Charmaine's CNY reflection

From this past three weeks, I think I have learnt a lot throught this CID module. I have learnt that things may not be what they seem. Singapore may look rich, but actually, in parts of Singapore, there are people starving and homeless on the streets of Singapore. 

The colour I have chosen to represent Chinese New Year is red because it is an auspicious colour to the Chinese. Red, corresponds with fire and it symbolizes good fortune and joy. Red is found everywhere during Chinese New Year and other holidays and family gatherings. Hence, the "ang bao", Chinese decorations are mostly red or gold.

      

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One day people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. Time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

    

        The symbol that I have chosen for CNY is Pegesus

    

I chose this symbol because it's the year of the horse and I think that a normal horse would be too mainstream. Pegasus is one of the best known mystical creatures in Greek mythology and it is a winged divine stallion. Pegasus symbolizes wisdom and has profound symbolic esoteric in relation to the spiritual energy that allows to access to the realm of the god on mount Olympus. Thus is a better symbol than a regular horse for the year 2014.

       The picture I have chosen for CNY is this picture      

   

In my opinion, I feel that Chinese New Year is about reunion and spending quality time with your family. This is one of the occasion that all my family members will get together and hence, I have chosen as it represents reunion for my family.