Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is of cultural significance and highly celebrated in Chinese culture. It falls on a different date each year in January or February depending on the solar calendar and approximates to one month long. This year, it fell on Sunday, January 22nd.
Chinese New Year celebrations may occur as long as 16 days and typically include feasting, fireworks, and dragon dances. People wish each other a “Happy New Year” by shaking their hands and exchanging red envelopes containing lucky money (“red pockets”).
The upcoming Chinese New Year will usher in the Year of the Rabbit, ending the current year, Year of the Tiger. It is believed that one’s fortunes are determined by the year in which they are born. You may also be expected to have traits that correspond with the animal’s characteristics related to your birth year.
“In the Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty.” – University of Washington
