This February 1 begins the Chinese New Year celebrations; better known as the Spring Festival in the People’s Republic of China or as Lunar New Year abroad. This date is celebrated in China and has also spread to other East Asian countries.
This February 1, 2022, the year 4719 begins according to the Chinese calendar.
Based on the lunisolar calendar (traditionally used in China), these celebrations begin on February 1 and run until February 15, culminating in the Lantern Festival.
Did you know that the most significant human migration of the year occurs during this period? This is so because millions of people travel to their original lands to celebrate with their families.
The Chinese New Year is fixed due to the closest new moon to the day equidistant between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In other words, the exact day of celebration may not always be the same but could range between January 21 and February 18.
The Chinese New Year celebrations bring with them some traditions, here we will mention some:
– Handing over a “red envelope” with some money to the youngest relatives of the family, as a wish for good luck.
– The antithetical couplets (or spring couplets), engraved with a couple of antithetical verses, usually of seven characters, are placed on the doors of the houses inviting prosperity and abundance in the coming year.
– Guardians are placed at the doors of the houses; they are figures in a defensive attitude against the possible entry of Nian (in Chinese mythology, Nian is a beast that lives under the sea and comes out of hiding at the beginning of spring to attack people, especially children).
– The placement of the fish on the doors of the houses represents abundance; if it is red, it will scare Nian away.
-The Lion Dance or Dragon Dance, with its origins in ancient times, comes from martial arts and drives away evil spirits from the underworld.
– Among the typical dishes are the Chinese ravioli or dumplings for the “New Year’s Eve” dinner or “chuxi” (除夕) in Chinese (“chu” is “to pass” and “xi” is “eve”).
Oh! Almost forgot, this year is the Tiger Year based on the Chinese Zodiac Signs, specifically the Water-Tiger. So, if this is your sign in the Chinese Zodiac, this is your year! What other traditions do you know about Chinese New Year?
