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One of the World’s Biggest Celebrations Chinese New Year celebration, Brazil, 2016 Source: AP Photo/Andre Penner Related Links Chinese New Year Quiz Chinese Zodiac China | Map The Chinese Calendar Chinese New Year Dates 2000–2020 History of Chopsticks History of the Fortune Cookie Famous Firsts by Asian Americans Asian Pacific Heritage Month Chinese New Year Dates 2020 - Jan. 25 2021 - Feb. 12 2022 - Feb. 1 2023 - Jan. 22 2024 - Feb. 10 2025 - Jan. 29 2026 - Feb. 17 2027 - Feb. 6 2028 - Jan. 26 2029 - Feb. 13 Other New Year Celebrations New Year’s Traditions Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year Muharram, Islamic New Year

  Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. A Fun New Year Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality traits. Those born in rooster years are often independent, practical, hard-working, and observant. People believe the rooster years bring bad luck to those born in the year of the rooster. Britney Spears, Roger Federer, Caroline Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eric Clapton, Natalie Portman, and Yoko Ono were born in the year of the rooster.

Fireworks and Family Feasts At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits. The Lantern Festival In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other’s homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year’s Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. Today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host banquets and other New Year events. The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.

Try the Chinese New Year Quiz

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One of the World’s Biggest Celebrations

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.

  • Chinese New Year Quiz
  • Chinese Zodiac
  • China | Map
  • The Chinese Calendar
  • Chinese New Year Dates 2000–2020
  • History of Chopsticks
  • History of the Fortune Cookie
  • Famous Firsts by Asian Americans
  • Asian Pacific Heritage Month

Chinese New Year Dates

  • 2020 - Jan. 25
  • 2021 - Feb. 12
  • 2022 - Feb. 1
  • 2023 - Jan. 22
  • 2024 - Feb. 10
  • 2025 - Jan. 29
  • 2026 - Feb. 17
  • 2027 - Feb. 6
  • 2028 - Jan. 26
  • 2029 - Feb. 13

Other New Year Celebrations

  • New Year’s Traditions
  • Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year
  • Muharram, Islamic New Year

A Fun New Year

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality traits. Those born in rooster years are often independent, practical, hard-working, and observant. People believe the rooster years bring bad luck to those born in the year of the rooster. Britney Spears, Roger Federer, Caroline Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eric Clapton, Natalie Portman, and Yoko Ono were born in the year of the rooster.

Fireworks and Family Feasts

At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.

The Lantern Festival

In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other’s homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year’s Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. Today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host banquets and other New Year events.

The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.

In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.

Try the Chinese New Year Quiz

.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html

Sources +

Our Common Sources

Our Common Sources

The Chinese Zodiac

  • The Chinese Zodiac

TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Current Events This Week: January 2023

African Americans by the Numbers

Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents

The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales

TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Current Events This Week: January 2023

African Americans by the Numbers

Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents

The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales

  • Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
  • The Twelve Dancing Princesses
  • Current Events This Week: January 2023
  • African Americans by the Numbers
  • Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
  • The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales