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Chinese New Year
10 February 2024
Chinese New Year 2024 will take place on the 10th of February, with the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Celebrations will last from the 9th of February (New Year’s Eve) until the 15th day of the New Year.
What is The Chinese New Year calendar?
Each year (also known as a cycle) of the Chinese New Year calendar is represented by a different zodiac animal. There are 12 in total. According to legend, these 12 animals participated in a race, which then determined their place of order in the Chinese New Year calendar.
Why is Chinese New Year celebrated?
Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese traditional calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, used widely around the world today, the lunisolar calendar determines dates using the location of the sun and the moon relative to the Earth. This is why, on our Western calendars, the date changes each year!
It is one of the most important events in Chinese culture and the holiday is today celebrated all around the world. Many other countries celebrate the holiday as an official festival (Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) due to its cultural significance.
What are some Chinese New Year traditions?
Traditionally, Chinese New Year is a time for people to honour their ancestors and deities. Still, many of the customs and traditions of the holiday vary wildly from region to region. Many families across China gather the night before Chinese New Year’s Day for a festive dinner to reunite them. Many people will also clean their house before the new year; this is done to cleanse any ill fortune and is thought to allow for good luck going into the new year.
It is also customary for people to decorate their windows and doors with red decorations, as red is seen as a lucky colour in Chinese culture. Many also light firecrackers and gift money in red paper envelopes to celebrate!
#ChineseNewYear #YearOfTheDragon