When it comes to lively celebrations and cultural significance, the Chinese New Year festivities are difficult to beat. Every year, you will find red lanterns lining the streets, the aroma of the freshest fruits and savory broth wafting in the air, and feel the enduring spirit of a civilization that has survived for millennia.
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, begins annually on the first new moon of the year, coinciding with the beginning of a new lunar cycle. The celebrations run for 15 days, ending on the night of the year’s first full moon. This year, the festival starts on February 10th and ends on February 25th.
The holiday aligns with the Chinese zodiac calendar, made up of 12 different animals to represent a 12-year cycle. These include the rat, tiger, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. A person’s zodiac animal is believed to dictate their personality and their fortunes in life.
Celebrations for Chinese New Year may differ from place to place, but general festivities include a large family dinner on New Year’s Eve. A variety of traditional delicacies can be eaten, such as spring rolls, steamed fish, dumplings, and noodles. Most families will sit down and enjoy an evening of cooking together, perhaps even singing and dancing to a couple of folk songs.
Other traditions include red envelopes or hongbao, usually given to children from their parents or grandparents. These envelopes are full of “good-luck” money, offering the younger generation hopes of wealth and fortune.
When it comes to community events, Chinese New Year offers a variety of visual experiences. The first day of celebrations typically comes with a parade, featuring lion or wushi dancers and dragon or wulong dancers. The costumes differ from region to region, but the spectacle is normally performed to ward off evil spirits and contribute to the exciting festivities.
While only the first seven days of the Chinese New Year are a public holiday, celebration preparations will continue until the full moon, when the Lantern Festival will be observed. The sky will be blazoned with scarlet lanterns, bringing with them hope and protection from darkness for the coming year.
Chinese New Year is a time for family and friends to come together, celebrate, and wish for a brighter future. As the vibrant celebrations continue, we hope that you will form cherished memories, strengthen old bonds and form new ones, and continue to dream of a better tomorrow.
Xin nian kuai le, gong xi fa cai – Happy Chinese New Year! [1][2]
[1]https://chinesenewyear.net/
[2]https://www.cnn.com/travel/lunar-new-year-2024-illustrated-guide-intl-hnk/index.html