Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Sunday, January 22, 2023. This year's celebration will bring in the Year of the Rabbit.
Chinese New Year is a 16 day-long celebration to mark the transition between the zodiac signs. It culminates in the lantern festival.
Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. Although it is still rather chilly outside, this marks the ending of the coldest days. The Spring Festival was originally a day of ceremonial praying to the gods for a good harvest season.
The most fireworks are set off in the WORLD at midnight on New Year's Eve and again in the morning to bring good luck in the new year. (Much like our New Year's Eve celebration of watching the ball drop at midnight).
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It is considered bad luck to shower, sweep, or throw out the garbage for the first 5 days of Chinese New Year. This is thought to wash away good luck. (*Don't tell the kids this one!) However, the day before is a sort of spring-cleaning day to wash away all the bad luck of the year to make room for the good.
Children are given red envelopes with lucky money in them to bring on a year of good fortune.
This is the year of the Rabbit, specifically the year of the water rabbit. The rabbit symbolizes peace, prosperity, and vigor in the Chinese zodiac. 2023 is predicted by many to be a year of hope.
People born in any of these years are said to be of the Rabbit zodiac and to carry traits specific to that zodiac sign:
1927, 1939, 1961, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, and 2023.
Characteristics of those born under the sign of the rabbit include:
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"To outsiders, the Rabbit’s kindness may make them seem soft and weak. In truth, the Rabbit’s quiet personality hides their confidence and strength. They are steadily moving towards their goal, no matter what negativity the others give them.
With their good reasoning skills and attention to detail, they make great scholars. They are socializers with an attractive aura. However, they find it hard to open up to others and often turn to escapism.
A plain and routine life is not their style. Though conservative and careful in their actions, they need surprises every so often to spice things up." ~Year of the Rabbit: Fortune and Personality – Chinese Zodiac (chinesenewyear.net)
Traditional foods eaten during the 16-day Chinese New Year celebration include:
1. Fish--thought to increase prosperity
2. Chinese dumplings--brings wealth
3. Whole chicken--Luck and wholeness
4. Chinese New Year Cake--Higher Income or Position
5. Spring Rolls--Wealth
6. Sweet Rice Balls--Family Togetherness
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7. Longevity Noodles--Happiness and Longevity
8. Lion's Head Meatballs--Family Unity
9. Steamed Pork Belly with Taro--Prosperity
10. Shrimp--Happiness
11. Vegetables--Spring, Wealth
12. Fruit--Fullness and Wealth
Popular Chinese New Year games and activities include Majiang (more commonly known in the Western Hemisphere as Mah Jong) and Lantern Riddles for the Lantern Festival, which involves affixing riddles that must be solved to bright red balloons and hanging them everywhere.
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Chinese New Year is a time of family and togetherness. It is a tradition meant to sweep out the old and potentially negative to make room for fresh luck and prosperity to come in the new year. There are many ways to celebrate
