Chinese Culture Exchange UK

Chinese New Year

The first day of the first lunar month is, to the Chinese, New Years Day. This means that it falls on a different day each year, usually around the end of January or early February. This is the biggest festival in China, similar to Christmas in the west. Families get together on New Year's Eve for a "family reunion dinner" which is of course the best meal you can prepare.

Firecrackers let off at midnight send off the old year and welcome in the new one. Children receive red envelopes from their elders containing money. Lion Dances, the Dragon Dance and other street performances make this an exiting event for everyone.

Each year is given the name of one of the 12 animals, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey,chicken, dog, pig. Also the year is one of the 5 elements - earth, metal, water, wood and fire. So it takes 60 years to go a complete cycle and to get the same animal with the same element.

2009 is the year of the Ox and on the Chinese calander it is the year 4707! "Gong xi fa cai"  and "xin nian kuai le" are the New Year greetings.

The festival officially fininshes on the 15th Day when it is the "Lantern Festival".

Sweeping the floor on New Year's Day sweeps away good luck and good fortune