Lunar New Year’s Eve: The Reunion Dinner. At the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations is the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025. A traditional reunion dinner has many dishes, including steamed or fried fish, rice cakes and balls, noodles and dumplings. 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. Layue (simplified Chinese: 腊月; traditional Chinese: 臘月; pinyin: Làyuè) is a term often associated with Chinese New Year as it refers to the sacrifices held in honour of the gods in the twelfth lunisolar month, hence the cured meats of Chinese New Year are known as larou (simplified Chinese: 腊肉; traditional Chinese: 臘肉; pinyin Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates? Rather than following the western Gregorian Calendar with 365-day years, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based the moon's 12 phases 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). 2026 Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 17th and it is For the New Year, it’s traditional to serve long noodles, symbolizing a long life. See our recipe for Longevity Noodles. Longevity Noodles. Another popular food for New Year is Chinese Dumplings, symbolizing good luck and wealth. Families wrap them up and eat them as the clock strikes midnight. “Good Luck” is also a common theme of the 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 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. Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, Before midnight on New Year’s Day, hair salons are abuzz with revelers, wishing to cut away last year’s bad luck and walk out Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2025 is the Year of the Snake; 2024 the Year of the Dragon. Advertisement. 2025 Guide. Lunar New Year is a vibrant and meaningful holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world, especially in countries like China, Korea, Vietnam and others in East Asia and Hawaiʻi. 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 is also a time to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. Many traditions and customs, such as setting off fireworks and hanging red decorations, are believed to bring good luck and prosperity while scaring away any negative energies. Another important aspect of Chinese New Year is the emphasis on family and togetherness. Families "The Wood Snake year is part of a 60-year cycle of the 60 pillars, which is the 60 possible combinations of the five elements and the 12 animal signs," Chinese metaphysics consultant Vicki 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 5. 年花 (New Year Flowers) Symbolism: New Year flowers such as 桃花 (peach blossoms), 富贵竹 (lucky bamboo), and 桔子树 (tangerine trees) represent growth, prosperity, and good luck. Each flower carries its own specific auspicious meaning. Application: These flowers are used to decorate homes and offices during Chinese New Year. For Overview of the 2025 Chinese New Year. The 2025 Chinese New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29th, marking the beginning of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. This year, we celebrate the Year of the Wooden Snake, symbolizing renewal, transformation, and growth. The first day of the Chinese zodiac year is the Start of Spring, the The legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month. Some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to 10 days or more, because in common knowledge among Chinese people, the festival lasts longer, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival). 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.
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