Celebrate Lunar New Year!

Written by: Natalie Yao

History and Traditions

Lunar New Year was first developed as a result of the Lunar Calendar in ancient China, dating back to 3,500 to 4,000 years ago. Unlike the calendar used universally today, called the Gregorian Calendar, it counts days through moon phases instead of revolutions around the sun. Based on the Gregorian Calendar, Lunar New Year happens in the time period between January 21 and February 20, depending on the year. This calendar was then adapted by many of China’s neighboring countries, making the celebration of Lunar New Year common all throughout Asia. Such countries include Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Phillipines, and Mongolia. 

In many of these countries, people get school and work off for two weeks to celebrate. Celebrations begin on New Year's Eve, and end on the 15th day of the year, marking the end of a full lunar cycle. The last day is the Lantern Festival, and lanterns can be found all around the town. Streets and homes are filled with red decorations and that year’s zodiac sign. It is common to eat lots of food that symbolize good luck and fortune, such as oranges, fish, rice cake, spring rolls, and dumplings. Another tradition is to give children red envelopes filled with money, and in Korea the envelopes are white. Lunar New Year is also celebrated with fireworks, parades, games, and family.

Zodiac Symbols and Traits

The beginning of a new lunar year signifies the introduction of a new zodiac symbol. Each person has their own zodiac symbol depending on the year that they were born in. These animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. With every cycle, there is a different element assigned to it, the elements being wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. For example, someone who was born in the year 2000 would be a Metal Dragon. The origin of this zodiac system dates back to China’s Qin Dynasty. This was over 2,000 years ago!

Find out your zodiac symbol and its traits:

Rat (1996, 2008, 2020): smart, diligent, and optimistic

Ox (1997, 2009, 2021): patient, reliable, and hard working

Tiger (1998, 2010, 2022): confident, courageous, and honest

Rabbit (1999, 2011, 2023): artistic, cheerful, and gentle

Dragon (2000, 2012, 2024): ambitious, powerful, and wise

Snake (2001, 2013, 2025): creative, intelligent, and calm

Horse (2002, 2014, 2026): enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate

Goat/Sheep (1991, 2003, 2015): kind, shy, and artistic

Monkey (1992, 2004, 2016): active, social, and clever

Rooster (1993, 2005, 2017): bold, stylish, and observant

Dog (1994, 2006, 2018): loyal, honest, and reliable

Pig (1995, 2007, 2019): calm, optimistic, and generous