The first day of the year marks the start of the Chinese lunar calendar. It is celebrated with a long holiday to pay respect to our lunar goddess, the Spring Goddess of Industry.
Lunar New Year is one of the most colorful and exotic holidays in Asia. In fact, it is also one of the most baffling holidays in the world. It has its roots in Chinese mythology but becomes a true holiday when it is celebrated by Chinese people who aren’t “Chinese” at all — Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, Filipinos, and so on.
The reason for this confusion lies in the term “Lunar New Year” itself: it isn’t even technically a New Year celebration, since it begins on February 17th and ends February 21st (the actual new year is on January 29th). As a result, many people who celebrate Lunar New Year think that it falls on February 16th or February 17th instead.
In fact, there are four different Lunar festivals that belong to different months in China: 山龍 (Sòng Róng) – The Dragon King Festival – 年龄 (Nán Zhǐ) – Age Category – 日本人 (Rì běn rén) – Japanese People – 日曜日 (Rì wǎng rì) – First Day of the Week – 天 (Tiān) – Heaven/Sky/Stars
In addition to these four festivals, there are 5 other Lunar Festivals: 一年目 (Yīn mù máo)– 1 Year Festival 三年目 (Sān mù máo)– 3 Years Festival 五年目(Wǔ mìu máo)– Fifth Year Festival 翌年目(Cí nán máo)– Next Day Festival 翌日目(Cí wǎng máo)– Next Day Festival for Women 今年目(Jīn nán máo), which has been observed since 2007
1. What is Lunar New Year's Celebration?
Let’s start with the basics. There are four.
1. Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month of the year, which is January 20th in most western countries. In China it is celebrated on January 31st.
2. The celebration starts with a traditional parade of lanterns and fireworks starting at midnight and lasting until dawn on January 31st (or sometimes into February 1st).
3. When it comes to the celebration itself, there are a few ways to celebrate:
1) If you have time, you can watch an elaborate fireworks display over Shanghai or Beijing's iconic Tiananmen Square (which is actually located in central Beijing). The fireworks billow from skyscrapers along Tiantanmen Square's north side and then spread out over an area as large as Tiananmen Square itself .
2) You can also rent a plane ticket and fly over China's spectacular landmarks such as Chongqing and Wuhan, where you can see the breathtaking lanterns floating across city rooftops for miles below — especially at night when all of China's cities have a blanket of snow covering everything.
3) Since China celebrates Lunar New Year this year, you can also take part in a big firework display that lights up the entire city for hours on end before heading home early. You don't need to be in Beijing or Shanghai to experience this spectacular spectacle; they're all there if you just want to get away from it all! And remember, if you decide to go through with this tradition this year, don't forget your camera!
2. Why is the Lunar New Year Celebration Crazy and Fun?
The year 2018 is one of the most dedicated times of the year for Chinese people.
A Chinese Lunar New Year (or "Lunar New Year") celebration is a major tradition in China and other countries with Chinese-speaking populations.
The celebration dates back to the Tang dynasty, when an official adopted the date as a festival for family members and friends. It was first celebrated in the Qin dynasty and was popularized by the Song dynasty.
Though it is usually celebrated on 21 January, it can also be celebrated on any day of the year. The first day of celebration is generally a public holiday, with government offices and schools closed, though some private businesses may remain open until late into the night or early morning on this day. In cities, residents celebrate by wearing red attire (吹风衣) or decorating their houses in red. The second day of celebration sees people visit temples, perform rituals such as offering sacrifices to bring blessings to the year ahead, and pay respects to ancestors who have died during that year.
A special lunar calendar is used to establish each event's exact date: 2019 will be 1st crescent moon month; 2020 will be 2nd crescent moon month; 2021 will be 3rd crescent moon month; 2022 will be 4th crescent moon month; 2023 will be 5th crescent moon month; 2024 will be 6th crescent moon month; 2025 will be 7th crescent moon month; 2026 will be 8th crescent moon month; 2027 will be 9th crescent moon month . It's no surprise that when looking at Chinese society from a distance, we still see this same cycle repeated over and over again like music on a loop.
This year marks 100 years since China welcomed its first batch of overseas students — those who were invited to study abroad by professors seeking bright minds willing to teach them how they were taught in school—to become part of its increasingly international student population. Their story has been told before , but I've included some additional details from an article written by Benjamin Bleiweiss . It's an entertaining read so please take my advice and read it! It's about time you did!
