Chinese New Year festival: Year of the Rabbit
By: Tiyanna Cooper
Chinese New Year is a festival celebrated each year on the beginning of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar that usually last 16 days. During the annual celebration there are multiple festivities including parades, family gatherings, and other festivals. There’s a preparation that is done before lunar new year occurs, which is:
| Solar Date (2023) | Title |
| Jan. 14th | Little Year (小年 Xiǎonián) |
| Jan. 21st | Chinese New Year’s Eve (除夕 Chúxì) |
| Jan. 22nd | Chinese New Year’s Day 初一 (Chūyī) |
| Feb. 5th | Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié) |
During the annual celebration there are multiple festivities including parades, family gatherings, and other festivals. There’s a preparation that is done before lunar new year occurs, seen above. Little year which is a celebration that honors the Kitchen god held a week before lunar new year. Chinese New Year’s Eve is the day before the annual New Year’s celebration. Lantern Festival is a holiday to promote “peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation” (Britannica).
In addition, it is also important for those celebrating to decorate their homes in red, offer sacrifices to ancestors, have dinner with relatives, giving gifts, lighting fireworks, and watching traditional lion and dragon dances.
Prominent foods eaten during the celebration are:
- Fish which is said to bring abundance and prosperity in the new year.
- Dumplings and Spring rolls which bring wealth.
- Tangyuan which is said to bring family togetherness.
- Good fortune fruit that gives fullness and wealth.
- Niangao, higher income.
- Longevity noodles are said to aid in a long, happy, and healthy life.
Some superstitions to name a few are to not cure, take medicine, cut your hair, wear black or white clothes (suggested to wear red clothes), lending money, etc.
For more information, check out this site: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/chinese-new-year/
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