The legend of Chinese New Year

A special thanks to Susan, one of the girls I tutor, for teaching me the legend of the Chinese New Year story. This one taken from this website’s account.

Long ago in the mountains, there lived a horrible monster named Nian. (Nian is the Chinese word for, among other things, “year.”) Every year, on the first day of the year, the creature would awaken and descend upon the village, eating all the grain and livestock. If any unfortunately children were stuck outside, they would disappear. 

The villagers lived in fear of this beast and boarded up their houses on New Year’s Eve each year to protect their families. One year, right before New Year’s Eve, an old man visited the village and asked, “Why do you fear this creature? You are many and he is but one. Surely he could not swallow all of you.”

But the villagers remained skeptical and locked themselves up anyway. That night, Nian did not come. The old man had ridden him until dawn and the creature went back to its cave hungry. This went on for several nights until the old man revealed, “I cannot protect you forever.” He turned out to be a god and had to return to his duties elsewhere. The villagers were terrified that once the old man left, they would once again see Nian return.

So the old man informed them, “The beast is easily scared. He does not like the color red. He fears loud noises and strange creatures. So tonight, spread red across the village. Hang red signs on every door. Make loud noises with drums, music, and fireworks. And to protect your children, give them face

Typical door decorations for Chinese New Year

masks and lanterns to protect them.”

The villagers did as the old man instructed and Nian never returned again.

In Chinese, the word for New Years is Guo Nian. Literally translated it means to “pass over Nian” or

“overcome Nian,” which is what the villagers did. It has become a tradition to hang red decorations in your house for Chinese New Year. Streets are filled with music, loud drums and fireworks, and special paper lanterns are made in a variety of shapes and sizes, paraded through the streets to scare off any demons that might come.

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