Question

3…2…1…Happy New Year!

There are so many ways to ring in the new year. Some people make resolutions. Others join a massive crowd to count down the last few minutes of the year. In the West, New Year's traditions may date back decades. But in China, they go back way further than that.

Chinese New Year's origins can be traced back about 3,500 years ago to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BCE). Chinese New Year celebrations begin on the first new moon of the lunar calendar. They end on the first full moon, 15 days later. Chinese New Year ends up taking place sometime between January 21 and February 20 every year. The idea of 15 full days of partying was a huge relief back in the old days. Ancient China was an agricultural society. People didn't have time for a lot of get-togethers aside from weddings and funerals. So Chinese New Year became a way for people to meet up and celebrate.

Chinese New Year celebrations are based on hundreds of years of ancient myths and traditions. An ancient Chinese myth states that all humans were created on the same day. So, the seventh day, called Yan Yat (or Renri), marks the beginning of humanity. To celebrate this common birthday, people eat traditional vegetable dishes and raw fish to promote good health.

Chinese tradition also dictates that each year is represented by an animal. There are 12 Chinese zodiac animals, and they're listed in a specific order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each animal gets a year dedicated to it once every 12 years. According to legend, the animals and their order were chosen when the mythical Jade Emperor had all the world's animals compete in a race. The winner was Rat, but not because rats are the fastest. Rat was able to trick the other animals on his way to victory. One animal, Cat, didn't place in the race at all. That's why there's no year of the Cat!

The Chinese zodiac animals used to be a way to record the years in ancient China. But they also became part of fortune telling and other aspects of Chinese culture. Some people believe that humans share traits with the animal whose year it was when they were born. In ancient times, marriage partners were picked based on how well their animal signs got along. For example, Tiger and Goat would make for a bad match. Putting them together would be like giving a predator its prey.

In addition to major life decisions, zodiac animals can also affect behavior. Chinese myth says that people are likely to catch demons during the year of their animal sign. Demons, according to tradition, are afraid of the color red. That's why some people try to protect themselves by stocking up on red underwear. Fireworks are said to scare away evil spirits. So they, too, play a major role in Chinese New Year celebrations.

In China, many people wear traditional Chinese clothing and clean their homes in anticipation of the new year. But once Chinese New Year has started, it's less common to pick up a broom. Some people believe that it's possible to accidentally sweep away good luck.

In cultures around the world, the new year is marked by celebrations and traditions. Each one has its own interesting backstory.

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Question 1


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The Article talks mainly about __________.

how the West celebrates New Year's traditions that date back decades and include making resolutions and counting down to the new year
how the Chinese zodiac has animals that represent each of the 12 years in a certain order beginning with Rat and ending with Pig
how the ancient Chinese agricultural society didn't have much time for celebrations except for weddings and funerals
how Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration that includes many ancient traditions and beliefs that are still practiced today

Answer 1

how Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration that includes many ancient traditions and beliefs that are still practiced today