The Year of the Snake.Here's your guide to the Lunar New Year. When does Chinese New Year start and end? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and lasts until the Lantern Festival The Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade, organised by the Tourism Board, will take place between 8pm and 9.45pm in Tsim Sha Tsui. Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year 2025 will fall on Wednesday, January 29th. The date changes every year but is always somewhere in the period from January 21st to February 20th. The last event held during the Chinese New Year is called the Lantern Festival, during which people hang glowing lanterns in temples or carry them during a nighttime parade. Since the dragon is a Chinese symbol of good fortune, a dragon dance highlights festival celebrations in many areas. The Chinese New Year Parade marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, and is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese calendar. Rich Historical Roots The origins of the Chinese New Year Parade can be traced back over 2,000 years to ancient Chinese agricultural rituals and ceremonies. 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 In 2025 Chinese New Year festival falls on Jan. 29. It is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac, which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal. People born in the Years of the Snake including 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, and 2025 will experience their Zodiac Year of Birth (Ben Ming Nian Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new year on China's traditional lunisolar calendar. It is a time for family gatherings. It is the most important festival in China (where it is known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival), and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea (where it is known as Seollal), in Vietnam (as Tet), as well as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries What happens in the festival? Also known as the Spring Festival, New Year festivities usher out the old year and are meant to bring luck and prosperity in the new one. Chinese New Year is The Lantern Festival, known as "Yuanxiao Jie" (元宵节)” in Chinese, marks the grand finale of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations. Held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the festival signifies the first full moon of the new year. How is Chinese New Year celebrated? Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo), and enjoy delicious Chinese food. The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs. Vancouver’s Chinatown . When and Where. Vancouver’s Chinese New Year’s parade happens in Chinatown from 11:00 am until about 1:00 or 1:30 pm. After the parade, from around 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm, lion dances take place throughout the neighbourhood. Chinese New Year is the biggest and most anticipated event in Hong Kong’s calendar. With a mix of ancient customs and modern fun, fantastic fireworks and huge parades, prayers at the temple, and intimate family gatherings, you can feel the excitement in the air as the city prepares for the festival. Chinese New Year's Eve Traditions 1. Putting Up New Year Decorations. People believe that auspicious decorations can drive away evil spirits and bring good luck. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, Chinese people will hang red lanterns in front of their houses, put Chinese New Year Couplets on doors, and put flowers with lucky symbols inside their houses. When is Lunar New Year 2025? This year, Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29. Because the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon, the beginning of the year happens on a different day each year. The New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival will also return before the parade on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 from 11 am – 3:30 pm (the day of Lunar New Year). See traditional dances and pyrotechnics all happening on Grand Street at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Since the Chinese lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, the dates of Lunar New Year vary by year. Chinese New Year occurs on the new moon that appears anytime between January 21 and February 20. The 2025 date for Chinese New Year in Taiwan is Wednesday, January 29. A Chinese dragon. Chinese New Year Dragon Dances. Dragon dances are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Along with lion dances, they are often the highlight of Chinese New Year parades. From Chinese New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival, dragon dances can be seen in many places in China and Chinatowns around the world. They Chinese New Year Festival & Parade. Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by International Festivals & Events Association, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated Parades in North America and the biggest parade celebrating the lunar new year outside of Asia. 7. Sending Chinese New Year Wishes. During Chinese New Year, Chinese people will greet each other with pleasant words like: 'Xin nian kuai le' which means 'Happy New Year' (simplified Chinese: 新年快乐). See more Chinese New Year Greetings and Wishes. 8. Watching the New Year TV Gala
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