Chinese New Year

Origin and traditions

Of all traditional Chinese celebrations, Chinese New Year is the most important one. It dates from the time of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC) when people worshipped gods and ancestors at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. It was only much later, that it became a festival to bid farewell to the old year and to welcome the new year. The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar rather than the solar calendar. The Chinese New Year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice on 21 December. According to the western solar calendar this is somewhere between January 21 and February 20.

The Chinese New Year heralds the beginning of spring and, therefore, it is also called ‘Spring Festival’. With songs and dance people welcome the return of Earth to life and the start of the ploughing and sowing season. In preparation of the New Year celebrations, people buy gifts, decorations, special food and new clothes. On New Year’s Eve (‘chuxi’) the houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorated with paper cut-outs spells and two lyrics expressing happiness, prosperity and longevity.

New Year is a family celebration. Regardless of how far people live from their hometown, they do their utmost to join the reunion dinner with the whole family on New Year’s Eve. Therefore, the entire China is on the move around Chinese New Year. Millions of people travel to their hometowns to celebrate New Year. They visit family, friends and acquaintances to wish each other the best for the New Year. It is a big welcoming party, not just at home with the family, but also on the streets. There is plenty of eating and drinking and a lot of music and hard fireworks.

General traits of the Rabbit

The year 2023 is all about the Rabbit. The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the twelve yearly cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Striving for a safe and social existence is extremely important to the Rabbit. Due to its calm and friendly habits, the rabbit gets along very well with everybody. Those who fall under this sign are eloquent and have a charm and lifestyle of their own. The word ‘no’ is rarely encountered, and the door will always stay open.

The Rabbit is a real peacemaker and very social. It prefers to avoid conflicts and will be the one that can be used as an intermediary. The Rabbit weighs all the pros and cons and remains impartial in all respects. People and situations are properly assessed with intuition.
The Rabbit’s attachment to certainty can make it challenging to deal with change. Make sure that important decisions are not postponed for too long. The Rabbit has a good eye for details and can hold excellent positions in finance and real estate, however the Rabbit also fits well in retail due to its sense of style and harmony.

What animal are you?

On the basis of your birth date, you can determine which animal you are according to Chinese astrology. The following table gives an overview of the years 1900 – 2031. Because the Chinese New Year starts in late January or early February, you should further search on the internet, in case you were born in that period.