Chinese New Year and Facial masks

Written by Dlamini,
edited by TLAA

    The colorful and exciting celebrations for the Chinese New Year last for several days and end with the lantern festival. Chinese New Year Masks display the feelings and emotions of merriment associated with the festival. Chinese people all over the world usher in the New Year by cooking special food, cleaning their homes, purchasing new clothes and buying presents for friends and family. In the midst of all these activities, various artworks like Chinese New Year Masks in rich colors display the essence of the festivity.

Some of the masks worn on Chinese New Year

   Chinese New Year Masks are made of varied materials including cloth, paper, grass, leather, metal, shell, and carved of stone or wood. They are painted with Chinese symbolic designs and vivid colors. Some masks have realistic human or animal features like lion or dragon, while others provide a grotesque appearance. Red is considered as a lucky color for Chinese people, therefore there are lots of red masks worn during the celebrations of New Year. Chinese New Year Masks are amongst the best creations in the art world and are highly sought after by art collectors.

Chinese New Year celebration in facial masks

    Many of the masks or some of its replica can be viewed in museums and art galleries in many parts of the world. Chinese New Year is swathed in beliefs of gods, spirits of ancestors, legendary beings, good and or evil, the dead, animal spirits, and other beings believed to have supreme power over humanity. Masks featuring such supreme powers are honored and are worn during the rituals surrounding the Chinese New Year like lion dance or dragon dance. Chinese New Year Masks are also hung around the homes as decorative.