Gong Xi Fa Chi- Happy Chinese new year

Gong Xi Fa Chi from the Exeter Daily as celebrations for Chinese new year 2014 get underway.

The 15 day Spring Festival, this year marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal of the Chinese zodiac.

Legend goes that horses used to have wings and could fly, swim and run equally fast. A horse that served as the mount of the mythological Jade Emperor became so arrogant that it forced its way into the Dragon King's Palace after killing its guardian.

This infuriated the Jade Emperor, who had the horse's wings chopped off and imprisoned it underneath the Kunlun Mountains in the far west.

After over 200 years, when a man walked by, the horse pleaded him for help. The man was sympathetic and set the horse free. The animals have since been domesticated and become man's helpers.

Today, the horse is considered an auspicious animal and the Chinese often describe a talented person as "Qianli Ma," meaning a steed that can cover 500 meters a day.
To acknowledge the dawn of a new era, University of Exeter’s Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA), are organising a series of events throughout the weekend of 8 and 9 February in Exeter city centre and on the Streatham Campus.

University of Exeter Chinese New Year celebrations are the biggest in the city and are regularly attended by over 2000 people. Traditional Dragon and Lion dancing will be performed around Bedford Square in the city centre at 1pm. 

This will be followed by a further performance at 3pm on the University of Exeter campus in The Forum; where there will be additional activities and performances including martial arts demonstrations, special tea ceremonies, paper lantern making and a Chinese market loaded with an assortment of food to try and buy.

Fireworks at 6pm will bring a spectacular end to the days celebrations.

The president of the CSSA is a third year Business Studies student Xin Zhou (Carina) explains what kind of things she and would have been doing if she was in China for the festivities.  Xin Zhou said: “During Chinese New Year’s Eve, we would be having a reunion dinner with our families.  People from different parts of China celebrate in a different way.  I am from Southern China, and we will have fish which represents an increase in personal wealth, rice cakes signify the development from childhood into adulthood; and most importantly dumplings represent money.”

She added: “Parents will give children a red packet, just like a Christmas gift received in the west.  The New Year celebrations go on for 15 days, and within that time period we visit family and friends.”

As part of the celebrations at the University of Exeter, on Sunday there is a Chinese Spring Festival Evening Performance at the Northcott Theatre, produced by the Chinese Student Scholars Association.  The entire production is in the Chinese language of Mandarin. The show starts at 7pm and tickets available from the Student’s Guild Box Office or the CSSA direct. 

All of the Chinese New Year celebrations are presented by the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA) and supported by University of Exeter, Students Guild and Streetwise Fund.

In addition to organising and attending the University’s New Year events the week following the official start of the Chinese New Year on Friday 31 January; Xin will celebrate with a friend by making dumplings, watching Chinese gala shows and have a dinner with close friends in Exeter.  She will also video call her parents in China to wish them “Gong Xi Fa Cai” a Happy Chinese New Year.

Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue service have asked that those celebrating the chinese new year take extra care against fire.

Safety tips to celebrate safety:

• Fit working smoke alarms on each floor level in your home. Consider buying an alarm with a ten year battery, otherwise change the battery every year alarm and regularly test your smoke alarm.
• Treat fireworks with great caution. Only buy fireworks marked with British Safety Standard 7114 and always read and follow the instructions.
• At all times, keep flames from candles at a safe distance from curtains, furniture and decorations. Long hair and clothing are also very flammable. Keep the flame out of reach of children and animals.
• Children should be supervised at all times near flames.
• When cooking deep-fried food, dry it before you put it in the hot oil. If the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat and leave the pan to cool. Never fill the pan more than one-third full of oil. Never throw water over the pan.
• Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on - like your freezer or DVD for example.
• Avoid overloading electrical sockets. Try to remember, one plug - one socket. If you must have more plugs connected always use a fused adaptor.

Chinese lanterns are popular for Chinese New Year celebrations. Research has shown that in some cases embers from the fuel cell of the lantern can continue to glow for several minutes after the flames have gone out.

There is also the very real possibility that hot, glowing embers can fall from the lantern as it flies and could land on people or animals.

The lanterns are often seen as a gentler alternative to fireworks, but the potential risks they carry are high and although they are not banned - there is already a complete ban on the lanterns in Germany and Australia - Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service would not recommend their use.