Chinese New Year2012- Year of the DRAGON

Chinese New Year• Most important of

traditional Chinese holidays

• Celebrated for 15 days

• Red is an important color…Most decorations are red because this symbolizes prosperity and good luck

Importance of Chinese New Year• Celebrations last for 15 days

• Lots of cherry blossom decorations (luck) and sunflower decorations (good new year)

Chinese New Year Festivities

• 12 year Animal cycle

• If born in early January, you are still the previous year’s animal

Chinese New Year Festivities

Chinese New Year Festivities

• One of the biggest parade spectacles is the “Dragon Dance” where a large paper dragon puppet “dances” with the help of lots of adult puppeteers.

Why Dragons?• Dragons are very symbolic in Chinese culture. They symbolize:– Good luck– Power– Dignity– Wisdom– Imperial authority – kindnessBasically, all of the good kinds of things that you would

want in a new year!

Background• One of the earliest symbols of Chinese religion

• Most sacred animal- imperial emblem of Chinese emperors

• Symbol of power and good fortune

Background

• Control over water, rainfall, hurricane & floods

• Symbol of power, strength, and good luck.

• Kind and gracious

• Worshipped & Respected

Appearance• Chinese Dragons look very different from Western dragons

• Head of a camel, horns of a deer, fiery eyes and a long beard

• Ears are sharp like an eagle, neck is serpentine, belly of a frog, scales of a carp

• 4 claws (ordinary dragons have 4 toes, and imperial dragons have 5 toes)

• 71 scales (81 positive yang, and 36 negative yin)

• They can fly, but do not have wings

Appearance

• Celestial Dragons

• Spiritual Dragons

• Earth Dragons• Treasure Dragons

Types of Dragons

• Boat races are an important part of festivities...up to 12 rowers with a carved dragon as the head of the boat

• Dancing occurs during festivities with puppets – life-sized, people manipulate the dragon with poles. Choreographed music with drums and music

Dragonboat Racing/ Dragon Dancing

SF New Year 2012 Dragon Boat Racing

Your Assignment…• Create your own Chinese-style Dragon painting

• Acrylic on canvas• Use elements of the dragons you have seen

• Complementary (opposite) colors