Lunar New Year, is a festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the dates of the holiday vary slightly from year to year, beginning sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. -Britannica
The order of the Chinese astrological signs is related to the most commonly accepted legend of the Chinese zodiac: the Jade Emperor’s Race. As the story goes, the Chinese emperor held a race to determine which lucky animals would have the honor of being added to the calendar. The first-place winner—who ended up being the Rat—would claim the first year of the 12-year cycle, and so on.
Outside the 'race' to see the order. The Chinese Zodiac follows a similar example to our Western Zodiac in America by using the stars and astrological signs.
The Chinese zodiac, also known as Shengxiao (“born resembling”), is a repeating cycle of 12 years, and each year is represented by a different animal. In order, the 12 animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
Last year was the Year of the Dragon and this year is the Year of the Snake. In the Chinese Zodiac, there are 12 animals, each representing a year. Snakes is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation.
Snakes personality traits: Snakes are believed to be intuitive, strategic, and intelligent
Zodiac compatibility: Snakes get along best with Rooster and Ox, but they might face challenges with Tiger, Horse, and Pig.
Lucky colors and numbers: Snakes love black, red, and yellow. Their lucky numbers include 2, 8, and 9.
Chinese New Year has been the most important celebration for Chinese people since ancient times. It is not only a tradition but also an important time for families to get reunited. During the new year, all the family members could gather together to share happiness, and do some lucky things to get good fortune for the new year.
Many Chinese work and study in other cities that are far away from their hometowns, and for some people, Chinese New Year is the only time they can travel from the place they stay all the way back home and enjoy the time with their families. -Top China Travel
The most important reason is the lunar calendar Chinese people use is quite different from the Gregorian calendar, so the date for Chinese New Year keeps changing every year. The traditional lunar calendar in China is associated with the moon, while a solar calendar follows the sun. For the lunar calendar, the first day of each month is a new moon, so the Chinese New Year always starts from Jan 1st to 15th (the full moon), which is also called the Lantern Festival. -Top China Travel
As the name suggests, hongbao are always red—scarlet being symbolic of good fortune as well as a way to guard against evil spirits.
The envelopes themselves usually come emblazoned with Chinese characters and beautiful, sometimes intricate images invoking good luck and good fortune.
One way of referring to the money inside red envelopes that are given specifically to babies and young children is “yāsuìqián”
