Lunar New Year

 

No, January 1st is not the only New Year that exists across this diverse world of different cultures.

Say Happy New Year to the Chinese!

Chinese New Year is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. In the Chinese, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival as the spring season in the lunisolar calendar traditionally starts with luchin, the first of the twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of the Chinese New Year. 

Dates in the Chinese Lunisolar Calendar, according to Wikipedia:

In 2024 it's the year of the Dragon! Yipee!

This year, the Lunar New Year starts on Saturday, Feb 10. Why does it change every year? Because it follows the moon's phases, not the regular calendar. It's like a lunar dance of about 354 days. 

The Lunar New Year is mainly celebrated by many Asian cultures like Chinese, South Korean, Vietnamese, and more. Each culture has a different name for the same festival, like Spring Festival in China or Tết in Vietnam.

While the Western New Year is just one day, the Lunar New Year is a longer party. In China, it goes from the first new moon to the next full moon, from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24 in 2024. Different countries celebrate for varying lengths, like a week in Vietnam.

Just like the Western New Year the Lunar New Year is about letting go of the past and embracing the present. It's also a time to be with family, show love, and pay respects to ancestors. Think of it like a mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Year of the Dragon:

Last year was the Year of the Rabbit and this year is the Year of the Dragon. In the Chinese Zodiac, there are 12 animals, each representing a year. Dragons are seen as charismatic, intelligent, and naturally lucky.

Dragon's personality traits: Dragons are confident, ambitious, and charismatic. They're like the leaders of the zodiac crew.

Zodiac compatibility: Dragons get along best with Rooster and Monkey, but they might face challenges with Dog and Rabbit.

Lucky colors and numbers: Dragons love gold, silver, and yellow. Their lucky numbers include 1, 6, and 7.