The Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year)

Happy New Year!

Didn't we already do this?

 February 10th is a holiday!

 What many call the Chinese New Year is the beginning of the new year for Vietnamese, Japanese, Koreans, Mongolians, and Tibetans as well.  The start of the Lunar New Year is February 10th, 2013.  In the Lunarsol (based on the movements of the moon and sun) calendar the New Year starts on a different day each year, instead of on the same day (our Gregorian Calendar year starts on January 1st each year). 

The Chinese call it The Spring Festival, and it lasts for fifteen days.  It is considered a time to be with family, let old angers go, and welcome in good fortune and happiness.

A feast of many courses, rich foods containing meat and poultry and fish, is eaten on the evening before the New Year.  The color used to decorate is red, red lanterns and cut paper decorations.  People dress in red, and  children receive money in red envelopes for good luck.  Often firecrackers are set off as well to celebrate.

Many Asian nations count their years in twelve year cycles, each named after a different animal.  This year, 2013, is The Year of the Snake.  Each year has a different element associated with it's animal (last year's animal was the dragon).  For this year the element associated with the Snake is water.