Xiao Nian – Little New Year
小年 (“Xiao Nian”), or Little New Year, falls on the 23rd of the month of La, which, as explained in my previous article on La Ba, is the month preceding New Year.
Posted in Articles and tagged china, Chinese, culture, festivals, folk song, Kitchen God, new year
Chinese Zodiac Tales
There is a plethora of legends and folk tales on the origins of the order of the Chinese zodiac, the shi’er shengxiao. One popular tale is that of the animals being invited to heaven to wish the Jade Emperor well on his birthday. The animals raced to get there.
Posted in Articles and tagged animals, china, Chinese, culture, folklore, new year, story, tradition, zodiac