Xin nian kuai le! Gong xi fa cai! (Happy new year! Greetings and wealth to you!)
Or, for you Canto speakers, san nin faai lok, gung hei faat choi!
As some of you may know, February 3 is Chinese New Year, ending the Year of the Tiger and ushering in the Year of the Rabbit. Throughout China, where it is afternoon, February 2 at the time of this writing, New Year festivities are already beginning. In China, this is serious businesses. People get off work, off school, and go back home to celebrate the new year.
The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunar one, and Chinese New Year corresponds to the second new moon after the winter solstice. The year according to the zodiac is the year of the Rabbit. Since the zodiac repeats every 12 years, if you're turning 12, 24, 36, or some multiple of 12 this year, you're a Rabbit!
In addition to this 12 year cycle zodiac, there's also a more detailed 60-year cycle that pairs one of the five elements (wood, water, metal, fire, and earth) with yin/yang and the zodiac. For example, this year is a Yin Metal Rabbit year.
More coverage to come later on the Chinese New Year!
Usually, in Asia, people in different countries celebrate Chinese New Years. They don't call them Chinese New Years because they're not Chinese. So for me, I'm Vietnamese so.. it could be Vietnamese new years, or Lunar New Year.
Since ending the year the Tiger, now comes the Year of the Rabbit, usually in 12 years, we celebrate 12 animals, 1 each year, then goes around.
Throughout China, where it is afternoon, February 2 at the time of this writing, New Year festivities are already beginning.
Well, yes. My family, starting today, should write for the festivals for Lunar New Year.
In my language... hạnh phúc Viá»t má»i nÄm. có má»t nÄm má»i tuyá»t vá»i cho tất cả các asia. (Happy Vietnamese New Years. Have a great new years to all of Asia)
MUAHAHAHAHAHA the mean asian kids at school wouldn't tell me what day it was. Thank you so much, now I can rub it into their faces. I'll be all like "That's right, a cracker knows what day chinese new year is!"
its also the Korean New Year! ìí´ ë³µ ë§ì´ ë°ì¼ì¸ì", we too celebrate the Lunar calendar new year!. may you be blessed with many sons. and your rice harvest be the best this year.
Wow. Im American and my new year is over. If any of you would take the time, would someone please explain to me how they choose the animal for the year?
This will explain a few ways the animals were chosen to be in the system of years, if that's what you mean.
There are different explanations about their origin. A popular legend says, long long ago, a certain god ordered all the animals to pay him a visit on New Year's Day, that is, the first day of the first month. He said he would give the first 12 animals to come the title "King of the Animal World" and let each hold the title for one year.
The l2 winners happened to be those mentioned above. Another theory holds that the animals originated from the 28 constellations, or the Lunar Mansions, which are named after animals. Every two or three constellations stand for a year, and the most commonly known animal in each group was chosen for that year. Thus we have the l2 animals.
A more convincing theory maintains that using animals to symbolize years began from totems of minority peoples in ancient times. Different tribes had different animals as their totems; gradually, these animals were used as a means to remember the years. Alongside the increasing exchanges between the hinterland and the border regions, the custom of using animals to designate years made its way to the hinterland and was adopted by the Han people, the largest national group in China.
