Indonesia
The Giant Nian
It’s Chinese legend about the origin of their new year celebration.
Legend has it in China, once there was a giant beast living in the mountain jungle (other version says in the deep sea). The creature named Nian was feared by people. Why not? The look was hideous and the attitude was very frightful. The most prominent feature of Nian was the superbig mouth. So big that it can devour a group of men in one bite. Gleg!
Nian always appeared at harvesting time. But the target was not only on the crops. Nian ate anything it wanted, including livestock and even… human, especially children like us! Creepy, isn’t it? So, to avoid being eaten, people prepare delicious meal, served only for Nian.
The food was put in front of the door of the houses. The idea was, after eating the food, Nian wouldn’t get inside to look for the people in the house. Everyone will be saved.
One day, people saw Nian ran frightened away from a kid who was wearing red clothes. Got you! The vicious and scary Nian did have a weakness. It afraid of red. Another day, a plantation near the Chinese village was on fire. The flame was popping up and made loud noise like firecrackers. It pushed Nian back from invading people’s residences. So, it’s another one! The loud sound of firecrackers frightened Nian too.
Since that day, every time approaching harvest, people would decorate their houses with all red. Red this one, red that one. From hanged lampion to door and window curtain. They also dressed up red. It didn’t stop there, they put red paper to cover every door and window. To scare Nian away, people also bang firecrackers in large quantity.
Now, this method of salvation from Nian’s threat then developed into way to celebrate new year. ‘Gu nin’ in Chinese means ‘welcoming new year’ literally to ‘chase Nian away’. Chinese all over the world will dress up red, decorate the house in red, and never forget to pop up loud bang firecrackers.
So what about Nian? Since the people came together to paint the village in red, Nian never returned. Eventually a Tao priest named Hongjun Laozu captured it. Nian was then transformed into vehicle by Honjun and never bothered Chinese people since.
Gong xi fat chai!
RETOLD BY HAFIDA INDRAWATI
ILLUSTRATED BY CAECILIA SANDY SIPUTRI
