The Greetings of Chinese New Year 2008
At Chinese New Year, just saying Happy New Year to your Chinese friends is not enough, you should share the following good wishes:
新年快乐！xīn nián kuài lè Happy New Year!
过年好！ ɡuò nián hǎo Happy New Year!
恭喜发财！ɡōnɡ xǐ fā cái I wish You Great Prosperity!
鼠年吉祥！ shǔ nián jí xián Good Luck in the Year of the Rat!

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The Traditions of Chinese New Year 2008
年（nian 2）monster and 守（shou 2）岁(sui 4)
It is said that there was a monster called 年（nian 2）in ancient time of China. The年（nian 2） monster was huge-sized and with antenna coming out of his head. Usually, it lived at the deep bottom of ocean, but in the New Year’s Eve, it comes out to devour the livestock and people living in the villages. However, after many years and many losses people discovered that the年（nian 2）monster was afraid of the color red, bright lights and slam-bang noises. So on the New Year’s Eve (called 除（chu 2）夕(xi 1)in China), Chinese people put couplets written on red paper up on their gate, hung red lanterns across gate beams, set off fireworks and stayed up all night, which was called 守（shou 2）岁(sui 4) in China and people still follow this tradition today. The 守（shou 2）岁(sui 4) tradition shares the deep lingering feelings from the passing year and a nice longing for the coming new year.
If you are living in China or going to spend the New Year 2008 with your Chinese friends, you can experience Chinese New Year yourself.

本（ben 3）命(ming 4)年(nian 2)
本（ben 3）命(ming 4)年(nian 2) refers to the year you were born. It matches with one of 12 animals of Chinese Zodiac called生（sheng 1）肖(xiao 1). In the coming of one’s本（ben 3）命(ming 4) 年(nian 2), according to Chinese tradition, one should wear a red belt and red socks and stitch a red cloth stripe on one’s coat. Because本（ben 3）命 (ming 4)年(nian 2) is also called a threshold year which it is believed is hard to get through. Chinese people believe that red is a lucky color, which can help people rid themselves of any misfortunes coming from their本（ben 3）命(ming 4)年(nian 2).
Chinese New Year 2008 is the Year of the Rat! If you were born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, you belong to the Rat, so New Year’s 2008 is your本（ben 3）命(ming 4) 年(nian 2).
The Wishes in Chinese New Year 2008
What is your wish in New Year 2008? Some wishes that Chinese people might have in the New Year 2008:
College students who sit the graduate entrance exam hope they can be enrolled in their ideal universities in the New Year 2008 and any that did not sit the graduate entrance exam hope they will find a good-paying job in the New Year 2008;
Athletes hope they will win a gold medal in the coming Olympics in 2008;
Doctors hope they will have fewer patients to treat in the New Year 2008;
Chefs hopes they will cook more delicious food in the New Year 2008;
Cleaners hope the streets will be tidier and cleaner in the New Year 2008;
Taxi drivers hope they will encounter fewer traffic jams in the New Year 2008;
Parents hope their children will be healthier, more beautiful and earn more money in the New Year 2008;
Sons and daughters hope their parents and grand-parents will live longer in the New Year 2008;
Girls hope they will become better in the New Year 2008;
Boys who are still single hope they will find a virtuous and beautiful girlfriend in the New Year 2008;
Xiao Lin, working as a online service, hopes that her face will be more smooth and fair in the New Year 2008;
Lao Wang, living in the wireless sub district in Haidian, hopes that he will beat his partner once playing Chinese chess in the New Year 2008;
Sun Jing, working as a volunteer in the Xin Jiang Autonomous Region of China, hopes that she will have more time to spend with her parents and stay with her husband in the New Year 2008.

See original post at: Chinese New Year 2008, Four Things You Must Know!