The rice cake pieces are round and may represent coins and money. Thin pieces of rice cake are boiled in a clear soup with slices of beef and vegetables. For example, in China, many people eat fish dishes because the Chinese word for ‘fish’ sounds similar to ‘surplus’, meaning you will have plenty. Traditional foods which are eaten at Lunar New Year often have another meaning. It is lucky to send money in certain amounts, for example using the number eight, which in Chinese sounds like the word ‘prosper’. Nowadays, many people send money electronically too. Red packets are used in China and Vietnam, as red is a lucky colour. Older members of the family give younger ones cash presents, traditionally in small packets. The young people kneel on the ground and bow deeply. The younger generation greet their parents and grandparents with good wishes for the year ahead and show their respect for the older generation. A family celebrationĭifferent places celebrate in slightly different ways, but Lunar New Year is very much a family celebration wherever it takes place. The other eleven, in order, were the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The first to finish was the rat, so the first year is named after him. The Emperor rewarded them by naming the 12 years of the lunar calendar after them. Unfortunately, only 12 animals actually managed to get to the race.

One day, the Emperor decided to have a race for all the animals in the country. A traditional story explains how this came to be. As well as being celebrated in China, Lunar New Year is also an important festival in many other places, including Vietnam, Singapore and Korea.Įach year is named after one of 12 animals.

However, it is usually in January or February. You are a Rabbit if your birth year falls on: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035.The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the date of Lunar New Year is different each year. Those born in the year of the Rabbit are believed to be clever, compassionate and generous, although their negative traits include being over-cautious and vain. This year’s zodiac sign is the Rabbit, following from 2022’s Tiger and the Ox in 2021. The third is “Bùbù gāoshēng”, which translates as “on the up and up”.Ĭhinese New Year celebrations last for 16 days (Photo: AFP/Getty Images) Why is it the Year of the Rabbit? Mandarin: 恭喜发财 / “gong-sshee faa-tseye”.The second is “Gōngxǐ fācái”, which translates as “happiness and prosperity”. The first is “Xīnnián hǎo”, which translates as “New Year goodness”. There are three main ways people like to say “Happy New Year” in both Mandarin, which is spoken in mainland China, and Cantonese, which is spoken in Hong Kong. In China, celebrations last for 16 days, starting on the eve of the New Year and finishing on the 15th day, on which the Yuan Xiao Festival – when people release thousands of paper lanterns into the sky – takes place. While it is unclear exactly when new year celebrations began in China, it is believed to have originated as early as 2,300BC with Emperors Yao and Shun.Īt first the holiday was marked between midwinter and early spring, however it soon adopted the solar calendar and relied on the moon phase to lock down the date. In 2023 Lunar New Year falls on Sunday 22 January – its position is dictated by the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February, so this year’s date is one of the earliest in recent times. The new year is marked in Chinese cities with traditional performances (Photo: Getty Images) When is Lunar New Year 2023? It is also very popular among East Asian communities across the globe, meaning its presence is significant in countries including the UK and United States.

Lunar year meaning