The Chinese people make a special effort to wear new clothes to welcome the New Year. Find out about the unique traditional New Year wardrobe of the Chinese.
The Chinese New Year brings to light many of the ancient and mysterious practices of the Chinese culture. These celebrations are not only a way of keeping these ancient traditions alive rather they serve as great tourist attractions for foreigners who are highly intrigued by the unique culture of the country.
Amongst the many different traditions associated with the Chinese New Year is dressing up. You will find the Chinese people to make a special effort to wear brand new clothes for welcoming the New Year. The concept of out with the old and in with the new applies to everything at this time of the year for the Chinese.
There is however an actual Chinese New Year costume if you will, that the Chinese people wear. This costume is all part and parcel of the ethos of renewal. Not only do the Chinese people wear specially tailored new clothes for the New Year, they get hair cuts and makeovers so that they are fully ready to welcome the New Year in a brand new style.
The Chinese New Year costume is a unique creation in its own right. It can be rather complex attire that one could not manage to wear everyday of the year. Hence it is reserved for this very special occasion. At the same time the New Year clothes are considered to be very elegant although their origins date back to very long ago. The real object of wearing the New Year costume is to maintain the sanctity of this ancient tradition.
The first thing the Chinese do after they put on their New Year attire is go visit their parents and grand parents. As it is family is considered to be the pinnacle of society when it comes to Chinese culture and all efforts are made to unify family ties at New Year.
Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of all Ages
Women have a range of New Year clothes to choose from. Traditionally the cheongsams and the qipaos were the most popular outfit for the day. Today you will find them to be sporting mandarin blouses as well as jackets and pants.
With regards to the men, the mandarin collared shirts are by far the most popular. Shirts with the Chinese dragon symbols are also a super hit item for the men during the New Year season. Many men even dress up in traditional kung fu suits and coats as part of traditions. This is irrespective of whether they know kung fu or not.
Similarly the kids are dressed up according to one of these themes depending upon their natural inclination. Hence the kids are given the freedom to choose the New Year clothes that fascinate them the most.
The most popular New Year clothes for children include dragon costumes as well as the kung fu suits which seem to intrigue the young ones just as much as they intrigue the elders of the community.
