1. Chinese New Year
2012- Year of the DRAGON

2. Chinese New Year
• Most important of
traditional Chinese
holidays
• Celebrated for 15
days
• Red is an important
color…Most
decorations are red
because this
symbolizes
prosperity and good
luck

3. Importance of Chinese
New Year
• Celebrations last for 15 days
• Lots of cherry blossom decorations
(luck) and sunflower decorations
(good new year)

4. Chinese New Year
Festivities
• 12 year Animal
cycle
• If born in early
January, you are
still the previous
year’s animal

5. Chinese New Year
Festivities

6. Chinese New Year
Festivities
• One of the biggest parade
spectacles is the “Dragon Dance”
where a large paper dragon
puppet “dances” with the help of
lots of adult puppeteers.

7. Why Dragons?
• Dragons are very symbolic in
Chinese culture. They symbolize:
– Good luck
– Power
– Dignity
– Wisdom
– Imperial authority
– kindness
Basically, all of the good kinds of things that you would
want in a new year!

8. Background
• One of the earliest
symbols of Chinese
religion
• Most sacred animal-
imperial emblem of
Chinese emperors
• Symbol of power and
good fortune

9. Background
• Control over water,
rainfall, hurricane &
floods
• Symbol of power,
strength, and good
luck.
• Kind and gracious
• Worshipped &
Respected

10. Appearance
• Chinese Dragons look very different from
Western dragons
• Head of a camel, horns of a deer, fiery
eyes and a long beard
• Ears are sharp like an eagle, neck is
serpentine, belly of a frog, scales of a carp

11. • 4 claws (ordinary
dragons have 4 toes,
and imperial dragons
have 5 toes)
• 71 scales (81 positive
yang, and 36 negative
yin)
• They can fly, but do
not have wings
Appearance

12. • Celestial Dragons
• Spiritual Dragons
• Earth Dragons
• Treasure Dragons
Types of
Dragons

13. • Boat races are an important
part of festivities...up to 12
rowers with a carved dragon
as the head of the boat
• Dancing occurs during
festivities with puppets – life-
sized, people manipulate the
dragon with poles.
Choreographed music with
drums and music
Dragonboat Racing/
Dragon Dancing

19. SF New Year 2012 Dragon Boat Racing

20. Your Assignment…
• Create your own
Chinese-style Dragon
painting
• Acrylic on canvas
• Use elements of the
dragons you have seen
• Complementary
(opposite) colors