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. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or the Chinese Spring Festival, holds the most significant position among all Chinese festivals and holidays. It lasts for the first fifteen days of the Chinese lunar calendar, which on the Western calendar begins sometime between January 21 and February 21, varying from year to year. Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) is a time for families to be together. Chinese New Year's Eve is the most important time. Wherever they are, people are expected to be home to celebrate the festival with their families. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is called 'reunion dinner'. Big families of several generations sit around round tables and As the last day of the lunar year, Chinese New Year's Eve (除夕 chú xī) is the day before Chinese New Year. It is a grand reunion time for the whole Chinese family. People will participate in many activities to celebrate the coming new year. Chinese New Year's Eve Traditions 1. Putting Up New Year Decorations The Basics. Much like the celebration of the New Year in the Western world, Chinese New Year is all about the hopeful spirit of renewal. The holiday’s traditions, symbols and rituals are all meant to wipe the slate clean and prepare for prosperity, good luck and happiness in the new year. Travelling instead of staying at home to celebrate Chinese New Year has become more popular during the past few years. With the rapid development of transportation, especially high-speed railways and airways, it’s more convenient for Chinese to travel during the 7-day holiday, which provides a good opportunity for people to relax and take a Chinese New Year red envelopes are a traditional gift for children or elderly people during Chinese New Year. In China, the red envelope (money) is called ya sui qian (压岁钱 /yaa sway chyen/), which means 'suppressing Sui [the demon]money'. Those who receive a red envelope are wished another safe and peaceful year. 6. Visiting Relatives The Chinese New Year is also a time when the annual zodiac sign changes, meaning that each year is assigned to a specific zodiac animal. Zodiac signs play an integral role in Chinese culture. It is said that your luck regarding financial situations, health and relationships for each year can be calculated based on your zodiac sign. 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 Cleaning. Clean the house BEFORE Chinese New Year—not on Chinese New Year’s Day. It’s time to clean out all the bad juju from the past year and start off with a clean slate. That means a DEEP CLEAN. Dusting is very important. Get rid of all the cobwebs and crust of the previous year that might hold you back in the year ahead! Lunar New Year may be called different names in different East Asian countries and communities, but it is celebrated on the same date (and surrounding days) with similar celebrations. China. In China, Lunar New Year is known as Chinese New Year or in Chinese 'Spring Festival' (Chunjie). The celebrations traditionally last for 16 days, beginning Do you think that Chinese New Year is just that one day? No! It actually lasts 15 days and you’re supposed to do certain things beforehand to prepare for the The Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important and widely celebrated festival of all in China. It is celebrated from the 1st day of the 1st lunar month to the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. He advises, “Take everything in! Chinese New Year is more than just a night, it actually lasts 15 days and there are so many different things to do, traditions to follow and foods to eat.” Here’s how to celebrate Chinese New Year. Don’t forget to serve lucky Chinese New Year foods during your celebration! During Chinese New Year, people add pictures of the gods to their doors to bring good fortune to the household and to protect the family in the coming year. Brighten up with some colour It’s easy to see when the Lunar New Year is around the corner – festive scarlet deçor adorns every street, storefront and home. Read on to learn about Chinese New Year and how to celebrate Chinese New Year with your family. Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year can be called Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, or just New Year, depending on your location. While it is mainly observed in East Asian countries, many festivities occur in places around the globe. Some Indigenous people also celebrate Lunar New Year this time of year, including members of Mexico’s Purepecha Indigenous group. How do diaspora communities celebrate? Members of Asian American communities around the U.S. also organize parades, carnivals and festivities around the Lunar New Year featuring lion and dragon dances, fireworks Chinese (Lunar) New Year Red Envelope Traditions and Meanings; How long does the Lunar New Year celebration go on? Unlike in the United States, where New Year’s celebration consists of two days (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day), Lunar New Year features a massive celebration lasting anywhere from a week to 15 days. Also known as the Lunar New Year, the Spring Festival, Tet and Seollal, millions of people all over the world are gearing up to celebrate Chinese New Year at the end of January. It marks the Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called Lunar New Year, and it is considered the beginning of spring, so it is also called the Spring Festival. After ringing in the New Year on New Year's Eve, revelers spend the first day of the Chinese New Year doing a variety of activities.
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