Today is the festival that celebrates
the beginning of a new year on the traditional Lunar Chinese
calendar—the Year of the Rabbit.
It is the fourth in the twelve-year periodic cycle
of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit is a symbol of intellect
and cautiousness. Traditional lore holds that the rabbit was
among the 12 animals who raced to the Jade Emperor in a cosmic
contest that ultimately determined the order of the zodiac signs.
Though it was a weak swimmer, the rabbit used its brain, opting
to cross the river portion of the course on a raft. This year, like the animal, it is important to
approach everything in a smart, deliberate way.
In China, the festival is commonly
referred to as the Spring Festival since the spring season in their lunisolar
calendar traditionally starts with Lichun, the first of the
twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of
the New Year. It marks the end of
Winter and the beginning of the spring season. Observances traditionally take place from New
Year’s Eve, the evening preceding the first day of the year
to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day
of begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20
February on the Western Gregorian Calendar.
New Year is one of the most important holidays
in Chinese culture, and has strongly influenced Lunar New Year celebrations of
its 56 ethnic groups. It is also
celebrated worldwide in regions and countries that are
home to significant Overseas Chinese or Sinophone populations,
especially in Southeast Asia. These include Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also prominent beyond Asia,
especially in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Peru,
South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
as well as various European countries.
The Lunar New Year is associated with
several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time
to honor deities and ancestors. Within China, regional customs
and traditions vary widely and the evening preceding the New Year’s Day
is regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for
an annual reunion dinner. Families thoroughly
clean their homes, in order to sweep away any ill
fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. Another
custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red
paper cutouts and couplets. Popular themes among these papercuts
and couplets include good fortune or happiness, wealth,
and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and
giving money in red envelopes.
Chinese New Year is observed as a public
holiday in some countries and territories where there is a sizable Chinese population.
Since the New Year falls on different
dates on the Gregorian calendar every year and on different days of
the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days to
accommodate a longer public holiday. In some countries, a statutory holiday
is added on the following work day if the New Year falls on a weekend
as is the case this year 2023. Depending
on the country, the holiday may be termed differently.
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