SThursday marks the start of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, China’s largest holiday.
During this time, the world’s largest human migration will take place as hundreds of millions of people make their way to celebrate it with their families in China. The festival is also celebrated by millions of worthy Chinese people around the world, including the United States
This is what you need to know about Chinese New Year.
When is the Chinese New Year?
This year, the Chinese New Year begins on Saturday, January 25th. Officially, the holiday lasts for three days, but is not officially celebrated over two weeks. The Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, so the exact dates change each year, but it usually occurs in late January or February, around the new moon closest to early spring.
What is the story of the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is a centennial festival that celebrates the new year according to the Chinese calendar. The holidays were born from the myth of Nian (also the Chinese word “year”), a beast that appeared every New Year’s Eve and attacked the villagers. Legend has it that to scare the beast, the villagers put up red banners and exploded firecrackers and drums.
Chinese New Year traditions vary by Chinese communities, but most celebrations include fireworks, family reunions and parties, and respecting ancestors. The new year is also an opportunity to prepare for good luck and good luck next year.
Each year in the Chinese calendar is assigned an animal of the zodiac, which is repeated every 12 years. 2018 was the Year of the Dog and 2020 was the Year of the Pig. This year is the Year of the Rat. The years 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 and 2007 were also assigned Year of the Pig. Those born in these years are said to be realistic, somewhat materialistic, hardworking, and let themselves enjoy life. Numbers 2, 5, and 8 are considered lucky, as are the colors yellow, gray, and brown.
Some famous pigs include: Alfred Hitchcock, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hillary Clinton, Tupac Shakur, Amy Winehouse, Mila Kunis and Donald Glover.
Which countries celebrate Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year celebrations are not limited to China. The lunar new year is celebrated all over the world. In East and Southeast Asia, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam host festivals. During South Korea’s Lunar New Year, which is called “Seollal,” Koreans will put on traditional costumes called Hanbok and play a traditional board game called Yunnori. During Vietnam’s “Tet Nguyen Dan,” Vietnamese clean their houses to get rid of bad luck and eat banh chung, a sweet sticky rice. Traditions and customs vary by country, but in general, holiday resorts reunite with family and honor ancestors.
How can I wish someone a happy Chinese New Year?
“Gong hei fat choy”It is the most frequent Chinese New Year greeting in Cantonese, spoken in parts of southern China and Hong Kong. It translates directly into “wishing you much happiness and prosperity.” In Mandarin, the same greeting is “gong xi fa cai”(Pronounced gong she fa tsai).
There are other ways to wish someone a happy Chinese New Year.
In Mandarin, “Happy Chinese New Year” is “xin nian kuai le”(Pronounced shin nee-an kwai le), which is a formal greeting that is commonly used for strangers and means “New Year’s happiness”. An abbreviated version is “xin nian hao”(Pronounced shin nee-an how) is most often used for friends and family. “Guo nian hao”(Pronounced gor nee-an how) is also used as a New Year’s greeting and means “having a good New Year.”
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