This year, the Lunar New year 2023 is celebrated around the globe by Asian communities. In the United States, San Francisco, California, and New York City claim its Chinese Lunar New Year parade is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. These US cities have hosted a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s, a period of large-scale Chinese immigration to the region. New York City has observed Lunar New Year as an official school holiday since 2015. In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill making it a state holiday.
Lunar New Year falls on a different day on the Gregorian calendar every year. The Lunar New Year 2023 Eve falls on January 21 and the new year begins on January 22.
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China. It is a time for family reunions and celebrations. The holiday is celebrated for 15 days and is marked by a variety of traditional customs and activities.
The holiday usually starts on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, which can fall anywhere between late January and mid-February. An important part of the Lunar New Year is the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the new year. During the festival, people light up colorful paper lanterns and enjoy traditional performances and activities.
Though New Year celebrations often start the weekend before and can continue for weeks after, only the first 15 days are considered public holidays. The Lantern Festival is held on the first full moon of the year to mark the end of the New Year season. In 2023, it falls on February 5.
China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết.
The Lunar New year 2023 is the year of the rabbit. The year of the rabbit last came up in 2011. However, in Vietnam, the Lunar New Year 2023 is the year of the cat. (Vietnam and China share 10 of the zodiac calendar’s 12 signs, but the Vietnamese honor the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox.)
Rabbits symbolize peace and relaxation, so we can expect a calm 2023. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be peaceful, as well — avoiding arguments, criticism, and change.
The Lunar New Year is an important celebration for many cultures across the world, particularly in East Asian countries like China, Korea, and Vietnam. Every year, the festival marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle and is filled with traditional customs, food, decorations, and performances.
Chinese Lunar New Year is believed to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began.
During the Lunar New Year, Chinese families gather together to eat and exchange gifts. Red envelopes filled with money are given to children and younger relatives as a symbol of luck and prosperity for the new year. People also decorate their homes with red banners, lanterns, and other decorations.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, a tradition known as “Door Greeting” is observed. People visit their family and friends and exchange greeting cards, gifts, and best wishes. A festive feast is also a part of the celebration. For the feast, families gather around the table and enjoy a variety of traditional dishes, including dumplings and spring rolls.
The Lunar New Year is also a time for reflection and appreciation. During the holiday, many people take part in religious ceremonies and visit temples to pay respect to their ancestors. They also pray for a year of good health and prosperity.
Overall, the Lunar New Year is an important holiday in China that brings families and friends together to celebrate the new year and wish each other luck and prosperity.
During the celebration, families gather together and exchange gifts, while people decorate their homes with red and gold paper. In addition, there are also special foods and drinks, such as dumplings, fish, and tangerines, that are shared and eaten.
The Lunar New Year is an important time for many cultures and is a great way to connect with family and friends. It is a time to reflect on the past, appreciates the present, and look forward to the future.
In Vietnamese celebrations of the holiday, homes are decorated with kumquat trees and flowers such as peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids, and red gladiolas. In Korea, official Lunar New Year celebrations were halted from 1910-1945.
Celebrations of the Lunar New Year were officially revived in 1989, although many families had already begun observing the lunar holiday. North Korea began celebrating the Lunar New Year according to the lunar calendar in 2003.
This year Lunar New year 2023 will be celebrated with many special customs such as exchanging red envelopes with money, setting off firecrackers, and visiting family and friends. The holiday is also a time of renewal and hope, as it is believed that any bad luck from the previous year will be washed away with the start of the new year. This holiday is a time of celebration and joy and is an important part of many cultures.