Chinese New Year: How to Celebrate Spring Festival

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Lunar New Year is right around the corner, and it’s the Year of the Rabbit! From old customs to new traditions, there are many ways to celebrate Chinese New Year.

New Year’s might be a common way to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. But, when it comes to Chinese New Year, it’s all about the traditional Chinese calendar. Often known as the Spring Festival, the first new moon of the year coincides with the Chinese New Year 2023 celebration. This festival may be especially important in China and Hong Kong, but about 1.5 billion people celebrate it worldwide. Places as diverse as Singapore, Indonesia, and North America take part in this holiday’s festivities!

When Is Chinese New Year 2023 Celebrated?

The Spring Festival 2023 begins on Sunday, January 22 at the start of the lunar year. The holiday stretches from the eve of the new year to the sixth day of the first lunar month. Since the dates of the lunar calendar don’t line up with the Gregorian calendar, people celebrate the festival on different dates each year. The lunar calendar is also associated with 12 animal signs that are cycled through. The animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Be sure to share your birth year’s animal on your favorite family app!

Chinese New Year 2023 Year of the rabbit

What Is the Chinese New Year Animal for 2023?

Much like the familiar traditions of New Year’s, there is the belief that a new year brings new tidings. Chinese New Year 2023 is the Year of the Tiger, and this particular animal of the zodiac has many characteristics. The tiger is the third zodiac animal and is associated with qualities of courage, tenacity, bravery, and generosity.

As the lunar calendar goes in cycles, tiger years occur every 12 years making 1987, 1999, and 2011 the most recent ones. 2023 is considered a “Water Rabbit year, and those born in this year are considered gentle and easily adaptable. The Year of the Rabbit tends to be a lucky year, though it’s not quite as popular as the Tiger and Dragon years in the Chinese zodiac.

chinese new year 2022 lantern festival
Lantern festival for Chinese New Year

What Do You Do for Chinese New Year 2023?

There are a variety of Chinese New Year holiday traditions. Whether they happen before the new moon or as a way to celebrate it, they’re all part of the fun of the festival. Share your favorite ideas on FamilyApp!  

  • Pay Off Your Debts – It’s important to pay off all your debts before the start of the new year. As well, one should not lend money on New Year’s Day as it can mean one may be lending all year. During the Spring Festival, older married people traditionally give red envelopes filled with money to children and unmarried, so perhaps that could help.
  • Avoid Negativity – Chinese New Year 2023 can set a precedent for the year to come. This means that people should avoid swearing, unlucky words, and the subject of death. It’s also good to avoid crying, as this can mean a sorrowful year.
  • Open Doors and Windows – At midnight, open all of a house’s doors and windows to let the old year out. Setting off firecrackers can also be a way of letting go of the old year. Share your own ideas for letting in the coming year on your favorite family app!
Lion dance chinese new year 2022
The Lion Dance

More Chinese New Year’s Traditions

  • The Lion Dance – The lion dance is another popular tradition that symbolizes peace and harmony. As one of the most familiar Chinese customs, people perform the lion dance all over the world. In the United States, groups, including the United States Dragon and Lion Dance Federation and the USA Lion and Dragon Dance Association help dance teams coordinate and perform in competitions and events all year long.
  • The Lantern Festival – This festival is one of the most popular Chinese New Year 2023 activities and marks the end of the celebration. As these festivals have become more elaborate in recent years, they often involve lanterns of all shapes, colors, and styles.
  • Spend Time With FamilyThe Spring Festival is a time when Chinese people come together for a family reunion dinner with extended family. There, they’ll enjoy lucky foods and festive dishes like nian gao (a glutinous rice ball) or Nonya Hokkien stir-fried noodles. Chinese families throughout the Chinese diaspora will come together to enjoy family togetherness.

Celebrate Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is right around the corner and with it comes all of the hopes for the coming year. It’s the Year of the Rabbit and with it comes the expectation of energy, excitement, and hope. Are you celebrating Chinese New Year 2023? Share your holiday ideas with others in our comments! Whether you’re paying your debts or participating in the lion or dragon dance, there’s still time to plan your Lunar New Year. Xin Nian Kuai Le!

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