#Lunar New Year 7-Day Celebration#
On Saturday, February 10, the Lunar New Year is celebrated. The celebrations, which will last for 15 days, will end with the Chinese Lantern Festival.
In Chinese tradition, each year is represented by one of the 12 different animals featured in the Chinese zodiac. In 2024, the Year of the Rabbit is moving from the Year of the Dragon.
Is 'Lunar New Year' the same as 'Chinese New Year'?
Although some people use these two interchangeably, there is a difference between them.
Chinese New Year is often referred to as the Spring Festival in China because it symbolizes the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
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It is one of the four most important traditional festivals in the country and is celebrated the beginning of the new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
Considering the new year events that celebrate Chinese traditions and culture, it can be referred to as the Chinese New Year.
However, many East and Southeast Asian countries also celebrate the same holiday, and the celebrations vary according to different cultures.
Lunar New Year is a more general term that encompasses all events that celebrate the new year, which is determined by the lunar calendar.
In other countries, the phrase Lunar New Year is preferred to Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.
However, those who oppose this term in China argue that the origin of the holiday is based on the Chinese lunar-solar calendar (based on the cycles of the Moon and the Sun) and China's historical influence on the countries of the region.
Therefore, the choice of emoticon can cause controversy.
Where is the Lunar New Year celebrated?
This year, more than 1.5 billion people around the world will celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Since millions of people travel to ring in the new year with family or friends, the world's largest migration also takes place every year during this period.
In Vietnam, this day is called 'Tet Nguyen Dan' or simply 'Tet', which means the First Morning of the First Day Festival.
In North Korea and South Korea, people celebrate 'Seollal'. In Mongolia, the festival is called 'Tsagaan sar'; There are also those who call it the 'White Moon Festival'.
In the days before the new year, Chinese families do spring cleaning in their homes. With cleaning, the goal is to sweep away bad luck and make the rooms ready for good luck to enter.
Families and friends gather to eat Chinese noodles, dumplings, rice cakes, radish cakes, fish and tangerines, which are believed to bring luck for the coming year.
People also watch fireworks displays, wear special outfits, and hang red lanterns to celebrate the new year.
On the Lunar New Year, it is also customary to give friends and family a bright red envelope (known as a 'hongbao') with money inside, representing good wishes and luck for the new year.
How long is the New Year holiday in China?
The date of the new year is determined by the lunar calendar. The second new moon after the winter solstice on December 21 usually falls between January 21 and February 20.
The celebrations usually last 15 days. It begins on the day of the formation of the new moon and continues until the next full moon.
This year, China's State Council has scheduled a public holiday for the Spring Festival from February 10 to 17, for a total of eight days.
The day before the Chinese New Year is not included in the public holiday calendar, but employers are encouraged to provide paid time off to employees on that day.
Origins of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the 14th century BC when the Shang Dynasty ruled, and its origins are steeped in legends.
According to Chinese mythology, its origin is based on the battle against a monster called Nian (which means "year" in Chinese).
Nian arrives on the first day of the new year to threaten the villagers. However, the villagers discover that Nian is afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red.
For this reason, every new year, the villagers hang red lanterns and use fireworks to scare Nian. Nian never reappears.
This year's animal of the Chinese New Year is the dragon
In Chinese tradition, each lunar year is represented by one of the 12 different animals featured in the Chinese zodiac: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
Each animal is connected by an element: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. It also gives a name to a year, every 12 years.
2024 marks the transition from the Year of the Rabbit to the Year of the Wood Dragon.
The Year of the Wooden Dragon only occurs once every 60 years. The last time the Year of the Wood Dragon was celebrated was in 1964 and before that in 1904.
People are believed to have an exceptional set of personality traits, based on the year in which they are born.
The dragon is the fifth animal in the Chinese zodiac. In Chinese culture, it represents good luck, strength, health, and the male element 'yang'.
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