Find out about the most revered Chinese symbol and its connection to the important even of the Chinese New Year.
Two things that hold immense importance in Chinese culture are the image of the dragon and the event of the Chinese New Year. These things have been part of Chinese culture for thousands of years and continue to have their presence up till today. Furthermore the two things have a deep interconnection between them.
The image of the dragon is instantly identified with the Chinese culture. It is from this very culture that the west has discovered the image of the dragon through martial arts flicks and other Chinese art work. For the Chinese the image of the dragon is a highly revered mythical beast that is admired for its uniqueness, beauty and auspicious powers.
With regards to the Chinese New Year, first of all we must understand that the Chinese New Year is not the same as the New Year the rest of the western world celebrates. This is because while the west makes use of the Gregorian solar calendar the Chinese have always maintained the use of the lunar calendar. Hence their New Year depends upon the cycle of the moon and falls on a totally separate day than the western New Year.
The Chinese Year of the Dragon
New Year is a special time in China. It is a time when the festive spirit is high and there are all kinds of celebrations going on. As has been the ancient tradition of the country they have animal signs associated with the change of time. There are twelve animals that are repeated after every twelve years. So the year of the dragon returns with all its might and power after every twelve years.
The Chinese New Year of the dragon represents great power. As it is the image of the dragon is taken as a symbol of auspicious power and anger if you will. The anger of the Chinese dragon is somehow always justified hence it has to do with correcting the erring. In that sense the angry dragon is not exactly evil. Rather the symbol is meant to be inspiring for society.
They say the streets have rights upon you. If you hang around on the streets and see some evil you then it is upon you to stop it with your hands if you have the might. If you don’t then at least make an attempt to stop it with your tongue. And if you cannot even do that then at least in your heart know that the act is evil and this is a very low level of faith.
The image of the angry dragon seeks to suppress the wrong doers. It does not represent wrong doing. Rather quite the opposite. The best of deeds is to avoid evil and discourage it while engaging in good deeds and encouraging them. Hence the Chinese New Year of the Dragon is all about brining about a revolution through peaceful and festive means.
