Chinese New Year celebrations usually last for 16 days
Chinese New Year is one of the most important and culturally significant festivals marked with great pomp and zeal by Chinese communities across the world.
As the name suggests, the festival ushers in the New Year in China. The date for the Chinese New Year depends on the lunar calendar. In 2024, the festival is slated to fall on February 10.
Here are 10 facts about the festival.
- The date of the Chinese New Year is not fixed with respect to the Gregorian calendar. Instead, it is determined based on the lunar calendar and usually falls between January 21 and February 20.
- Chinese New Year is also referred to as the "Spring Festival". It also marks the beginning of spring and the end of the biting cold.
- Each Chinese New Year is assigned a zodiac sign, of which there are 12. Each Chinese zodiac sign is associated with an animal. They are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
- While 2023 was the Year of the Rabbit, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year 2025 will be the Year of the Snake.
- Chinese New Year celebrations usually last for 16 days - from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. This time, the Lantern Festival falls on February 24.
- Traditionally, Chinese New Year is welcomed with a spectacular display of fireworks on New Year's Eve. There is legend attached to the tradition. As per Chinese lore, it is believed that on Lunar New Year's Eve, a fearsome monster named Nian would emerge to devour both people and livestock. The loud explosions and bright lights are set up to scare away Nian and ensure the safety of the community. This tradition has carried on for aeons and become an integral part of the celebration.
- The same legend of Nian is also cited as the reason that red is the overriding colour used during the celebration. It is believed that the colour helped drive the evil monster away.
- With red being considered a sign of prosperity, red envelopes with or without money are exchanged between friends and family members as a sign of good luck on Chinese New Year.
- As per tradition, during the first five days of Chinese New Year, it's customary not to dispose of garbage. This tradition stems from the belief that the refuse collected during this period symbolises wealth and shouldn't be discarded. On the sixth day, however, a dedicated cleaning ritual takes place and accumulated garbage is disposed of.
- Several lucky dishes are also consumed during the celebrations. In particular, dumplings are associated with wealth and prosperity. So, the belief is that the more dumplings you eat during New Year celebrations, the more prosperity you will reap in the coming year.