Chinese New Year 2019

-
OINK OINK! 
Chinese New Year is approaching. This year it falls on Tuesday 5th February. However, the festival period that spans 23 days begins on January 28th this year.

2019 is year of the PIG 

Mandarin Chinese 
Happy Chinese New Year is...

'xin nian (new year) kuai le (happy)'

Approximate pronunciation is (shin nee-an kwai le). Just remember the 'le' sounds like the French 'le'.

Image result for firecracker gif

The festivities begin with the Little New Year (28th Jan - 4th Feb), followed by Spring Festival (5th - 15th Feb) and then finally Lantern Festival (16th - 19th Feb). 

Laterns

Red is an integral part to Chinese New Year. Whether it's envelopes, lanterns or even firecrackers, this colour is associated with fortune and success. A possible origin for the luck red brings, involves a terrorizing beast named: Nian.

Chinese Lanterns
Click / tap here for a few traditions you can consider this CNY 

Are you a pig according to the Chinese Zodiac? Here are a few quick facts about the twelfth sign: zhū (pig).

1. Your sign is a PIG if you were born in these years: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, and 2007.

hanna barbera wolf GIF

2. The origins of the Zodiac are inconsistent. Some suggest the Jade Emperor had tryouts for guards. Perhaps he was having a party. There was a race regardless. Some say Pig overslept (relatable). Some say he had to rebuild his home after a wolf had destroyed it. Whatever the reason, Pig was last to join the race.

  Jade Emperor

3. If you were born in a year of the Pig, here are some lucky things for you...

Numbers: 2 / 5 / 8 (or together like 25 / 58 etc)
Colours: yellow / grey / brown / gold
Flowers: hydrangeas / daisies 

Image result for daisy gif

Peppa is joining the Chinese celebrations this year. The perfect pig to teach the little ones about traditions. She's getting a firecracker-feature-length too.

Image result for peppa pig chinese new year


Burberry's Chinese New Year campaign this year has divided opinion. It's fronted by two Chinese actresses and "togetherness" was the concept. Do we agree with people who've been saying it's creepy?

Burberry CNY

A Lego Lóng (Dragon)

Even Lego are releasing two new exclusive sets for the Chinese and Asia Pacific markets. New Year's Eve Dinner' and 'Dragon Dance' will be the first ever Chinese New Year as well as the first sets dedicated to a specific country / region. 

Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner

Cantonese Chinese 
The best way to wish prosperity and wealth among your work colleagues is... 

'Gong hei fat choy'
Red envelopes with a winning lottery ticket inside please.


Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for your feedback!

Popular posts from this blog

A brief history of clowns to celebrate Andreea's birthday!

-
Image
Hip hip hooray! It’s our crazy clown Andreea’s birthday! The lovable Andreea has been appearing in shows with Gandeys Circus for nearly a decade. Now Andreea is actually French – so perhaps we should say ‘bon anniversaire’! We’re proud to have Andreea as part of our current team in the big top at Butlin’s Skegness . While our other clowns – currently performing at Butlin’s Bognor Regis and Minehead – Bippo and Chico Rico are more traditional, Andreea opts to show off her sense of style with an offbeat modern look. We think her pink tutu / Converse / blazer combo is pretty iconic… especially paired with her blasting boombox! (she’s never been shy of making an entrance). Andreea likes interrupting the action with her silly routines. And you know something else… she is the UK’s only female clown! So you could say she’s a bit of an innovator when it comes to clowning around. With that in mind, let’s look at how much clowns have changed ov...
Read more

Origins of the Chinese Circus

-
Image
200 BC – 200 AD – Han Dynasty, Sichuan Province – Juggler with balls and knives – Carving, stone of the “Hundred Games.” [source: Chinese Acrobatics Through The Ages, p15] The origins of the Chinese circus are not entirely crystal clear. There are debates and differing opinions when it comes to the exact history behind the circus, which is not a surprise when you take into account how long it has been around! First records of the Chinese circus - including carvings and mural paintings - date back more than 2,000 years to the Warring States period (475–221 BC), with evidence of performances developing further during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC - 230 AD). Although it is believed that the art may have actually started around 3,000 years ago! One theory is that the acts originated in imperial courts, with performers entertaining the houses in a manner similar to western court jesters. However, it is more likely that the circus was a folk art that was later adopted by...
Read more

Strong Women in Circus

-
Image
In honour of International Women's Day and the 'Women in Circus' movement, we would like to share these photos of strong women with whom we have worked - past and present. Women who inspire us here at Gandey World Class Productions , and who influence and empower other women across the world. There are many strong circus women who we have not mentioned here. Please be aware that this list is by no means definitive – there are so many more strong women whom we would have loved to include, and who remain an important part of the Gandey family. The pictures can also be found in a Flickr album here . Mary Gandey: Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Performer – the foundation upon which Gandeys as we know it was built Carol Gandey: Director and Producer – Gandey World Class Productions Hayley Gandey: Circus Director and Performer – Gandeys Circus Coral Gandey: Brand Manager, London Mariska Gandey: Circus Performer – Gandeys Circus Andreea D...
Read more