Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the grandest festival in China, with a 7-day long holiday. As the most colorful annual event, the traditional CNY celebration lasts longer, up to two weeks, and the climax arrives around the Lunar New Year’s Eve.
China during this period is dominated by iconic red lanterns, loud fireworks, massive banquets and parades, and the festival even triggers exuberant celebrations across the globe.
2021 – The Year of the Ox
In 2021 Chinese New Year festival falls on Feb. 12. It is the Year of the Ox according to the Chinese zodiac, which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal. People born in the Years of the Ox including 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009 will experience their Zodiac Year of Birth (Ben Ming Nian).
Time for Family Reunion
Like Christmas in Western countries, Chinese New Year is a time to be home with family, chatting, drinking, cooking, and enjoying a hearty meal together.
When is Chinese New Year?
Unlike the universal New Year observed on January 1st, Chinese New Year is never on a fixed date. The dates vary according to Chinese lunar calendar, but generally fall on a day between January 21st and February 20th in the Gregorian calendar.
How long is the festival? Most people in China have at least seven days off work, including three days’ legal holiday, and the preceding and following weekends. Here’s a CNY timetable for recent years, marked in UTC/GMT+08:00.
Why is it called Spring Festival?
The festival date is in January or February, around the Chinese solar term the ‘Beginning of Spring’, so it is also named the ‘Spring Festival’.
What to Eat – Priority of the Festival
In China, an old saying goes ‘Food is the first important thing for people’ while a modern saying ‘3 pounds’ weight gain atevery festival.’ Both show the Chinese people’s love of food. There probably are no other people quite like the Chinese who are so passionate and fastidious about cooking. Besides basic requirements of appearance, smell, and taste, they insist on creating festival foods bearing auspicious meanings and bring good luck.
Travel during Chinese New Year – 5 Things You should Know
1. Prepare for crowds:
The 40 days around the festival is a huge peak travel period, when all migrant workers and students are on their way home, contributing to an amazing volume of 3 billion passengers! Remember: Avoid the Spring Festival Travel Rush; if unavoidable, keep away from train travel; if you can’t, buy tickets as EARLY as possible.
The 40 days around the festival is a huge peak travel period, when all migrant workers and students are on their way home, contributing to an amazing volume of 3 billion passengers! Remember: Avoid the Spring Festival Travel Rush; if unavoidable, keep away from train travel; if you can’t, buy tickets as EARLY as possible.
2. Calm down when hearing the firecrackers:
Spectacular pyrotechnics displays will light up the sky and loud bangs traverse the whole country. Don’t panic. It has nothing to do with terrorists, but just celebration.
Spectacular pyrotechnics displays will light up the sky and loud bangs traverse the whole country. Don’t panic. It has nothing to do with terrorists, but just celebration.
3. Shortened opening hours:
Public transport, banks, and other public service sectors have shorter opening hours during the holiday. Business comes almost to a stop. Many restaurants and shops close for the holiday.
Public transport, banks, and other public service sectors have shorter opening hours during the holiday. Business comes almost to a stop. Many restaurants and shops close for the holiday.
4. Where to go:
Beijing, Xi’an, and Pingyao feature traditional celebrations of north China, Guangzhou retains south China folk customs, while Harbin is a popular January destination for the exciting ice and snow activities. See 5 Best Places to Go for Chinese New Year 2021.
Beijing, Xi’an, and Pingyao feature traditional celebrations of north China, Guangzhou retains south China folk customs, while Harbin is a popular January destination for the exciting ice and snow activities. See 5 Best Places to Go for Chinese New Year 2021.
Further Reading:
3800 Years’ History of Chinese New Year
Originating during the Shang Dynasty (17th – 11th century BC), it used to be a ceremony at the beginning of a year to honor ancestors and heavenly deities. ‘Year’ has been called ‘Nian’ in Chinese since the Zhou Dynasty (1046 – 256 BC). There was a legend about people fighting against a monster named ‘Nian’ who was afraid of the color red and loud noises. At the turn of the year, people decorated their houses in red and played with firecrackers to scare it off. Later the turn of the year became an occasion for gathering all family members for feasting, and more food traditions and entertainments are added. Read more about Chinese New Year History and the Legend of Monster Nian.
Chinese New Year Animals – 12 Zodiac Signs
In China, each year is represented by one of the 12 zodiac animals – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Chinese New Year 2021 is the year of the Ox. The animal sign is believed to dominate the year and influence the character and destiny of people born in the year. Every Chinese knows his or her own animal sign. Check here to know which Chinese zodiac animal you are, and the fortune prediction for the New Year.
