The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year. It is the most important festival in China, and it is usually a time for families to be together for a whole week of public holidays and celebrations.
This New Year usually falls in February, and in the year 2021, it will fall on the 12th of February. This is going to be the Year of the Ox. The holiday will be celebrated between February 11 and 17 of 2021.
The Year of the Ox is from Chinese astrology, and it starts on February 11th. In 2022, the New Year has been christened the Year of the Tiger, and it will start on February 1st. In this review, we take a look at the Year of the Ox specifically and tell you what to expect in this New Year.
The Year of the Ox
Here’s why it’s called the Spring Festival.
Although during the New Year Celebration China is usually in winter, they still call it the Spring Festival because it usually starts at the beginning of spring – the first 24 terms in coordination with the changes in nature.
This also marks the end of winter and the start of spring.
The Spring Festival is therefore the actual start of the New Year, on the Lunar Calendar, and it also represents the desire for a new life.
When Will It Happen in 2021?
The New Year will take place on Friday, the 12th of February, 2021. The specific date is usually determined by the Lunar Calendar, and next year, it falls on the second moon right after the winter solstice of December 21.
Therefore, each year, this New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar, but generally, it’s between January 21 and February 20.
What Happens in The Chinese New Year?
Some of the main activities that take place during the New Year celebrations include the following.
Putting Up Decorations
Every single house, street, or building where the festival takes place is usually decorated in red. Red is the main festival color, and it is believed to be auspicious as well.
The Red Chinese Lanterns hang in the streets, and the red couplets are normally pasted on doors, official buildings, and banks.
Eating a Reunion Dinner with Family on the Eve of the New Year
The Chinese Lunar New Year is a time for families to come together. This is an extremely important time, and wherever they are, people are just expected to go home for the holiday and celebrate together.
The New Year’s Eve dinner is called “Reunion Dinner,” and people prepare big meals and enjoy together as they celebrate.
After dinner, families normally sit around together as they watch the Spring Festival Gala, and this is one of the most-watched shows in China. During this time, people send WeChat in red envelopes or send short messages through the phone.
Fireworks and Firecrackers
This is a long-lived Chinese Tradition. What they do is set off the firecrackers for the first minutes of the New Year.
The fireworks have actually become a cacophony as of late, and the public displays in the major cities set off many of them. There are literally billions of fireworks that go off at 12 AM in the New Year everywhere.
Giving Out Red Envelopes and Many Other Gifts
Just like people do when celebrating Christmas in other countries, the Chinese will exchange gifts over the Spring Festival. In rural areas, older people get a New Year gift as part of the tradition.
The young people, however, prefer to receive a red envelope by hand or through the mail.
The New Year envelopes are a custom in China, and they usually contain some money, and the people believe that they bring good luck since they are red in color. People often give these gifts to children and retirees.
Conclusion
It’s interesting to see people celebrating the New Year on a date other than January first, but that is how it is in China when the culture comes together to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
They hold the biggest traditions to bring in their new year, and if you’re lucky enough, you may just get to experience them one day!
