Embracing the Year of the Dragon: A Festive Guide to Chinese New Year Celebrations
Chinese New Year for 2024 will fall on the Saturday that is February 10th. The celebration is about 16 days long, with the lantern festival on February 24th bringing the celebration to an end. How much do you know about the Chinese New Year and how to celebrate it?
Chinese New Year is celebrated in China, Asia, and worldwide. It marks the transition between zodiac signs, and this year is the year of the Dragon. 2023 was the year of the rabbit. Find out more about the Chinese New Year and how to celebrate it below.
History
The celebration is steeped in mystery but is believed to date back to the 14th century BC during the Shang Dynasty. Legend says that a monster, Nian attacked villagers at the start of the new year. Nian could only be scared away by bright lights, loud noises, and the colour red.
The celebration thus started as a way to chase Nian away and keep the villagers safe. Dragons which are a Chinese symbol of good fortune, are displayed. People also take the opportunity to clean up their homes and rid themselves of bad luck left over from the past year.
How to Celebrate
Chinese New Year Celebrations are split into three parts. There is the Little Year which is like a pre-celebration, then the Spring Festival, and then the Lantern Festival. Below are the ways that these different parts are celebrated.
Little Year
Celebrations for the Chinese New Year will start on February 2nd of this year. A pre-celebration known as the little year starts from this date and lasts until New Year’s Eve, February 9th. During this period, people prepare goods, do house cleaning, and do their new year’s shopping.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve
The Chinese New Year’s Eve is a fabulous time, too, with many celebrations and traditions to observe. It is when people put up their new year decorations, including red lanterns, paintings, etc. Since 2024 is the year of the dragon, dragons will appear on many of these decorations and paintings.
Offerings are also made to the ancestors, and many Chinese families have reunion dinners. Watching the CCTV New Year gala is also a tradition to partake in, and kids get red envelopes with lucky money. Lastly, in a tradition known as Shoushi, people stay up late to usher in the new year.
Spring Festival
The Chinese New Year officially begins on February 10th. Spring Festival starts on this day. It includes setting off fireworks and firecrackers. People also put on their new year clothes, extend greetings and watch lion and dragon dances.
There are public celebrations at parks and temples, and people visit relatives and friends. Married daughters usually visit their own parents with gifts on the second day of the Spring Festival. People also don’t sweep their house the first two days as they don’t want to sweep away the good luck.
Lantern Festival
Preparations for the lantern festival start from February 21st, while the main festival happens on the 24th. On that day, people send up lanterns into the sky while others float them on the sea, river, or in lakes. This day is also known as the traditional end of the Spring Festival.
Celebrations Around the World
Chinese New Year is celebrated in China, other Asian countries, and worldwide. There’s a Firecracker ceremony in New York, while Singapore hosts a street parade known as Chingay. Chinatown in Manchester also has a colourful dragon parade to celebrate.
You can experience Chinese New Year in these places by visiting their Chinatowns. Chinese restaurants and shopfronts will also have colourful and beautiful décor that you can enjoy. Please note that most other Asian nations refer to the Chinese New Year celebrations as Spring Festival.
In Conclusion
The Chinese New Year is a beautiful and colourful celebration that you can participate in and enjoy this year. Can you think of other traditions observed during Chinese New Year that we did not include here? We’d love to hear it.
See you next time!
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