Around Emporia With Emma: Chinese New Year 🎉🇨🇳

       Why doesn’t the Chinese New Year start on December 31st and then last until January 1st? How come it starts a month later? Why does it start so late? What do the Chinese do to celebrate the holiday? You probably had these questions about the Chinese New Year and if you read on, you’ll soon find out!

         Chinese New Years, also known as the “Spring Festivals,” is a yearly modern holiday celebrated throughout China. This festival is celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. The first day of the new year usually falls on the new moon between January 21st and February 20th.

       Traditionally, the festival was to honor deities as well as ancestors. In America, we have our own New Year’s celebrations like the ball drop in New York times. In China, entire parades have been held just for this holiday. Several people dressed in a single dragon costume dance around with music and drums. People gather, and eat food as well as socialize, an entire 15 days devoted to Chinese New Year.

        The Chinese New Year festival is centuries old and is based on old myths and customs. “It is unclear when the exact beginning of the New Year celebration in China is. Normally, it was said to start from the year end religious ceremony during the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC – 1122 BC). A few believe that it started from as early as Emperor Yao and Shun” (Chinese New Year History).

        Unlike America, the Chinese have their own zodiac signs. In total, there are 12 signs. What year you were born in determines which Chinese zodiac sign you are. If you were born in 2004, you would be a monkey. If you were born in 2005, you would be a rooster. Every year for 12 years is represented by one Chinese zodiac, just like America. This year, 2018, is the year of the dog on the Chinese lunar calendar. If you want to know what your Chinese zodiac is, visit this:China Highlights.

         This year (2018), the Chinese New Year starts on February 16th. On that day, the celebrating starts across the continent. I hope you learned something about Chinese New Year and maybe one day, you could celebrate it yourself!