One of the longest and most important festivals in the Chinese calendar is the Lunar New Year . This 15-day celebration is filled with festivities, family gatherings, gift-giving, dragon dances, and the exchange of packages known as "hong bao." All of these festivities are imbued with the color red, as the Chinese consider red to be a lucky color.
In this article we are going to explain everything you need to know about the lunar new year and its curiosities.
Chinese New Year
The Lunar New Year is also known as the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival. This is because it begins with the second full moon after the winter solstice . This date can fall between late January and mid-February. This year, it began on Saturday, January 25th. This marked the beginning of the year 4717, the Year of the Rat.
Unlike New Year's celebrations in the rest of the world, here the celebrations don't last just one day. The celebrations begin on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and extend for 15 days when the full moon arrives. Throughout this time, family members gather and travel long distances to reach their loved ones. This is considered one of the greatest human migrations. For many people, it's the only time of year they have time to return home and bring bags of gifts to their loved ones.
The Lunar New Year celebration has its own special traditions for each of its 15 days . On New Year's Eve, families gather for dinner. One custom is to stay home to receive good fortune or visit the sacred grounds. Furthermore, one of the most symbolic gifts is the giving of money in a red envelope. These envelopes containing money are known as "hong bao" and are considered special because their bright red color brings good luck. They are usually given to children, adults, and couples.
There will also be the tradition of setting off fireworks. This comes from an old custom of lighting bamboo stalks to ward off evil spirits. One of the most curious elements of the Lunar New Year is the creature composed of half dragon and half lion. It is known as Nian and is quite famous worldwide. Legend says that it comes out of hiding during the Lunar New Year to attack people. However, its hearing is its weakness. This led people in the old days to light bamboo stalks to scare this being away. Over time, with the development of technology, this evolved into setting off fireworks to create noise.
Lunar New Year Superstitions
The lunar new year ends with the lantern festival. It is celebrated at night with parades and displays of lanterns decorated with the theme of the moment. It is the main event of the day and is characterized by the dragon dance. It is a very interesting event in which we can see beautiful dragons made of paper, silk and bamboo and are held on the heads. All of this gives the feeling that they seem to be dancing during the parade.
The Lunar New Year is also characterized by various superstitions. The first of these is that you shouldn't take out the trash. The reason for this is that looking at the garbage during the Lunar New Year is believed to erase good luck and prosperity. This means you should spend time with your family, especially your in-laws and your partner's family. This should be done on the second day, which is considered the beginning of the year.
Conversely, it's best not to visit anyone on the third day. This is because, according to tradition, it's considered a day when arguments are more likely. Celebrations can begin on the seventh day. Red is the essential color. This color is associated with luck and prosperity. Red is primarily used to protect loved ones. It's also used to scare away the Nian monster, as it's the color he fears.
Lunar New Year migration
Given its importance to the Chinese, the Lunar New Year is the catalyst for one of the largest human migrations in history. During this 40-day period, approximately 3.000 billion journeys are undertaken in China. The majority of these trips occur between January 9th and February 18th. All these people travel to celebrate the Lunar New Year, making it the largest human migration on the planet.
Of all these journeys, 440 million will be made by rail, about 79 million by plane , although the majority are made by car or motorcycle. Because it is one of the most anticipated events of the year, the Chinese will do whatever it takes to see their loved ones. This year, however, we have had the major problem of the coronavirus pandemic, so this Lunar New Year has been affected by the outbreak.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Lunar New Year is its association with animals. Chinese legend tells that Buddha summoned all the animals to join him on New Year's Day. He summoned a total of 12 animals. These animals are represented in the Chinese calendar: the dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, and horse . This tradition also states that people born in each animal year possess some personality traits associated with that animal.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the lunar new year.