4. Which animal sign is the Year of the Rabbit?
- A. The fourth animal in the cycle ✓
- B. The sixth animal in the cycle
- C. The eighth animal in the cycle
- D. The tenth animal in the cycle
Why: The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the zodiac order (after Rat, Ox, and Tiger). In some regions, particularly Vietnam, the Rabbit is replaced by the Cat.
Q5. If someone was born in a Year of the Dog, which animal sign would the year 2030 be?
- A. Dog
- B. Rooster
- C. Pig ✓
- D. Monkey
Why: 2030 is a Year of the Pig. The zodiac repeats every 12 years, and 2018 was a Dog year, so 2030 (12 years later) is also a Dog year. However, the question's premise is off: 2030 falls on the Pig cycle position counted from 2019, and the Pig year occurs in 2019, 2031, and so on, so 2030 is a Dog year, not a Pig year. Please note the correct answer should be the Dog.
Module 3
Module 3: Preparing the Home: Cleaning and Decorations
Preparing the Home: Cleaning and Decorations
Knowledge check
Q1. Why do many families clean their homes thoroughly before Chinese New Year?
- A. To attract tourists to the neighborhood
- B. To sweep away misfortune and make room for good luck in the coming year ✓
- C. Because the government requires it by law
- D. To prepare for the spring planting season
Why: Cleaning before Chinese New Year is traditionally seen as sweeping away bad luck and misfortune from the previous year, making space for prosperity in the new year.
Q2. Why is sweeping or vacuuming typically avoided during the first few days of the New Year?
- A. Dust is considered harmful to health during the holiday
- B. It is believed that sweeping could sweep away the good luck that has just arrived ✓
- C. Brooms are reserved for religious ceremonies
- D. Households are busy visiting relatives and have no time
Why: Many families avoid sweeping during the first days of the New Year so that the good fortune brought in with the new year is not swept out of the house.
Q3. Which color is most commonly used for decorations such as couplets and lanterns during Chinese New Year?
- A. Blue
- B. Black
- C. Red ✓
- D. White
Why: Red symbolizes luck, joy, and prosperity in Chinese culture, so it dominates New Year decorations like couplets, paper cuttings, and lanterns.
Q4. What is the purpose of spring couplets (chunlian) pasted on doorframes?
- A. To serve as directions for guests
- B. To show the family's social rank
- C. To express hopes and blessings for the coming year ✓
- D. To mark the boundaries of the family property
Why: Spring couplets are poetic phrases written on red paper that express wishes for good fortune, health, and prosperity in the new year.
Q5. Why is the character 福 (fu, meaning 'blessing' or 'good fortune') often displayed upside down?
- A. It is a printing mistake that became a tradition
- B. It signals that the character is a decorative design only
- C. The word for 'upside down' sounds like 'arrival,' so it suggests good fortune is arriving ✓
- D. It shows respect for ancestors who are buried underground
Why: In Chinese, 'upside down' (dao) sounds similar to 'arrive' (dao), so an upside-down 福 is a homophonic wish that good fortune will arrive.
Module 4
Module 4: Reunion Dinners and Festive Foods
Reunion Dinners and Festive Foods
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the name of the family meal eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year?
- A. Dumpling feast
- B. Reunion dinner ✓
- C. Lantern banquet
- D. Moon cake supper
Why: The reunion dinner (nian ye fan, 年夜饭) is a special meal on New Year's Eve where family members gather together, often traveling long distances to be present, to symbolize unity and togetherness.
Q2. Why are dumplings commonly eaten during Chinese New Year?
- A. Because they are the cheapest food available
- B. Because their shape resembles ancient gold ingots, symbolizing wealth ✓
- C. Because they can be prepared in under ten minutes
- D. Because they are only sold during the New Year season
Why: Dumplings (jiaozi) are shaped like old Chinese silver or gold ingots, so eating them is believed to bring wealth and prosperity in the coming year.
Q3. Which food is eaten during Chinese New Year because its name sounds like the word for 'abundance' or 'surplus'?
- A. Noodles
- B. Rice cakes
- C. Fish ✓
- D. Tofu
Why: The Chinese word for fish (yu, 鱼) sounds like the word for surplus or abundance (yu, 余). Fish is therefore served, and often a whole fish is kept until the end of the meal to represent a surplus carried into the new year.
Q4. What do long noodles served during Chinese New Year represent?
- A. A fast start to the year
- B. Good fortune and long life ✓
- C. Success in school exams
- D. A safe journey for travelers
Why: Long noodles are eaten uncut to symbolize longevity, so that the eater will enjoy a long and healthy life. Breaking or cutting them is considered unlucky.
Q5. Which food is traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year as a symbol of reunion and completeness?
- A. Round glutinous rice balls (tangyuan) ✓
- B. Spring rolls
- C. Moon cakes
- D. Sesame balls
Why: Round foods like tangyuan symbolize completeness, togetherness, and family reunion. Their round shape represents a full, harmonious family, though tangyuan are more strongly associated with the Lantern Festival that ends the New Year period.
Module 5
Module 5: Red Envelopes and Gift Giving
Red Envelopes and Gift Giving
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the traditional name for the red envelope given during Chinese New Year?
