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Red is Lucky!2007/02/06
Red can be seen and felt everywhere in
Red is the colour of the auspicious, but red also signifies reunion, health, happiness and prosperity The Chinese Knot (zhongguojie) 中国结 At the 112th IOC Session held in Knots were among the world’s first puzzles, physical mazes for the fingers. Tradition states that a Chinese knot must be bent, tied and crafted from a single red string, to express, while celebrating, the endless circle of life. The square-shaped “True Love Knot” (tongxinjie 同心结) is the most famous type of Chinese knot, but there are hundreds more! The True Love Knot combines Chinese colour, form and complexity, in a very traditional type of harmony. Giving your sweetheart one of these will give a new meaning to the phrase: “Tie the knot!”
Couplets (chunlian) 春联 New Year’s couplets, written on two strips of red paper, are an important part of the Chinese Spring Festival tradition. On lunar New Year’s Eve, families in both urban and rural areas make it a point to grace their gates, posts, or apartment doorframes with the customary couplets. The poems are composed of two sentences that complement each other and often rhyme while expressing hopes for the coming year. The red couplets serve as beautiful decorations and protective talismans.
Paper Cuts 剪纸 Paper-cut art is another traditional handcraft. Daofu is one of the forms of paper-cutting. The word 福 (fu),which means good luck and happiness, is written on a square red paper and often displayed upside down (dao) on doors and elsewhere. The act of turning the word “fortune” upside down is called, daofu which literally means, “Good luck is coming!” It is not only a play on words, but a play with words.
Red Envelopes (hongbao) 红包¸ In old Red expels evil, like a burning fire, driving bad things away Year of Luck (benmingnian) 本命年 In As much of the rest of the world has learned from Chinese-restaurant menus, Chinese people traditionally mark the passage of time with a 12-year cycle known as the Chinese zodiac. It features the images of 12 animal signs: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, in that order. People born in the same animal year are considered to have some similar characteristics in relation to their animal. If you were born in the Year of the Sheep, you are considered to be charming, elegant and artistic. Every Year of the Sheep would be your benmingnian. During your benmingnian, something red must be worn at all times to assure good fortune all year. It is customary to constantly wear a red belt, a red bracelet or even red undergarments. The main point is that red is auspicious, and during your year, you will draw bad luck upon yourself if you don’t wear red. Interestingly, it is traditionally bad luck to get married during your benmingnian, no matter how red your knickers are!
Red Lantern (hongdenglong) 红灯笼 Lanterns are considered necessary for the proper observance of traditional Chinese festivals; they scare away evil sprits while brightening the mood with the red glow of good luck. Lanterns are more than lighting devices. Both the gigantic lanterns at the Tian’anmen Gate and the small lanterns of a peasant’s hut express the same warm, happy and joyous atmosphere. Red lanterns are a basic symbol of the Chinese culture. You see a red lamp and your mind thinks of
In contrast to the use of white, especially with wedding dresses, popular in many western countries, a Chinese wedding features the use of red, which is intended to ensure a happy future for the couple. Chinese weddings (hunli) 婚礼 Young lovers welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year because it is a popular season for them to marry. If you take part in a traditional Chinese wedding, don’t wear red to the ceremony, or you will make the bride and groom lose face. Red is reserved for their use. Red gifts are fine. In fact, you will find that red is nearly the only colour you will see other than the clothes of the guests. Red candles will likely be found in every corner, and red Double Happiness (喜喜) characters will be seen out on every wall. The couple of the hour will walk down a red carpet, strewn with red flowers. Later, the marriage will be consummated under a red quilt. Even the gifts are traditionally covered with red silk when presented, and all cards should be on red paper in red envelopes. Even at modern weddings, where the bride wears the western white wedding gown for the ceremony, it is customary for her to change into something red for the reception. Married couples everywhere need all the luck they can get.
The Matchmaker (hongniang) 红娘 Hongniang, the “Red Maid,” is a key character in the Romance of the West Chamber, a most popular classical Chinese drama. In the story, the girl commits herself to helping her mistress, Cui Yingying, and her lover Zhang Junrui, come together in defiance of Cui’s family, sort of Romeo and Juliet, but with a happy ending. So hongniang refers to those who arrange or try to arrange marriages.
Red is associated with the female and romantic love stories. In China's classical literature, red is the symbol of love affairs. Red Bean (hongdou) 红豆 The quaint custom of giving little red beans originated with a poem written by Wang Wei of the romantic Tang Dynasty in the eighth century. It is considered a symbol of love, a way to share your heart by handing over a few little red beans. Surprising a lover with little red beans can be compared with the custom of giving red roses in the West. The act of giving little red beans shows love without having to say it out loud. Wang Wei has helped generations of shy romantics find a way to express their love quietly, a very Chinese way of doing things.
Red Rouge (yanzhi) 胭脂 Yanzhi is a red or pink cosmetic for colouring the cheeks or lips. In old
Cheongsam (qipao) 旗袍 The cheongsam is a high-necked female dress with distinctive Chinese features that is enjoying resurgence in popularity in the international world of high fashion. The qipao, especially the red qipao, is one of the most typical, traditional costumes of Chinese women. It is like a wonderful flower on the colourful Chinese fashion scene, because of its particular charm. |
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