Lanterns glow at Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during Chinese New Year. Photograph by Amril Izan Imran, Alamy Stock Photo. TRAVEL; Top 10 things to know about Lunar New Year. Also known as the Spring Festival (春節), or simply Chinese New Year, a popular variety show that features singing, dancing, comedy and drama. It first aired in 1983, and ever since it has What are the animals of the zodiac? Each year honors an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — measure the cycles of time. Chinese New Year is celebrated not only in China but also in many other countries with significant Chinese communities. Each place adds its unique touch to the festivities. In Singapore, the Chingay Parade features colorful floats, dragon dances, and performances. Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. This is a festival called Laba ( 腊八 Làbā /laa-baa/ '12th lunar month' + '8'), in the traditional sense, which Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. This week of relaxation has been designated Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general. The origins of the Chinese New Year are steeped in legend. One legend is that thousands of years Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year. In China, each lunar cycle has 60 years and 12 years is regarded as a small cycle. Each of the 12 years is defined by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake and 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings. Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration and each day, many families rotate celebrations between homes of their relatives. The festivities are day-long and sometimes, a family ends up cooking two The highlight of the celebration is Chinese New Year's Eve, when families gather for a reunion feast of symbolic foods, including dumplings shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots that represent wealth, and fish, which in Chinese is a homonym of "abundance." The fish must be only partially eaten because the leftovers signify continuing prosperity. During Chinese New Year, people have a long list of things to do. From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. The family reunion dinner, eating dumplings, and setting off firework are the must-dos that you might know. What else interesting do the Chinese do? Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is a traditional festival with a long history, and many old customs have been passed down, like putting up Spring Festival couplets and giving red envelopes. In recent years, more and more new features appear and some interesting modern activities have been added on to the list as time passes on. Chinese Lunar New Year 2025: Start the Chinese New Year on a positive note by following these do's and don'ts, from gifting money to other traditions. In Phuket, the Chinese New Year festival is intertwined with the annual Phuket Old Town Festival. Sino-Portuguese architecture is the backdrop to a blend of cultural performances, street art, and food fairs. In Nakhon Sawan, the Chinese New Year festivities are known for their grand scale, with a stunning dragon parade that rivals any in Asia. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. January 29th, 2025 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Snake. What’s Your Zodiac Sign? Gifting during Chinese New Year is rooted in wishing each other a prosperous year ahead. Giving gifts to families during Chinese New Year house visits is customary, symbolising the desire for a blessed year. Gifts, such as mandarin oranges, hong bao, and other useful items, are the most common and show respect and love towards the recipients. The Chinese New Year, celebrated on January 29 this year, ushers in the Year of the Green Wooden Snake, symbolizing wisdom, elegance, and transformation. This period holds immense cultural significance, prompting millions of families worldwide to reunite, and it is marked by the spring festival's rituals traditionally observed during this time. The annual celebration of the Chinese New Year in Pokémon GO is set to take place this week with the Lunar Year 2025 event. While not one of the biggest events in the Pokémon GO calendar, it has previously provided some great rewards for trainers, and this year's edition is no different. There are
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