Lunar New Year is a celebration based on the Lunar calendar system that originated from China. This year, the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on February 12th of the Gregorian calendar (the regular version we use everyday which is based on the sun).
Much like the International/Gregorian New Year, Lunar New Year is the time for family reunions and a series of never-ending feasts with friends and family (not during this pandemic of course!). However, there is a twist– we get red envelopes filled with $$$!
There are similar ideas between the Western and Eastern world which revolves around the zodiac. While the Western Zodiac signs (such as Capricorn, Aquarius or Leo) change roughly every 30 days, the Chinese zodiac is a cycle of 12 animals that changes every year: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
To find out about the original story of Lunar New Year, watch this video:
To find out what your animal is, try this website here.
To find out what your animal says about you, click here.
Lunar New Year is a holiday celebrated by many Asian cultures. Below is the list of countries that celebrate Lunar New Year:
- China
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Mongolia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
And many more!
Different countries have different celebratory practices, but the main theme of this holiday is to gather with family members, and reach out to those in your life that you haven’t touched base with in a while, to wish them good luck!
On behalf of the North Seattle Student Leadership and Multicultural Programs, we wish you a prosperous new year of the Ox!
NSC Student Leadership Blog 