This month, 3rd February 2011 sees the start of the Chinese New Year, which is the Year of the Rabbit, 4709 on the Chinese Calendar. Next year, the date of the Chinese New Year will be 23 January 2012 when it will be the Year of the Dragon.
Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and is the main Chinese festival of the year and is not a religious event.
Some traditions and stories linked to this celebration are:-
- The Chinese use the Lunar calendar for their festivals so the date of Chinese New Year changes from year to year. The date corresponds to the new moon (black moon) in either late January or February. Traditionally celebrations last for fifteen days, ending on the date of the full moon. In China the public holiday lasts for three days and is the biggest celebration of the year.
- The Chinese calendar is different from that used in the UK. It is made up of a cycle of twelve years, each one being named after an animal. This is very like our signs of the zodiac. Some people believe that people born in a particular year (such as the year of the Rabbit) will have some of the characteristics of that animal.
- Over a sixth of the people in the world celebrate Chinese New Year. Although customs vary in different parts of the world, the main idea is the same. It is a time to remember family and wish everyone peace and prosperity in the coming year.
- Gung hay fat choy! Is the Chinese New Year traditional greeting (spellings do vary). Translated into English it means “best wishes and congratulations, have a prosperous year”.
- The Rabbit :- Affectionate and gentle with strong family ties. Caring, hates conflict. Peace-makers with lots of friends. Dislikes being the centre of attention and enjoys the good things of life.
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