Happy Lunar New Year! While you probably already rang in the new year on January 1st, there’s another new year you may not be as familiar with. But how can there be two new years?
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the new year marked by the beginning of the new moon. It occurs each year in late January or February.
This is a significant holiday in China and Chinese communities, which is why it is sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year. However, it is also celebrated in many other East and Southeast Asian cultures, such as Vietnamese and Korean communities.
To help you understand why and how Lunar New Year is celebrated, we put together a holiday guide for families:
When is Lunar New Year?
The modern calendar used by most countries of the world is called the Gregorian calendar. It is classified as a solar calendar because it is based on Earth’s rotation around the Sun. Using this calendar, the new year begins on January 1st.
Lunar New Year, on the other hand, is based on a lunar (moon) or lunisolar (moon and sun) calendar. Using these calendars, each month starts on a new moon, when the moon is not visible in the night sky.
The new year begins on the new moon closest to the midpoint between the winter solstice (the day with the longest night of the year) and the spring equinox (the day in which daylight and darkness are almost equal). Each year, this date falls sometime between January 21st and February 20th.
China followed a lunisolar calendar for more than 3,000 years, until the country officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912. Chinese communities largely began celebrating Lunar New Year again in the late 20th century, after the holiday was re-introduced as the Spring Festival.
How is Lunar New Year celebrated?
Lunar New Year is typically celebrated for 15 days, beginning with the new moon and lasting until the full moon arrives.
Different cultures celebrate Lunar New Year with different traditions and festivities. Many people, particularly in China and Vietnam, travel during this time so they can celebrate with their families and honor their elders and ancestors.
Before Lunar New Year begins, many Chinese families clean their houses to represent the idea of ridding the house of the previous year’s bad luck and making the house welcoming for the new year’s good luck. Chinese communities also decorate with the color red because it symbolizes joy and good fortune.
Other decorations include kumquat trees and flowers such as peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, and orchids. These flowers represent prosperity and hope.
After Lunar New Year begins, people celebrate with parties, fireworks, and big feasts. Children and unmarried adults are traditionally given red envelopes containing money, which are said to bring good fortune and prosperity.
Meals for Lunar New Year often include foods such as fish, rice balls, moon-shaped rice cakes, and dumplings. Additionally, oranges and tangerines are given as gifts and used for decorations, since the Chinese word for orange (橙 chéng /chnng/) sounds like wealth, while the word for tangerine (桔 jú /jyoo/) sounds like luck.
Lunar New Year concludes with the Lantern Festival. People hang paper lanterns and celebrate the first full moon with parades, fireworks, and other festivities, including the iconic lion dance.
Lion dances are performed by two dancers in a lion costume, with one in front as the head and front limbs, and the other behind as the back and hind legs. The lion symbolizes power, wisdom, and superiority, and people perform lion dances on special occasions to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits.
What are the zodiac animals?
In the Chinese zodiac, each year in the lunar calendar is represented by an animal, with 12 animals in a repeating cycle. The year 2024, for example, is the Year of the Dragon. Each animal also represents different personality traits, so it’s said that the year you’re born determines your zodiac animal and personality.
The reason why these 12 animals represent the Chinese zodiac comes from a mythological story. While there are a few different versions, the overall story remains the same.
In one legend, the Jade Emperor (a mythological emperor of heaven) planned which animals would represent the years by inviting them to his birthday party. The animals had to race across a rapid river to make it to the party, and the first 12 to arrive were the chosen animals.
The 12 animals, along with their years and personality traits, are:
- Rat (1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020) – Ambitious, charming, talkative, resourceful
- Ox (1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021) – Diligent, gentle, hardworking, reliable
- Tiger (1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022) – Confident, brave, idealistic, thrill-seeking
- Rabbit (1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023) – Kind, sensitive, artistic, romantic
- Dragon (1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024) – Outspoken, energetic, generous, intelligent
- Snake (1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025) – Clever, curious, attentive, wise
- Horse (1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026) – Amusing, enthusiastic, independent, persuasive
- Goat (1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027) – Easygoing, empathetic, creative, cheerful
- Monkey (1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028) – Entertaining, intelligent, optimistic, sociable
- Rooster (1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029) – Adventurous, charitable, funny, honest
- Dog (1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030) – Helpful, honest, trustworthy, loyal
- Pig (1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031) – Caring, generous, smart, outgoing
Lunar New Year is a vibrant celebration signifying the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year! We hope this guide has helped you appreciate the Lunar New Year celebration and the connections it helps foster among families across East and Southeast Asia, communities overseas with immigrant populations, and any other communities who celebrate. Let’s say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year with family, friends, and loved ones!
