Discover the most popular 13 Chinese New Year symbols, cultural meanings behind and how they're celebrated. Learn about 福字, 红包, 春联, and more in this festive guide! Chinese New Year symbols are imbued with profound meanings, derived from centuries-old traditions and cultural practices. The color red, predominant in decorations and attire, symbolizes joy, prosperity, and protection against evil spirits, invoking yang energy. Discover the vibrant tapestry of tradition and culture surrounding Chinese New Year symbols from their meanings, and cultural significance. During the Chinese New Year, you will see special foods, decorations & traditions. Learn about what these Chinese New Year symbols mean! The Significance of Colors in Chinese New Year Symbols. Colors play a crucial role in Chinese New Year symbolism, with each hue carrying its own meaning and significance. Red: The Color of Good Fortune. Red is the most prominent color during Chinese New Year celebrations. It symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity. Delicacies like fish dishes are rich with symbolism, as the Chinese character for fish reads the same as the character for plenty and represents Niannian Youyu, meaning plenty of wealth every year. For dessert, the ping-pong shaped Tang Yuan cake is made from glutinous rice flour and filled with bean or nut powder and eaten with soup. Learn about the Chinese New Year Zodiac signs. Explore how the Lunar New Year is celebrated, the Chinese New Year animal symbols, and what each character represents. Updated: As we approach the Chinese New Year of 2022 let’s take a look at some of the traditions, iconography, and decorations that have both festive and symbolic role. Red symbolizes joy, virtue, and sincerity which is why it is often the predominant color in many Chinese celebrations including the New Year one. Here are seven iconic Chinese New Year symbols and their meanings: Red envelopes, also known as “ ang pow ” or “ hongbao,” are traditionally given during the Chinese New Year as a way to convey well wishes and good fortune. The red color is believed to symbolize good luck and is thought to ward off evil spirits. Learn most popular greetings for Chinese New Year with written Chinese characters, sound marks in pinyin, human voice pronunciation, and their lucky meanings. Welcome the New Year in style by mastering 10 best Chinese idioms with dragon characters that convey “Happy New Year” wishes in a truly unique way. From “龙马精神” (lóng mǎ jīngshén) to “龙争虎斗” (lóng zhēng hǔ dòu), these idioms are not only rich in meaning but also reflect the cultural significance of dragons in The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the 2025 Chinese New Year on Jan. 29th and lasting to 2026 Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 16. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Start the following lesson on the most popular sayings for Chinese New Year, with written Chinese characters, sound marks in pinyin, human voice pronunciation, and their lucky meanings. Say loudly in Chinese to express your joy and love to your family and friends! For Chinese New Year, use red envelopes featuring Chinese characters such as福 (fú, meaning 'good luck and blessings'), 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái, meaning 'happiness and prosperity'), and 新年快乐 (Xīn Nián kuàilè, meaning 'happy New Year'). 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. Dragon is the 5th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Rabbit and before the Snake. Recent years of the Dragon include 2024 (this year), 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, and 1952, with the next Dragon year in 2036 (Year of the Fire Dragon). While you are studying how to greet everyone in Chinese for the Lunar New Year, remember to check out our Dos and Don’ts in our Chinese New Year Traditions post to properly prepare yourselves to ring in the new year! 23 Common Chinese New Year Greetings 1. 新年快乐 – Happy Chinese New Year. The most common greeting used during the It is a Spring Couplet 挥春/揮春. 招財進寶 is an auspicious saying to wish families more wealth and treasure. Chinese paste this on the front door or wall before the Chinese New Year. And they renew it annually. Some companies hope like this lucky saying so they paste it too. Besides, "福"(fu) is very popular too. Pasting the character upside-down on a door or doorpost thus translates into a wish for prosperity to descend upon a dwelling. Another story states that posting the character upside-down originates with the family of a 19th-century prince of the Qing dynasty. [citation needed] The story states that on one Chinese New Year's Eve, or 除夕 The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) usually falls during 21 January and February 20, if your birthday is during this period in Gregorian date, you may belong to the zodiac sign of the last year. In the following table, the years’ starting and ending dates are clearly shown which help you determine your animal sign correctly. The Year of the Ox corresponds with the earthly branch symbol chǒu. Ox is the 2nd animal in the Chinese zodiac. Recent Ox years include 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, and 2033. Ox is the 2nd animal in the Chinese zodiac. Recent Ox years include 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, and 2033.
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