Happy Lunar New Year - Chinese New Year!
- frontpageinitiative
- Aug 15, 2021
- 2 min read
Chinese New Year Spring Festival (otherwise known as the Lunar New Year) is a traditional celebration that commemorates the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year marks the end of Winter and the commencement of the Spring season. Most celebrations happen from New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the Lunar year. Chinese New Year is observed worldwide, though some regional customs and traditions of the holiday vary. The first day of Chinese New Year depends on the beginning of a new moon cycle. This occurs between January 21 and February 20. February 12, 2021 marks the beginning of the Spring Festival and the Year of the Ox.
The Chinese Zodiac is a type of classification that attributes an animal to the lunar calendar in a repeating 12-year cycle. To draw a comparison, both the Chinese and Western Zodiacs are divided into 12 parts, and they both dictate one’s personality or events in their lives based on a correlation to their Zodiac. However, multiple differences between the Zodiacs exist. The Chinese Zodiac system spans 12 years, with each year representing an animal. Unlike the Western Zodiac, these Zodiac signs do not correspond with the constellations.
Celebrations have changed over the years, but common values have remained intact. The way people celebrate this occasion is different. Throughout the Jin dynasty (266 - 420 AD), families began their celebrations on New Year’s Eve, where they exchanged gifts, celebrated together, and stayed up to sunrise. These practices originated from pre-Qin dynasty’s rituals, representing strength and prosperity. During this time, a common practice is the giving and receiving of Red Envelopes (红包). It is custom for children to wish elders a happy new year before accepting the red envelope. Traditionally, these envelopes are kept under the pillow and slept on for seven nights before opening to assure good luck and fortune.
On behalf of The Front Page Initiative, we would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. 恭喜發財 (roughly translating to ‘Congratulations and be prosperous!’). Happy Chinese New Year!
Published February 11, 2021
Written by Fiona Xu ~ Graphics created by Elwin Fu
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