Lunar New Year is a super fun and interesting holiday that is celebrated on February 10th this year. A cool fact is that the Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different day each year. It can land anywhere from January 15th to February 15th each year. The author of the “Colors of Chinese New Year” activity book, Martha Bonneau, said, “Lunar New Year is a 15-day holiday that is all about family, food, paying tribute to family members who are no longer with us, and fresh starts. We had the opportunity to visit China for the Lunar New Year in 2019 and saw firsthand how important the holiday is.” Now that we know what this holiday celebrates, let’s talk about the traditions. You sit in a crowd as joyful music fills your ears. You watch as the beautiful red dragon dances down the street as you open a small red envelope from your family. The Lunar New Year is an East Asian holiday that celebrates the beginning of spring. The Lunar New Year is called many things, such as “Chinese New Year.”. One thing is for certain: it is a fun holiday that billions of people celebrate each year.
The Lunar New Year has some traditions that were rooted in ancient times. One of the traditions is wearing the color red because it is said to bring good luck for the new year. They also open red envelopes that have money in them. This is to bring good fortune to the person giving the envelopes out. Bonneau told me, “The traditions that surround the Lunar New Year vary from country to country. In China, before the holiday starts, shopping is completed, new clothing is purchased, and it is important to cut your hair before the holiday. It is bad luck to get a haircut during the Chinese New Year. Homes are cleaned, and bad luck is swept away to welcome in good luck for the new year.” Finally, they have parades; this is a staple of the Lunar New Year. They have a team of men carrying a gorgeous dragon puppet as they dance down the street, lined with red lanterns. The parades also have female dancers who hold large fans and do traditional dances. Another aspect of this holiday is the zodiac.
Did you know that you have zodiac signs other than your star sign? There are 12 Chinese zodiacs based on the year you were born. These include the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. This year is the year of the dragon, but if you were born in 2009, you’re an ox, in 2010 a tiger, in 2011 a rabbit, and so on. Each zodiac has unique traits that the animal represents. For example, people born in the year of the tiger are considered to be authoritative, emotional, and courageous. What does your zodiac say about you?
As you can see, the Lunar New Year is a fun and exciting holiday celebrated by many each year. It is a time for family, and there are several fun traditions surrounding the holiday. If you ever get the opportunity to visit China in the spring, remember the fun holiday to bring in the season.