The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is an annual festival celebrating a new year on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is celebrated by both people in China and many other Chinese communities around the world. The large festival lasts for 15 days and begins between late January and mid-February, depending on the landing of the new moon for that year.
The origins of the New Year celebrations date back to a legend. It is believed that a long time ago, a monster named Nian appeared during the new year and attacked villages. It was discovered that the monster was afraid of loud noises, the color red and bright lights. The people wore red clothes, set off fireworks and decorated their villages in red to ward off the beast. Eventually, these customs evolved into modern Chinese New Year traditions and celebrations.
Today, the festival is a time when families honor their ancestors and feast together. There are many traditions during this time. One of these is giving children red envelopes with money. The money sealed in red envelopes is believed to protect the children from evil spirits and keep them healthy. Another tradition is Shou Sui. This occurs after the New Year’s dinner and is a time when the family reminisces on the past year and looks ahead at the year to come.
The last event of the Chinese New Year is the Lantern Festival. During this, people hang lanterns at temples and hold them throughout parades. A dragon dance is also performed, where a large, crafted dragon is walked through streets, carried by dancers.
Some might have heard of Chinese zodiac signs. It is a 12-year cycle, each year belonging to one of the twelve animals. It is believed that a god asked these twelve animals to wish him well before they departed from the Earth; when they did, each of those animals received a year as a gift, thanking them for their farewells.
In 2024, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated starting on February 12, welcoming the year of the dragon while saying goodbye to the year of the rabbit.
