Chinese New Year celebrations slated for Central Jerseyans to bring in year of the ox

One day, an old man came to the rescue, offering to subdue Nian. He suggested to the beast that it swallow other beasts of prey, rather than people. Nian followed the suggestion and eventually, people returned to enjoying peaceful lives.

But before the old man left, he told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to keep Nian away, since the beast feared that color.

From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of Nian is carried on from generation to generation, said John Li, spokesman for the "Chinese New Year Spectacular," which comes this weekend to the State Theatre in New Brunswick.

New Tang Dynasty TV will present the mix of traditional Chinese dance, music and ornate costumes on Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25, to celebrate the Year of the Ox, Li said.

"The custom of putting up red paper and firing firecrackers to scare away Nian should it have a chance to run loose is still around," Li said. "Because of this, color and the sound always add to the excitement of the celebration."

THE MEANING

The holiday crosses religious lines in expression of traditional Chinese culture, said Ian Ma, youth minister of Chinese Christian Church in the Somerset section of Franklin, one of several Chinese Christian churches celebrating the holiday.

The church will hold its annual celebration in its youth lounge, Ma said.

"We stay away from the superstitious elements but retain the atmosphere of newness and celebration of family," Ma said. "These are entirely compatible with the Gospel."

In non-Christian Chinese communities, Chinese New Year is on par with Christmas and Thanksgiving, but without the religious significance, Li said.

Whether by phone or in person, the holiday encourages family reunions, he said.

"It gives everyone a chance to savor the fruits of a year's labor," Li said. "Cultural activities always have played a central role in Chinese New Year celebrations. This is perhaps more so in America, where Chinese New Year is seen as a good opportunity for Chinese-Americans to foster community bonding and showcase their distinct and proud culture heritage."

Ma added, "The Chinese people are hard working and do not close shops at all during the year except for Chinese New Year, but these days we see more and more people keeping their stores open even during the festival."

SHARING CULTURES

In Central Jersey and other parts of the country with large Chinese-American populations, the holiday is meant to be shared with non-Chinese, Li said.

He said he hopes the "Spectacular" at the State Theatre will become annual tradition. The production also will come next week to New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark.

"The world has shrunk into a global village," Li said, "and the people are interested in the culture and history of China, which happens to have a quarter of its population. It makes us love America even more because it is truly a melting pot and a place that really believes in such things as diversity and freedom."

A Chinese New Year celebration for children also is coming up on Monday, Jan. 26, at Dunellen Public Library. Like many other library events that already have taken place, the festivities in Dunellen will center around crafts.

Celebrations often include crafts or dance because they best typify the color and sound of the holiday, Li said.

"This naturally makes crafts a fitting celebratory event for kids who would enjoy the fest for the eyes," he said. "Chinese classical dance emphasizes unique details and subtlety in its movement and choreography and, therefore, is best suited for recounting legendary stories in Chinese history. Since Chinese New Year was born of a legend about Nian, the Chinese people enjoy revisiting popular folklore and legends at its celebration. This explains why Chinese classical dance has been an integral part of such celebrations over the years."