Chinese New Year: The Year of the Rabbit
By Talen on Feb 3, 2011 in Thai Festivals, Thailand Events
Chinese New Year: The Year of the Rabbit
Red lanterns are hanging throughout Pattaya and the Thai’s are stoking their grills and makeshift flower pots burning gifts of red envelopes, decorated golden boxes and trinkets to send to their departed loved ones in the after life. Dragon dances and fireworks are also on the menu for the next few days which will always make for some fun.
This Chinese New Year is the year of the Golden Rabbit which symbolizes luck.
According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves. It is a time for negotiation. Don’t try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail. To gain the greatest benefits from this time, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships with women and children. Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise.
This sounds Ideal to me, a laid back year taking stock of oneself and looking to the future. Just as Cat, from Women Learning Thai, posted in China town’s Bunnyless Chinese New Year, I haven’t seen many golden rabbits or any other kind of rabbits about town this Chinese New Year except for this wabbit at Central Festival.
The rabbit is also Chinese symbol of the moon with the peacock being the symbol of the sun. Together they represent the start of the day and night while also representing the yin and yang of life. Chinese proverbs say that anyone asking for wishes to be fulfilled are certain to get what they want, and in the Year of the Rabbit, the wish-granting aspect of the Sun and the Moon combined is multiplied.
I’ll be in Pattaya for the beginning of Chinese New Year and then heading out tomorrow to Chiang Mai to enjoy the beautiful Chiang Mai Flower Festival and the tail end of Chinese New Year celebrations. Hopefully I’ll get a lot of great pictures and have a few good stories to tell. But, before I go it would be rude not to post a few pictures and a Dragon dance video to help ring in the Chinese New Year.
Chok Dee
Chinese New Year in Pictures
Talen great writing, some of it is very poetic.
Right now I’d love to be in Pattaya for the Chinese New Year celebrations. I commented on Catherine’s site that I had never seen the festival before in Thailand, but having thought about it since I was in Pattaya seven or eight years ago when the celebrations took place. I can still hear the firecrackers now.
I hope you had a great time…that’s guaranteed in Pat-tay-yah.
Martyn | Feb 4, 2011 | Reply
Talen, great pics and video. Although we have had plenty of firecrackers and free food down here there are no celebrations like Pattaya-despite high ethnic Chinese population.
Hope you enjoy Chiang Mai, certainly one of my favourite cities in Thailand.
Mike | Feb 4, 2011 | Reply
Talen, what a great shot of the dragon dancers – it’s at a perfect angle. My poor little guys were all confused, and the bum guy kept getting all twisted up in his gear. I would have laughed while watching, but the camera shakes too easy.
I’m SO envious of you going to Chiang mai this weekend! You get to meet up with Lani and Nina and and and… nice.
Ta for the plug!
Catherine | Feb 4, 2011 | Reply
Happy New Rabbit Year Talen…and I was wondering if you were still heading to CM.
Snap | Feb 5, 2011 | Reply
I’m a little sad that some of the best performances for the Chinese new year are held in shopping malls to turn up sales. But I guess it just makes economical sense.
Bangkok Sightseeing | Feb 5, 2011 | Reply