The Lego Chinese New Year is fast approaching. In fact it is already here! To date there have only been 7 sets released so far, and eight if you count the Duplo Happy Childhood Moments Set. As someone that grew up celebrating Chinese New Year, those sets really have a special meaning in the heart. LEGO have really done an amazing job depicting these celebrations, investing lots of care and love into their characters, themes and overall accuracy of the sets.
Chinese New Year falls on the beginning of the new Chinese calendar, and so is also a time for prosperity and happiness. This means many things in the Chinese culture - luck, fortune and health. These are also very popular themes, and are featured in many of the sets released so far. But what's unique about Chinese New Year celebration sets? The answer lies in some of the most unique sets that have been released so far.
The first thing you may notice is that there are a lot of different characters used in the Chinese language in these Chinese New Year celebrations. Some of the most popular characters include the character Qiu Jie which means Prosperity, Niu Jie which means Good Fortune, Chen Cao which means Bright Future, and Shi Niu which means New Energy. There are literally dozens more, all used to promote various ideals. But what makes these characters so popular is their distinct pronunciation, an aspect not always depicted in western culture.
What You Can Find in Lego Chinese New Year Sets
The second thing that strikes you about the Chinese New Year sets is the complete lack of any reference to the traditional New Year celebration that is traditionally held each January. Instead, the set features characters representing the old imperial calendar that had been used by the emperors and pharaohs of ancient Chinese culture. What's interesting about this aspect of Chinese culture is that although the characters on the pieces look like they come directly from the Chinese language, many of them actually do not. The one exception is the number one piece, the dragon which is clearly inspired by the dragon crown that was traditionally worn by Chinese emperors during the New Year celebrations.
Must read - What Is The Duty Of Wakulla County Property Appraisers
Another big theme found in the Chinese new year festival sets is the concept of the lion dance. The lion dance is thought to symbolize the cruelty and aggression of the ancient Chinese culture. This is in stark contrast to the more gentle and fairytale themes that were typically depicted in these celebrations. But just like the idea of the red lanterns, the lion dance does have its own symbolism, most commonly seen in the red color that is usually used as the main colour for the festival.
Note - Lego Chinese New Year
Finally, another popular theme seen throughout the Chinese new year period is the very popular traditional Chinese dragon dance. Although this might seem like a silly theme to be included in a toy set, the dragon dance is still an important part of Chinese heritage and culture. You will find that the dragon dance plays an important role in the festivities around the time of the new year, and many people are seen lining the streets to watch this amazing display of martial arts and physical power.
The above represents some of the main elements you will find in the Chinese New Year celebrations. Of course, there are lots of other fun things you can add as well. For example, the most popular theme for the whole season is of course the dragon! Whatever type of toy building set you decide to buy, you will find that there are tons of different choices you can make based on the dragon that is represented by the toy building set. In addition, if you are looking for a more specific symbol or design, you can also choose from the wide selection of different animals that are part of the Chinese heritage and culture. These range from bears to dragons, and are sometimes combined with other themes, such as the horned dragon or the nine-headed dragon.
By taking the time to look at all these different themes, you can easily decide which Chinese new year sets you would like to purchase for your child's Chinese celebration. You can even have fun making the decision for them! Just keep in mind the ideas above, when looking through the different Chinese new year sets available. You'll find that they are all amazingly different, but all filled with rich, colorful traditions and cultures.
Thanks for checking this article, If you want to read more blog posts about lego chinese new year do check our site - Thegreatamericanrun We try to update the site bi-weekly