- A. Hóngbāo ✓
- B. Jīnqián
- C. Fúdài
- D. Chūnlián
Why: Hóngbāo (红包) means 'red envelope' and is the common term for the money-filled envelopes given during Chinese New Year. Jīnqián means 'money,' Fúdài is a type of decorative gift bag, and Chūnlián refers to the spring couplets displayed on doors.
Q2. What color is traditionally used for red envelopes during Chinese New Year?
- A. Gold
- B. White
- C. Red ✓
- D. Blue
Why: Red is considered auspicious and symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity, and it is believed to ward off evil spirits. This is why red envelopes are the traditional color for gift money.
Q3. Who typically gives red envelopes during Chinese New Year?
- A. Only children give them to elders
- B. Married adults and elders give them to younger, unmarried relatives
- C. Only business owners give them to employees
- D. Only grandparents give them to grandchildren
Q4. Why should money inside a red envelope be given in an even number?
- A. Even numbers are cheaper to give
- B. Even numbers are believed to bring balance and harmony, while odd numbers are associated with funerals ✓
- C. Odd numbers are unlucky because they cannot be divided
- D. The envelope only fits even numbers of bills
Why: In Chinese culture, even numbers symbolize harmony and completeness, and they are considered lucky. Odd numbers, particularly in some contexts, are associated with funerals or misfortune, so gifts of money are typically given in even amounts.
Q5. What is the traditional guideline for handling a red envelope when receiving it?
- A. Open it immediately in front of the giver to show gratitude
- B. Throw the envelope away after removing the money
- C. Accept it with both hands and wait to open it until later ✓
- D. Return it politely if the amount seems too small
Why: Accepting a gift with both hands shows respect, and it is customary to wait to open the envelope later, often in private, so the recipient does not appear overly focused on the amount of money.
Module 6
Module 6: Traditions and Customs of the Festival Days
Traditions and Customs of the Festival Days
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the traditional color most associated with Chinese New Year decorations, believed to ward off evil spirits?
- A. Blue
- B. Red ✓
- C. White
- D. Green
Why: Red is considered a lucky color in Chinese culture, symbolizing good fortune, joy, and prosperity. It is widely used on decorations, couplets, and red envelopes to drive away the mythical beast Nian and bring good luck for the year ahead.
Q2. What are the red envelopes given during Chinese New Year called?
- A. Hongbao ✓
- B. Jiaozi
- C. Nian gao
- D. Tangyuan
Why: Red envelopes are called hongbao (or lai see in Cantonese). They typically contain money and are given by married couples and elders to children and younger relatives as a blessing for good luck and prosperity.
Q3. Which food is traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year because its shape resembles ancient gold or silver ingots?
- A. Dumplings ✓
- B. Fish
- C. Noodles
- D. Rice cakes
Why: Dumplings, called jiaozi in northern China, are shaped like ancient Chinese silver or gold ingots. Eating them is believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and families often make them together on New Year's Eve.
Q4. What is the name of the family reunion dinner held on New Year's Eve?
- A. Spring Feast
- B. Reunion Dinner ✓
- C. Lantern Banquet
- D. Dragon Supper
Why: The Reunion Dinner, or tuanyuan fan, is the most important meal of the year. Family members, including those who have travelled far, gather to share a festive meal together, emphasizing family unity and togetherness.
Q5. Which activity is traditionally associated with the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations on the fifteenth day?
- A. Dragon boat racing
- B. Mooncake sharing
- C. Lantern festival ✓
- D. Kite flying
Why: The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year period on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. People display and carry colorful lanterns, and eat tangyuan, sweet glutinous rice balls, symbolizing family reunion and completeness.
Module 7
Module 7: Celebrations Around the World
Celebrations Around the World
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the common name for the Chinese New Year festival?
- A. Mid-Autumn Festival
- B. Spring Festival ✓
- C. Dragon Boat Festival
- D. Lantern Festival
Why: Chinese New Year is widely known as the Spring Festival in China because it marks the beginning of spring in the traditional lunar calendar. The Mid-Autumn, Dragon Boat, and Lantern festivals are separate celebrations held at other times of the year.
Q2. Chinese New Year is based on which type of calendar?
- A. Solar calendar
- B. Gregorian calendar
- C. Lunisolar calendar ✓
- D. Julian calendar
Why: The festival follows the lunisolar calendar, which tracks both the phases of the moon and the position of the sun. Because of this, the date changes each year and usually falls between late January and mid-February.
Q3. Which animal is traditionally associated with the Chinese zodiac and often featured in New Year decorations?
- A. Panda
- B. Dragon ✓
- C. Tiger
- D. Crane
Why: The dragon is one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and symbolizes power, luck, and strength. Each year is named after one of the twelve zodiac animals in a repeating cycle.
Q4. What is the traditional food eaten during Chinese New Year to symbolize wealth and prosperity?
- A. Dumplings shaped like gold ingots ✓
- B. Sushi rolls
- C. Tacos
- D. Pancakes
Why: Dumplings are shaped like ancient gold or silver ingots, so eating them is believed to bring wealth in the coming year. Families often make dumplings together as part of the New Year celebration.
Q5. What is the traditional gift given to children during Chinese New Year to bring good luck?
- A. Red envelopes containing money ✓
- B. Toy cars
- C. Books
- D. Chocolate coins
Why: Adults give children and unmarried young people red envelopes, called hongbao, filled with money. The color red represents good fortune and is believed to ward off evil spirits.