Name:
Mythology
Date:

CHINESE NEW YEAR

1. The year 2005 is known as the Year of the:

a. Bear

b. Rooster

c.Crocodile

2. When was the Chinese New Year this year?

a. Bear

b. Rooster

c.Crocodile

3. Why isn't the Chinese New Year the same as the US's?

a. It is based on the tiger's mythological birth

b. It is based on the first Chinese emperor's birthday

c.It is based on a calendar related to full moons

4. What is the first thing that a Chinese family would typically do to prepare for their new year celebration?

a. Clean their house and cut their hair

b. roast a pig

c. Shoot off firecrackers

5. What is full of symbolic meaning?

a. The lunar calendar

b. The annual TV show

c. The New Year's Eve dinner items

6. What is the focus of the New Year's celebration?

a. The family connection

b. The glory of the Chinese government

c.Honesty

7. What two things mean the same thing?

a. The word "longevity" and the word for hard liquor have the same pronunciation

b. Chinese dumplings and Chinese rice cakes

c. The year of the Rooster and the Year 2000

8. What things does the Chinese New Year commemorate?

a. First full moon, spring, family and killing the monster

b. The lunar cycle, the rise of Communism and the arrival of spring

c. The values of honesty, nationalism, love and retribution

9. What does cleaning house before the New Year mean?

a. sweep away all the ill forutne to make way for good luck

b. Get rid of the devil

c. Preparing the house for the spiritual visitation of Nian (like our Santa)

10. What does giving the red packets of money signify?

a. The money in the red packets signifies money that is given to the local shrines to help atone for the sins of relatives who have since died

b. Forgiveness of all sins in the passing year

c. Good luck in the coming year

11. Who is the Kitchen God?

a. He reports each year on the family's activities

b. He guards the kitchen area from contamination

c. He is the ancient god of agriculture who is thanked for all the food

12. What is the significance of the The Gate Gods?

a. Keeping the people safe and in peace

b. They guarded the gates of heaven from the dead who tried to get in without merit

c.They made sure only people, not animals, got into heaven

13. What marks the end of the New Year's festivities?

a. The firecrakers

b. The lantern festival

c. Cherry blossoms

14. What myth is connected with the Chinese New Year?

a. The one about the monster who devours young maids at each full moon. If fed a young maid each month then the monster would leave the village alone.

b. The one about the dragon who ate all the children in the village. When only the adults were left they banded together and entered his cave and burned his family.

c.The one about the old man who noticed that panic and fear was a monster that needed to be overcome in his village. He had the village people bang loud things and shoot off fireworks to feel strong and brave. In this way they overcame their fears.