Chinese New Year: traditions and customs of the holiday

In China, the New Year 2023 according to the eastern calendar will come at midnight on Sunday, January 22.

What is Chinese New Year and how do people celebrate this holiday?

Chinese New Year is the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar. The start date of the celebration changes annually, and usually falls on the period of late January - mid-February. In China, this 15-day holiday is also known as the Spring Festival and is the most important holiday of the year.

In Mongolia, Vietnam and many Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand people also celebrate it. Lively celebrations will take place in Cambodia, although the Spring Festival is not a local official.

Chinese companies and government offices will be closed for seven days, other establishments will be closed for at least a few days. Many cities in China will be quieter than usual.

Vietnam calls this festival "Tet", South Korea - "Seollal", and Indonesia - "Imlek". Vietnam celebrates the Year of the Cat.

Chinese New Year celebrations usually end with the Lantern Festival, although some countries also have their own unique traditions.

For example, in Malaysia, the 15th day of the Chinese New Year is called Chap Guo Mei (Fifteenth Night). Young single women throw oranges with their names and contact numbers into the sea, hoping they will meet their love.

Chinese zodiac

The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, starting with the rat, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, and pig. Among them, the dragon is considered the most auspicious symbol, and fertility usually peaks in the year of the dragon. The zodiac is considered the key to understanding people, their health, wealth and personal life.

The Year of the Rabbit will begin this Sunday and end on February 9, 2024.

Rabbits - and all those born in the Year of the Rabbit - are considered the epitome of calmness and thoughtfulness. Each zodiac animal also has many lucky colors, numbers, and orientations. However, everyone's outlook on the year and life will also depend on the five elements: wood, fire, earth, gold, and water.

Celebrities such as the great scientist Albert Einstein, soccer player David Beckham, actress Angelina Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt were born in the Year of the Rabbit.

How to celebrate this holiday

Chinese New Year customs and traditions tend to vary from region to region, but in all places, family gatherings and food are the focus of Chinese New Year.

The most important part of the celebration is the "reunion dinner" - on New Year's Eve, the family gathers together for a banquet, and the dishes chosen at this time are distinguished not only by their taste, but also by their symbolism.

Traditions and customs

Many families do a spring cleaning before the Chinese New Year, cleaning the house, wiping the windows, and hanging red lanterns and spring festival verses in front of the door.

This type of cleaning is somewhat symbolic - it means getting rid of the bad luck of the previous year, but at the same time this type of cleaning is also very practical. Red is a color that symbolizes happiness and good luck.

People can also hang sparkling garlands outside and decorate the place with kumquat trees, willows, peach blossoms and other items.

Fireworks and firecrackers are also a vital custom, although fireworks and firecrackers are banned in some countries. It is believed that people blow up firecrackers on New Year's Eve or the first day of the Chinese New Year to get rid of possible bad luck.

Some people will go to the temple to burn incense before New Year's Eve, while others will wait until the next day to celebrate the New Year.

For many, the joy of Chinese New Year lies in the red envelopes they receive during the holiday. These are cash gifts. Moreover, cash in a red envelope must be brand new and evenly numbered. 8 is the luckiest number, while 4 is the number to avoid because in these areas the number "4" is usually associated with death.

Previously, experts told how to lose weight after the holidays. It is undesirable to resort to strict diets and starvation.