This note was written about three months ago, back in 2021.02.17.
I received the following post on whatsapp claiming that CNY is like Passover. (My response at the end of the post.)
/// The origin of Chinese New Year and the Jewish Passover.
There are a good many coincidental similarities between these two festivals.
Chinese New Year is called GUO NIAN.
GUO is Passover in English.
NIAN is the monster that killed children. The Angel of Death also killed every first born child in every family in Egypt on the eve of the first Passover.
The NIAN is aversed to the colour of red. The Angel of Death also spared the household with red colour blood on their door frame.
The Dui Lian or couplets written on strips of red paper are pasted on the sides and the top of the door frame. The red blood of the Passover lamb was also painted on the sides and the top of the door frame of every Jewish household.
The family was instructed to gather all their family members inside the house on the eve of the Passover for protection. In the Chinese Reunion dinner, it is compulsary for all members of the family to return and gather around the table in the household on the eve of the Chinese New Year.
The Chinese New Year reunion dinner is celebrated on the eve and not the first day. The Passover Seder meal is also celebrated on the eve. The Reunion dinner traditionally consists of Jiaozi (dumplings), Tangyuan (soup ball like manna), Chunjuan (spring rolls) and Niangao (sticky cake) incidentally are all unleavened food. The Passover meal also consist of only unleavened food.
The Chinese New Year spring cleaning searched out to get rid of any old things or dirt to discard. The Passover practise of Chametz also searched out any old leaven to get rid of it.
People normally do not work for the first week of the Chinese New Year just like the Jewish people who will keep the Sabbath in the 7 days from the Passover.
Do these similarities point to a possible origin of the Chinese New Year in the Jewish Passover ?
Possible . . . ///
My response:
Yes, there appears to be broad similarities between the Chinese Guo Nian and the Hebrew Passover.
However, I would like to point out two significant differences between Chinese New Year traditions and the Passover Meal in the Hebrew New Year.
Firstly,
The Chinese tradition of Guo Nian (Pass through the Year) has nothing to do with the Israelite observance of Passover.
The Chinese word "GUO" does not meaning to "pass over". Instead, it simply means to "pass", and can be used for passing by or passing through or passing across a time, occasion or place.
During Guo Nian, the Chinese pass the year by merely using red coloured objects and noisy fire crackers to frighten AWAY the mythical Nian monster. No passover lamb is involved. No blood is shed. No sacrifice is required.
In contrast, during Passover, each Israelite household applies the BLOOD of a one year old unblemished male lamb, isolated from the flock on the 10th day and cared for until the 14th day of the New Year, so that the Angel of Death will pass OVER their household. (Exodus 12:1-13)
In particular, Exodus 12:13 tells us,
"The blood will be a SIGN for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you"
The Angel of Death passed over the household not because he was averse to the red colour of blood, but because the blood on the door posts was "a sign" to show that the Passover Lamb has given its life in place of the first born child in the household.
Secondly,
The assertion that the "red paper" on which the Chinese Dui Lian couplets are written, which are pasted on door posts and lintel, is akin to the "red blood" of the Passover lamb is mistaken.
Again, it is not so much the use of red paper but rather the tradition of posting "good words" on the door posts that is significant. This practice runs parallel to the command in Deuteronomy 6:9 where Moses told the children of Israel to write the word of God (good words) on their door posts and gates.
Conclusion:
One should not associate the chasing AWAY of the Nian in Chinese New Year tradition with the passing OVER of the angel of death in the Hebrew New Year.
Whilst the Nian is averse to the colour red, the angel of death passed over the Israelite household not because of any aversion to red colours, but because of the SIGN of the blood of an unblemished lamb on the door posts.
Likewise, one should not associate the red paper used in Dui Lian couplets with the blood of lamb on the door posts, but rather the writing of words should be associated with the command given in Deuteronomy 6:9.
