It’s the holiday season and we have our minds on big bright lights throughout the streets, festive music and delicious food we look forward to all year. Of course we think of holidays Like Christmas, New Years, and Hanukkah but they aren’t the only holidays with exciting celebrations and deep, rich culture. Lunar new year, also known as Chinese new year, is a holiday widely celebrated in many Asian countries and in Asian ethnic neighborhoods throughout the world. 

Lunar New Year is a big, bright and festive celebration with traditions immersed in legend. One takes place thousands of years ago when a monster named Nian (meaning “Year”) would attack villagers at the beginning of each new year. The monster was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red, so the villagers would use these to chase the beast away. Because of this legend, celebrations to push out the old year and welcome in the luck and prosperity of the new year incorporate firecrackers, fireworks, and red clothes and decorations. The holidy starts on  Other traditions of the holiday include cleaning out your home, which is symbolic of driving out the bad luck of the old year to allow for good luck to come in. 

Most famously the Lunar New Year is known for the Chinese Zodiac. Fortunes are always fun, so many people look forward to their sign reading for the year. The signs were originally used mainly as a way of counting time. Each of the 12 animals stands for a year in a 12-year cycle, a day in a 12-day cycle, and for every two hours in a 24-hour day. These were used to name each year along with the animal signs, but now the dates are mainly just used. There are many variations of the zodiac origin story, which tends to happen with old mythologies, but here’s the gist of the story from https://depts.washington.edu/triolive/quest/2007/TTQ07030/mythology.html: 

The Jade Emperor (the supreme immortal) wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. All creatures on Earth were summoned to participate in a race. The earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have. 

The Rat and Ox got up very early. On the way to the Gate, Rat jumped onto the back of the Ox to cross the river. He won first place by suddenly jumping down from Ox’s back and dashed to the feet of the Emperor when they’re near to the Heavenly Gate. Ox was second.

Tiger and Rabbit came third and fourth because both are fast and competitive, but Tiger was faster.

Good-looking Dragon was fifth and was immediately noticed by the Jade Emperor, who said Dragon’s son could be sixth. Just then, Snake came forward and said Dragon was his adoptive father; so Snake ranked sixth.

Horse and Goat arrived. They were very kind and modest and each let the other go first. They were ranked seventh and eighth.

Monkey had fallen well behind. But he jumped between trees and stones, and caught up to be ninth. Last were Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Originally the story included a cat, the cat and rat hated each other. These two were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom, but they were both smart. They discovered that the fastest way to the river is to hop on top of the ox. The generous ox agreed to carry them across the river. However, the rat was so eager to win that he pushed the cat into the water in order to get ahead. Because of this the cat wasn’t included in the race and he never forgave the rat. Other variations of the story say that the rat just never told the cat about the race and he didn’t even compete at all.

What’s your zodiac and what does it mean?

Is it right?

The Chinese Zodiac animals have long been attached to the personality traits of the people born within their year. For example if you are born during the dog’s year you are kind, loyal, hard-working, and sincere, but if you are the snake’s year you would be intuitive, private and independent.

This upcoming year will be the year of the Rabbit!

This lunar new year will begin on Sunday, January 22. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the dates of the holiday vary beginning some time between January 21 and February 20, and ending on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later, which is the time the Dragon Nian would attack the villagers.

To find out more about your sign and Lunar New Year go here