The Year of The Rabbit

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is a widely celebrated holiday throughout East and Southeast Asia.

By | Rachel Kung

Lunar New Year is the most important celebration of the year in China. It is celebrated for multiple days and marks the start of a new calendar year based off of the Chinese lunar calendar.

This year, Chinese New Year begins on January 22. It usually starts on the first new moon, which occurs around the end of January, and lasts until a full moon. 

A big part of Chinese New Year is Zodiac animals. Each year in the Lunar calendar has an assigned animal. Your birth year tells you which animal your Zodiac is. The 12 animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

During Lunar New Year, there are many traditions. For example, mandarin oranges are given as gifts, as the Chinese word is pronounced like “gold”.

Red envelopes containing money are given to those who are unmarried. These symbolize prosperity and good fortune.

Another tradition is the lion dance, which is performed annually for good luck, as the lion is believed to be auspicious in Chinese culture. 

We are very fortunate to be in Canada, where it is diverse and the celebrations of different cultures can be enjoyed.

Chinese people believe that a person’s horoscope, personality, and love compatibility are closely associated with his/her Chinese zodiac sign, determined by his/her birth year.

Check out your horoscope HERE