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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Happy New Year and "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai"

Advance Happy New Year to our Filipino-Chinese brothers… and to all Chinese in the world.  Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!… For all these years I thought I was greeting someone a “Happy New Year” in Chinese.  But if you greet them that don’t worry, it’s not wrong.  We just often mistaken it as “Happy New Year”, but “Kung Hei Fat Choi!” is Cantonese for greeting, “Congratulations and be prosperous! Or Congratulations and wishing you prosperity”.  However, considering that majority of the Chinese Filipinos speaks Hokkien, I suggest that we say the greeting in Hokkien, which is "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai" which means just the same.  Why??? Kasi daw para kang nagbibisaya sa Tagalog.  Just for information, in Mandarin it is “Gong Xi Fa Cai”.

Here are additional trivia about the Chinese New Year. Enjoy and God bless:
Ø  The Chinese New Year 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit,
which is also known by its formal name of Xin Mao.
Ø  It will be held this coming February 03, 2011.  It is the first day of the Chinese New Year.
Ø  And it is Year 4708 in the Chinese calendar.

The Chinese calendar has been in continuous use for centuries. It predates the International Calendar (based on the Gregorian Calendar) in use at the present, which goes back only some 430 years. Basically, a calendar is a system we use to measures the passage of time, from short durations of minutes and hours, to intervals of time measured in days, months, years and centuries. These are fundamentally based on the astronomical observations of the movement of the Sun, Moon and stars.  Days are measured by the duration of time of one self rotation of the earth. Months are measured by the duration of time of rotation of the moon around the earth. Years are measured by the duration of time it takes for the earth to rotate around the Sun.

Ø  Chinese New Year Celebration Day:
2007 Feb 18
2008 Feb 7
2009 Jan 26
2010 Feb 14
2011 Feb 3
2012 Jan 23


Ø  There are three ways to name a Chinese year:
  1. By the zodiac animal
2008 is known as the Year of the Rat.
2009 is the Year of the Ox.
2010 is the Year of the Tiger

There are 12 animal names; so by this system, year names are repeated every 12 years.
THE CHINESE ZODIAC CHART (Simplified)
Rat - Zodiac Animal
Senju Kannon – Buddhist Patron
N – Compass Direction
1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 – Year of Birth
Ox
Kokūzō Bosatsu
NE
1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
Tiger
Kokūzō Bosatsu
NE
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
Hare or Rabbit
Monju Bosatsu
E
1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Dragon
Fugen Bosatsu
SE
1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
Snake
Fugen Bosatsu
SE
1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013
Horse
Seishi Bosatsu
S
1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014
Sheep
Dainichi Nyorai
SW
1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015
Monkey
Dainichi Nyorai
SW
1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
Rooster
Fudō Myō-ō
W
1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
Dog
Amida Nyorai
NW
1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
Boar or Pig
Amida Nyorai
NW
1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

  1. By the Stem-Branch Formal Name
2011 is the year of XinMao .
2010 is the year of Geng Yin .
2009 is the Year of Ji Chou.

In the 'Stem-Branch' system, the Name of the Year is repeated every 60 years.
2011 is the 12th year in the current 60-year Cycle.
2010 is the 11th year in the current 60-year Cycle.
2009 is the 10th year in the current 60-year Cycle. 


  1. By its Year Number
          2012 is Year 4709 by Chinese Calendar.
          2011 is Year 4708 by Chinese Calendar.
          2010 is Year 4707 by Chinese Calendar.
          2009 is Year 4706 by Chinese Calendar

Ø  HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR:
  • Decorate house doors with red scrolls on which Chinese characters are written and hang up red paper lanterns.
  • Make sure there are healthy, preferably blooming, plants around the house. They symbolize life and  renewal.
  • Settle all debts. You must not owe anyone money.
  • Thoroughly clean the house before the first day of the year.
  • Get a haircut and wear new clothes.

22 comments:

  1. This is a really interesting trivia on new year, Chinese new year and the different zodiacs. Happy New Year Ralph!

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  2. wow!! great lists of tips!! But saldy I wont be having a new haircut until february month of my birthday hehe. Though we have some chinese lanterns here!! happy new year! xx

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  3. Ralph I cannot have a haircut because the line from nearby parlor looks like Edsa. Lol. Anyways, this is great information and you made me rich by allowing additional information about celebrating the New Year.

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  4. whoah.. we get used to of the kung hei fat choi na eh.. but you know, for chinese, it's amazing for them to be consistent on tracking their new yr noh?!

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  5. Happy New Year and Happy Chinese New Year in advance! Chinese culture has been a big part of the Filipino tradition as well!

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  6. The next Chinese new year is over a month away, but I'm already excited :) Anyway, wishing you and your family good health and a prosperous 2013!

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  7. We grew up Chinese, not in blood but lifestyle(a little bit)since my father's company, magmula teenager siya ay mga Chinese. Father thought us a lot of things including the " Kung Hei Fat Choi" greetings.Happy New year.

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  8. ooh, I can't believe it's almost my year again! (horse ako eh, haha). Nevertheless, kahit hindi ko year this year, I will make it my year pa din. char. Happy New year!

    - really kailangan ng haircut? Haha, I've been avoiding a haircut since I turned over to another company. :(

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  9. Very informative and useful. Thanks Ralph this will keep me company as I chart my 2013 action plans

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  10. More blessing to you and to your family this year of the snakes bro. Happy New Year!

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  11. This is a good guide especially to chose who has been looking forward for getting their best luck! Happy New Year :)

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  12. It is great that you can able to educate Filipinos with regards to Chinese saying and greetings during new year.

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  13. My Chinese cousin always say Gung Hei Fat Choy and Gung Hei Sun Neen!! (Happy Prosperity and New Year). Thanks so much for giving me more info. Happy New Year.

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  14. February din ata ang chinese new year ngayung taon na ito Happy new year

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  15. Interesting facts! thanks for sharing! Now I know another way of saying Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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  16. Wow! this is a fun and interesting Trivia to open year 2013. Do feature naman trivia for this year.

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  17. It is always interesting to read about this since all of us are trying to find ways to have a prosperous life. Happy New year to you and your family!

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  18. I'm not a Chinese but I'm excited for the CNY. We have a blog event sa Chinese New Year kasi kaya excited na ako masyado :)

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  19. It is not the chinese new year yet! it is on February pa. and idont believe in feng shui

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  20. This post will be add in my journal . . collection of great information and interesting tips :) Thanks Ralph and Happy New Year !

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  21. "You must not owe anyone money" seems to be impossible because we always have UTANG in Meralco, Water, Cable, and other utility bills. LOL!!!

    Happy New Year to you Sir Ralph and the rest of your family!!!

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  22. Hello Frank. Medyo na-surprise ako kung bakit 2011 yung year na nalagay mo. Akala ko, typo. :) Yun pala, 2011 January yung post.

    Happy new year to you and your family! Wishing you more blessings and happiness all throughout the year!

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