Start the Chinese New Year out right by celebrating with your friends and family!
When is Chinese New Year
This year, Chinese New Year will begin on Friday, February 12, 2021. Actually, the Chinese New Year isn’t celebrated on just one day like you might expect. It’s celebrated for nearly two weeks, giving everyone a lengthy chance to ring in the coming year. This Chinese New Year will be celebrated until February 26th. Chinese New Year isn't just a holiday in China. It's observed around the globe, and there are many ways that you can begin celebrating.
What Is the Spring Festival?
You might also hear Chinese New Year to be called Spring Festival. This is a more recent name for the day that is used in modern China. In addition to the “Spring Festival” name, you might hear it referred to as the Lunar New Year. That is because the Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after winter solstice, so the date of the festival relies on the cycles of the moon.
Celebrating Chinese New Year
With Chinese New Year approaching fast, you might be wondering how you should celebrate the occasion. Chinese New Year is a time for family and friends to gather together and get ready for another year. It’s a time to set the tone for the coming months and wish for luck and prosperity.
Another wonderful thing about Chinese New Year is the public celebrations. Many people gather together to celebrate with festive firecrackers and fireworks. There are also sometimes dragon dances where dancers make their way through the streets with beautiful and intricate dragon costumes. The atmosphere is electric, and it's a powerful way to kick off the next year.
Here are a few ways you can celebrate this Chinese New Year:
Chinese New Year traditions
If you don’t already celebrate Chinese New Year, you probably are not familiar with the traditions associated with the holiday. However, there are many great traditions that make celebrating the festival even more exciting.
What are the 12 animals for Chinese New Year
If you know about the Chinese Zodiac, then you know that there are twelve animals associated with different years. The Chinese Zodiac runs in twelve-year cycles, so each year matches with one of the twelve animals, and it restarts every twelve years. The Chinese Zodiac animals are the following: a rat, an ox, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog, and a pig. 2020 is actually the year of the rat!
Are There Any Lucky colors for Chinese New Year
Did you know that specific colors can actually be considered lucky? You probably have a favorite color, but Lucky colors go beyond someone’s preference. They are deeply rooted in tradition. While Chinese tradition attributes many different symbolic meanings to colors, the New Year is usually celebrated with a red and gold color palette.
You may have already noticed that red is used in many Chinese New Year decorations. That is because red is supposed to scare off any bad luck. Commonly, red lanterns will be hung outside of people’s home and businesses to achieve this goal. Another New Year’s color is gold. That has a very obvious association with money – which everyone can use more of in the years to come!