The Chinese Full Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is a 15-day celebration that occurs once a year on or around the new moon. Each new year is linked to a specific animal, and the celebration is sometimes called the Spring Festival. Animals cycle through in a set pattern.
The 16 days of Chinese New Year festivities begin on the evening of Chinese New Year’s Eve and end on the evening of the Lantern Festival. From January 21st through the 27th, 2023, the first seven days are off for a holiday.
Chinese New Year: A Brief History
This festival marks the start of a new year in the traditional Chinese calendar and is one of the most important holidays in China. In Mainland China, the celebration is known as the Spring Festival, but it is one of many Lunar New Years celebrated around Asia. The new moon between January 21 and February 20 marks the first day of the Chinese New Year.
The lunar new year celebrations of China’s neighbors, such as the Korean New Year, the Tt of Vietnam, and the Losar of Tibet, have been profoundly affected by this festival. It is also celebrated in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, North America, and Europe, all of which have sizable Chinese communities.
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It was decreed by the Kuomintang party in 1928 that the Chinese New Year would begin on January 1st, in accordance with the Gregorian Calendar, but this was later reversed due to public outcry. Official Chinese New Year festivities were outlawed during China’s Cultural Revolution in 1967.
Since individuals were required to work on Chinese New Year’s Eve and on the actual Spring Festival day itself, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China announced that the public should modify customs and have a revolutionary and fighting Spring Festival. By the time of the Chinese economic reform, public festivities had been revived.
It was customary to pay respect to both living and deceased family members at the festival. The eve of Chinese New Year’s Day is widely recognized as an opportunity for Chinese families to assemble for the annual reunion meal, while regional customs and traditions surrounding the celebration of the New Year vary widely throughout China.
It is also customary for everyone to give their home a good cleaning to get rid of any bad luck and make room for the new fortune that is sure to come their way.
Food For The Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year celebrations would be incomplete without delectable feasts. During the 16-day holiday, particularly during the New Year’s Eve family gathering meal, lucky foods are offered. Fish is essential since, in Chinese, the word for surplus literally means “sounds like.” As a symbol of togetherness and good fortune, Chinese families traditionally eat dumplings in the shape of silver ingots.
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The Chinese word for “year high” (niángo) sounds like “glutinous rice cake,” which is a good omen because it could mean a promotion or a raise in salary.
Things You Might Not Know About The Chinese New Year
- The Chinese New Year is recognized by more than two billion people worldwide.
- Since the Chinese New Year is celebrated until the Lantern Festival, the Chinese New Year holiday period typically lasts for 16 days, and each of those days is marked by its own unique traditions and rituals.
- Historically, the Chinese New Year has been celebrated by offering prayers to the harvest gods in hopes of a prosperous year.
- Good luck is symbolized by the red envelope.
- During this celebration, the greatest annual migration occurs. People travel great distances to be home for the reunion supper with the family, as it is the single most important part of the Chinese Spring Festival.
Chinese New Year Traditions
There are 12 different animals that make up the Chinese Zodiac. The Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig are these twelve animals. in the order given.
The celebration of the New Year according to the Gregorian calendar is comparable in scale to that of the Chinese New Year. One of the customs that is strictly observed on this particular day is the act of gathering together with one’s family to partake in a meal.
During the Chinese New Year, it is customary to consume certain delicacies that carry special meanings. Fish is another type of food that is consumed often in China, and dumplings, which are thought to bring prosperity, are eaten in large quantities. During the Chinese New Year, the color red is prominently shown as a symbol of life, beauty, luck, happiness, and good fortune. In China, the color red is typically seen as auspicious and is seen everywhere.
