The Lunar New Year also known as the Chinese New Year is celebrated on 22 January 2023, Sunday. The day symbolizes the beginning of a new calendar cycle, the Lunar New Year, which is celebrated with much pomp and glory. This time, it is a farewell to the year of the Tiger, in order to welcome the year of the Rabbit.
The celebrations usually start the weekend before and can continue in the upcoming weeks. But it is the first 15 days that are considered to be public holidays. The new year celebrations will come to an end with the Lantern festival on February 5, 2022. The first full moon of the year falls on this day. Now here’s more about the Chinese New Year and why it is called the year of the Rabbit.
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Chinese New Year: Year Of The Rabbit
Each Chinese Year is connected to or linked to one of the zodiac animals. There are a dozen of these animals which include rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Accordingly, this year the rabbit is the designated animal. Thus 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.
The Lunar calendar, in addition, is also based on a cycle of ten heavenly stems, which symbolize the five elements of Taoism. They’re fire, earth, water, wood, and metal. And that makes 2023, the year of Water Rabbit.
The rabbit is the fourth animal in the list of zodiac animals. It represents good luck, beauty, grace, and mercy. As the Jade Rabbit lives on the moon, the zodiac is also related to the moon. The new year is celebrated in many Southeast Asian countries like China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and so on.
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How Is The New Year Celebrated?
There are many ways in which friends and families welcome the New Year. According to Associate Professor Xiaohuan Zhao from the University of Sydney, the color red is considered to be most auspicious, and people of Chinese descent usually dress up in red for the festivities. The Spring Festival is also marked by family reunions, feasting, and gifts.
Red and gold decorations are hung up as they signify good luck and fortune. A thorough clean-up of the house and surroundings are done prior to the celebrations. There will also be parades with floats, accompanied by people dressed in lion and dragon costumes. Fireworks are also traditionally used, which are believed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
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