A Yin-Yang Celebration
C: In China, long ago in the mountains, there lived a horrible demon creature named Nian. Every year, on the first day of the year, the creature would awaken and descend upon the village. He would eat all the grain and livestock. And if there were any unfortunate children stuck outside, they would disappear, never to be seen again.
J: The villagers lived in fear of this beast and boarded up their houses on this night to protect their families. One year, right before the New Year, an old man visited the village. He turned to the villagers and asked, "Why do you fear this creature so? You are many and he is but one. Surely he could not swallow all of you."
D: But the villagers remained skeptical and locked themselves up anyway. That night, Nian did not come. The old man had ridden him until dawn and the creature went back to its cave hungry. This went on for several nights until the old man revealed, "I cannot protect you forever."
W: The old man told the villagers he was a god and had to return to his duties elsewhere. The villagers were terrified that once the old man left, they would once again see Nian return. So the old man informed them, "The beast is easily scared. He does not like the color red. He fears loud noises and strange creatures. So tonight, spread red across the village. Hang red signs on every door. Make loud noises with drums, music, and fireworks. And to protect your children, give them face masks and lanterns to protect them." The villagers did as the old man instructed and Nian never returned again.
C: In Chinese, the word for New Years is Guo Nian. Literally translated it means to "pass over Nian" or "overcome Nian". That is exactly what the villagers did. It has become a tradition that part of a New Year's celebration is to hang lots of red decorations in your house. Streets are filled with music, loud drums, and fireworks all day long. And special paper lanterns are made in a variety of shapes and sizes, paraded through the streets to scare off any demons that might come.
J: Teaches C, D, and W how to say "Happy New Year" in Chinese.
D: For thousands of years, the New Year has been celebrated as the main holiday in China, and other places in East Asia. And always there is an opposition and a joining of light and dark, of fire and night. And there is a clash and a collaboration, a discord and a harmony, of bright ordered fiery Yang and dark chaotic watery Yin. And there is a great prophet of Yang, Master Kong, or Confucius, traditionally understood to be born in Lu, and a great prophet of Yin, Laozi, traditionally understood to be born in Chu Jen, whose voices from 2500 years ago are still heard today.
W: Confucius said, "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn around it."
C: Laozi said, "Abolish sagehood and abandon cleverness, and the people will benefit a hundredfold. Abolish humaneness and abandon righteousness, and the people will again be filial and kind."
J: Confucius said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."
D: Laozi said, "Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the straw dogs are dealt with. The sages do not act from any wish to be benevolent; they deal with the people as the straw dogs are dealt with."
[Burning of straw dogs, with loud music]
W: This year we celebrate the New Year and the Yin and the Yang in South Orange.
All: Next year, in Lu and Chu Jen!
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