Chinese New Year Chi

The Chinese New Year can begin anytime between the 21st of January and the 18th of February. The date the new year begins can vary because it is base on the Chinese Lunar calendar. The official new year date is set based on when the second new moon after winter solstice occurs. Each year is referred to by one of 12 particular animals. In 2009, we are entering the year of the Ox.
January 26, 2009, is the beginning of the Chinese year 4707.

There are twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac. The are known as the original animals.The animal names repeat, so that every twelve years you have the same animal name again.
There are several stories about how these twelve animals came about, but our favorite is that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came, and he named a year after each one of them. He announced that people would have some of the personality of the animal whose year they were born in. And thus the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar gained their part in the Zodiac. Notice that the male form of animals used in naming the years.

This repeating 12 animal system is only half of the Chinese calendar, which is actually a 60 year repeating system.

In the Chinese culture, the color red is cheerful, happy, and lucky. People wear red clothes for Chinese New Year to attract good luck. Poems, and Chun Lian (spring couplets) are traditionally written on red paper and used as decorations and gifts. A traditional gift to give to children and unmarried people is a red envelope with a crisp new dollar in it.
Red is the color of fire, which is traditionally thought to drive away bad luck and negative energy. Setting off fireworks, and other forms of making noise are traditionally used on Chinese New Year for the same reason. It is a way of sending out the old year, and welcoming in the new year. All of the windows and doors must be open in the house at the stroke of midnight to allow the old year, and all the bad luck, to go out.
In the past, stalks of bamboo were lit on fire. it was thought that the crackling fire would frighten evil spirits away.

Chinese New Year is also known as "Guo Nian", which means the passover of Nian.
Legend says that there was a monster in ancient China with a body of a bull and a head of lion. This ferocious monster is known as Nian. Nian lived in the mountains and hunted to survive. By the end of winter, it's hunger would embolden Nian to attack villages.
The villagers feared life over the winter until they realized that Nian was afraid of three things: the color scarlet (bright-red colour inclining toward orange), fire, and noise.
The villagers met and decided that when Nian was spotted coming down the mountain they would start a fire in front of every door, hang a scarlet boardat the front of every house, and make lots of noise.
As planned, when Nian was sighted coming down the mountain, they started their fires, hung their scarlet boards, and stayed up all night lighting fireworks of all sizes, and beating on drums and gongs. Nian saw the scarlet of the boards and fires, and heard the noise of the fireworks and drums, and went back up the mountain not to return.
A large celebration ensued the next morning as they had driven off Nian and saved themselves.
The same ritual was preformed again the next year, and has been repeated each year since, thus establishing the custom of "Guo Nian".

A salt cure is used to absorb stale or negative energy from a room or space. A new salt cure can be started at any time of year as they are needed, but a fresh start is always in order for the Chinese New Year.

A salt cure can be very simple. Since everything is made of energy, we intend for our salt cures to work even though we do not use completely traditional materials for them.
A salt cure is made using a glass or ceramic container, water, salt, and 6 coins.
1. We like to go to a store and pick out one 12 to 16 oz. glass to be used for our salt treatment.
2. Next we fill it about 3/4 of the way full of rock salt. Rock salt is available in almost any grocery store; it is commonly used for making ice cream.
3. On top of the salt, you place your 6 coins "character side up". Traditionally Chinese i-ching coins are used. We intend that as Americans, American coins would work for us. We chose to use six pennies, and have had wonderful results. We put these face side up.
4. Next you fill your container with tap water.
5. Continue to add water as necessary.

The expected result is that as the salt absorbs the negative energy from the room, it will crystallize around the top of the glass and down the sides. For this reason, it is recommended to use a mat of some sort to protect your furniture. Depending on the energy of the room where you place it, you may want a large mat that you don't mind getting rid of.

We originally decided to use a piece of tinfoil with the edges bent up. After a few weeks, our salt treatment was growing at such a fast rate that we always had "droppings" around the tinfoil. This prompted us to place a large dinner plate under the tinfoil! We chose an attractive plate that we had found at a thrift store. It was originally used as a casual serving plate, but it matched our intended feng shui color scheme and was again repurposed!

To dispose of your salt cure, put the entire thing, water and all, into an old plastic container with a lid, and throw into the garbage. Trying to salvage or reuse any part of your salt cure will bring bad luck, and attract negative energy to you.