3. Which Countries Celebrate Lunar New Year?
Which Countries Celebrate Lunar New Year? It’s a Chinese tradition.
The most common time to celebrate the new year is on the fifteenth of the first month, but it can also happen at any time of the year. The Chinese New Year festival is held in February or March and lasts for several days. During these days people are given gifts, money is distributed, new business opportunities are presented, and traditional festivities take place.
In Korea Lunar New Year celebrations usually take place on February 15th, but they can also be held during other dates too. In China it’s possible to celebrate Lunar New Year during April or May too. In Japan it can either be held in December or January and lasts for several days as well. In Taiwan they usually celebrate Lunar New Year in January and February as well.
When it comes to celebration of a particular holiday people will follow their preference of when they want to celebrate it: some people prefer December for Christmas Eve in America; others would prefer February for Valentine’s Day in Europe; still others would prefer April for Spring Festival in China; etc…
All this means that if you live somewhere where celebrations take place during one period you should make sure you get there on that day. The whole point of holidays is to let everybody feel some sort of satisfaction from enjoying their time with family and friends…
4. How Do People Celebrate the Lunar New Year?
Celebrating the Lunar New year is a ritual of great importance to Chinese people. It is a time of both happiness and sorrow. It represents the passage of the year and new beginnings, as well as the beginning of Spring. Many beautiful things are seen during this special holiday period, including flowers and fish, which are traditionally given as gifts to family members, friends and loved ones.
It’s a cultural celebration that’s got some weird stuff in it too; it’s not just about money or luck. Chinese people celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families in a very traditional way, where they give gifts to each other. In fact, gifts are carried by men from one family member to another during this time.
The Western world might think that Chinese people celebrate the Lunar New Year with large dinners and extravagant parties at their home, but that isn’t true at all. Most Lunar New Year celebrations don’t include big parties and lavish dinners; instead, families gather for Chinese food, which is usually found at local restaurants or cafes for cheap prices. And it goes without saying that if you are planning on traveling to China during the Lunar New Year season (May 29th – June 20th), make sure you bring your wallet and cash with you because there will be few restaurants around town in order to pay for your meals!
As Asia’s largest and fastest growing tourist destination, you can’t help but to play up the Lunar New Year. The fast-moving lights, colorful dresses, balloons and candies on sale at 99c each make this a good month for your tourism business.
Be sure to put your money where your mouth is. If you want to be able to say you’ve been there, then being there is the point. It’s not just about getting there; it’s also about being there when it happens. If you want to make sure that you get the chance to experience a Lunar New Year celebration in Asia, here are some tips on how to do so:
1) Book flights with AirAsia or my budget airline Star Alliance partner since they do not allow carry-on baggage for international flights. (Star Alliance is preferred because of their ultra-low fares)
2) Visit China at least once during the week before Lunar New Year (roughly 3 times in 1 week). You may want to visit Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur as these are popular destinations for Chinese travelers who will be spending most of the year traveling between mainland China and Hong Kong and Malaysia respectively. For example: Shanghai -> London -> Hong Kong -> Malaysia -> Singapore -> Kuala Lumpur -> Beijing or Kuala Lumpur -> London -> Beijing (or any other way of getting from Shanghai directly to Hong Kong without flying across China)
3) Use your local partner or travel agent, who will arrange all details for you (the itinerary, flight schedules and dates). You can also use an online travel agency like Skyscanner that lets you search and book discounted flights through multiple airlines.
4) Make sure that if you aren't going to visit a particular city during Lunar New Year, one of those cities will be open from 3:00pm – 8:00pm on January 1st – 2nd and again from 8:00pm – 5th January – 8th January next year.. For example: Singapore → Kuala Lumpur → Chengdu → Shanghai >> Singapore won't be open until 3pm February 6th // Chengdu won't be open until 9am February 7th // Shanghai won't be open until 6pm February 8th >> Any other city in Southern China should still have available rooms upto 5am February 9th // More details here > https://www.airasia.com/en/info-center/what-is-the-craz
For a certain group of people, the Lunar New Year (Lunar New Year) is an opportunity to reconnect with their roots. It’s a time to stop and reflect on what’s important to them, and the tradition is to celebrate that very thing.
For others, it’s a chance to use their vacation time and spend some quality time with family. It can be a little more serious if they want to take it as an opportunity to celebrate their faith as well.
And for still others, it can be anything between the two groups. Take it as inspiration or levity depending on your perspective.
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