Everything You Should Know About Lunar New Year Celebration
If you like to learn about the cultural and historical details behind the holidays, then it is worth pursuing your knowledge beyond the most commercial, Western leisure traditions. Such as decorating Christmas or creating New Year cocktails. Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is a holiday that is rich in the sense and one of the happiest times of the year for the celebratory. The holiday, which falls between mid-January and late February on the Gregorian calendar, is full of culinary and family traditions.
Still, it’s not as different from the Western version of the New Year as you might think. Many see the Chinese New Year as an opportunity for a new beginning. And fortunately as an opportunity to enter the New Year. Although it may not be familiar to you if you don’t celebrate at home, according to National Geographic, a holiday is actually one of the biggest holidays in many east and southeast Asian countries.
Like other holidays, the Lunar New Year is full of traditional color themes, elaborate food and amiable, and some superstitions. Although the exact Chinese New Year falls on different days each year, preparations for the festival can begin up to two weeks in advance, beginning with compulsory spring cleaning, which is believed to remove bad luck from the previous year. But that is not the only tradition around the holiday.
When is Lunar New Year?
The exact dates of the Lunar New Year are decided by the Chinese lunar calendar, which varies every year. Usually, this means that the holiday falls in January or February. The festival lasts for 16 days every year.
When is Lunar New Year this Year?
In 2022, the Lunar New Year celebrations begin on February 1. They will run till February 15, 2022, when the Lantern Festival will take place. A tradition that marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Lunar New Year Traditions in China
It is customary to decorate it with red during the Chinese New Year as it is a symbol of good fortune. (Children are also paid in a red envelope called Hong Bao for safety and good fortune. )
For each of the 15 days, there are different activities, traditions, food, and superstitions. According to the Chinese New Year, the second day of the Chinese New Year is reserved for the family’s mother to go to her in-laws, as married daughters were considered part of her husband’s family in ancient China. And could not spend chunji with her parents. Times have changed, but the tradition of spending the second day with family parents is still a special custom that many families keep. The festival concludes with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. Where children carry lanterns and families eat sticky rice shells together.
The Chinese New Year also welcomes a new animal from the Chinese Zodiac. A repeating 12-year cycle where an animal and its properties are represented every year. According to Marca.com, this year, 2022 marks the beginning of the year of Water Tiger, which occurs only every 60 years. Mandarin To wishes someone a happy and prosperous New Year in Chinese, you say, “Gong Shi Fa Kai, Shin Nian Kui Le. It translates, “Wish you happiness and prosperity! Happy New Year!”
Other Lunar New Year Traditions
Lunar New Year is a popular holiday not only in China, Vietnam, and Korea but also in many Asian countries. Other countries celebrating the Lunar New Year include Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. Even within those countries, customs will vary from region to region, from house to house. No matter where the celebration is taking place, some general topics always come up. Reconnecting with family, sharing delicious dishes with special meanings, and preparing for a new beginning.
