Celebration

Chinese New Year also known as the Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year's Day, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar.
Legend has it that in ancient China Nian ("Nyehn") was a man-devouring predator beast that could infiltrate houses silently. The Chinese soon learned that Nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, and they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of color red domestically. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations.
Chinese New Year is considered to be a major holiday for the Chinese as well as ethnic groups such as the Mongolians, Koreans, the Miao (Chinese Hmong) and the Vietnamese, who were influenced by Chinese culture in terms of religious and philosophical worldview, language and culture in general. Chinese New Year is also the time when the largest human migration takes place when Chinese all around the world return home on Chinese New Year eve to have reunion dinner with their family.
During Chinese New Year, the Chinese in Malaysia often hold 'Open House', where other races attend and offer greetings or Gong Xi Fa Chai'. Chinese delicacies and drinks are served and red angpows are given to the children.




Day(s)
Type of Celebration(s)

1st
The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the New Year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.

2nd
On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

3rd - 4th
The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

5th
The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

6th
On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.

7th
The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

8th
On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

9th
The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

10th - 13th
The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day simple rice congee and mustard greens (Choi sum) will be served to cleanse the system.

14th - 15th
The celebrations ends with the Chap Goh Mei on the Fifteenth day. In Hokkien dialect, it means the 15th night of Chinese New year. It is celebrated with prayers and offerings to mark the end of the Chinese New Year. Houses are again brightly decorated with lights for the last day of the celebration. Legend has seem young unmarried women throwing tangerines into the sea hoping to find a good husband. After this day, business as usual and everyone is looking forward for the next Chinese New Year.

"Dog" in Chinese Zodiac

Chinese New Year:
Dog Year People

http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Asian/family_lifestyle_traditions/chinese_lunar_calendar_zodiac.asp

[Added 13 January 2006]: From the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco comes an excellent, nicely illustrated page covering all twelve of the Chinese zodiac signs. Here is what it says for Dog:
Year of the Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people’s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

Note: this site doesn't go into larger predictive material for lunar years: focus is on traits applicable to individuals born in these years.
http://www.thejadetrade.com/ian/p22h.html
[Added 13 January 2006]: Here again, the focus is on the personalities of those born in each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. In addition to a survey of characteristics of each sign, there is also a jade animal representing each sign -- these come from a 1,000 year old Song Dynasty jade artifact collection of the 12 Zodiac Animals. The photos of these jade pieces are large and detailed -- many are quite lovely. [Note: for those interested in jade, click on "Chronological History" and you'll find a treasure trove of beautifully illustrated pages (including maps) of jade art from Chinese dynasties from Neolithic times through the Qing Dynasty.]
Here is what this page has to say about people born in the Dog Year:

DOG People are honest, straightforward, and friendly. They are extremely protective of themselves and their loved ones. With a passion for fair play and justice, they never fail to rescue you time after time. They may rant and rave, but they never rest until they right the wrong. They are true humanitarians and suffer with the world. In spite of their concern for others, social graces and fancy parties do not impress them. Having sharp eyes, they will see through people's motives. DOG People are quite private about their personal lives and someone prying into their affairs makes them secretive and withdrawn. Once you gain their confidence, they open up freely. Once DOG People classify you, they rarely change their minds. There are few in-between. Dogs perceive things either in black or white. You are either friend or enemy. Luckily, they are good judges of character and have superb insight into human nature. DOG People are tolerant of their friends. Before they approve of you, the friendship must develop slowly with a variety of meetings and conversations. If they look you over and decide they can trust you, you remain in their hearts forever. If you need them, DOG People will be there.
http://www.findyourfate.com/chineseastro/dog.htm
[Added 13 January 2006]: This is another site focusing on personalities determined by the Chinese zodiac. Each zodiac sign is given its own page (with a search engine at the top for other signs). Here is an excerpt about Dog Year people:
...Socially, Dog signs are not too interested to mingle with the mainstream.They don't exactly enjoy parties or get-togethers.They are always concerned on the issues that are most important to them. Emotionally, they have trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs a sabbatical in order to recuperate.
In relationships,Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the maximum! It would be better if the Dogs work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

http://www.metaphysicalzone.com/china/index.shtml
[Added 13 January 2006]: This is my final page of Chinese zodiac signs. I only checked Dog so far and found an interesting and astute psychological portrait -- hopefully, all the other signs are as well done. You can further click for the animal's relevant element -- e.g., fire dog, earth dog, metal dog, etc. On Dog people, this is the best page I've read so far, both in terms of style and content. The page is so good I wouldn't know what to excerpt -- so I hope you'll read it for yourself .

~ Happy Chinese New Year 2006 ~

May the year of the DOG will brings Luck & Good Health to all of you!