The end of winter usually coincides with the Chinese New Year and this year it is no different. The Chinese New Year or “Spring Festival” is being celebrated today all over the world.
Unlike New Year in the western world’s the Chinese Celebrates the “Chinese New Year” for a full 15 days with big parades, festivals and fireworks.
If you have images or video from the Chinese New Year Celebrations feel free to send it to us for publication.
Fireworks were invented in around sometime in the 7th Century in China. Fireworks have always played a big part in the Chinese Culture and the Chinese New Year is celebrated with some of the most amazing fireworks. Over the next 15 days we will make images, photographs and videos available from the Chinese New Year 2012 Firework displays and Festival. If you have images of the Chinese New Year 2012 celebrations feel free to send it to us!
How do the Chinese Celebrate the Chinese New Year?
Preparation for the Chinese New Year:
Part of the Chinese New Year celebrations includes “Spring Cleaning”. During the period just before the start of the “Chinese New Year” people would spring clean their houses and throw away broken furniture and broken appliances, cleaning their homes thoroughly scrubbing it clean and spotless.
It is also a period to check on things like “Feng Shui”. During the “Spring Festival – Chinese New Year” many people will make sure that the balances of Good and Evil are correct and that they adhere to the best “Feng Shui” practices. This may involve clearing spaces and placing “Geng Shui” Cures and positive energies.
Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start. Some of the previous year’s “Feng Shui” and decorations are also destroyed weeks before the New Chinese Year and replaced with new good luck charms and good fortune symbols.
Chinese New Year Decorations:
Red and Gold are the dominant colors for the Chinese New Year. These colors represent Good luck and fortune for the Chinese and many of the Chinese New Year Decorations involves these colors. Traditionally Chinese people will decorate their homes with paper decorations with these colors.
The Chinese New Year is full of symbolic and spiritual beliefs and tradition still practiced today. As a Western World we have only recently discovered “The Secret – That positive thoughts attract positive things.”
This has been part of the Chinese Culture for Centuries and part of the Chinese New Year decorations involves this though process. The Chinese will decorate their houses with symbols of everything that they believe will bring good luck and fortune!
Spring brings new life and for Centuries the Chinese have celebrated “Spring” the Chinese New Year as a new start.
New Year Chinese Dinner and the Kitchen god
Traditionally the Chinese will have a special dinner in honor of the “Kitchen god”. They will prepare rice served in sugar, or sticky rice balls served in syrup and sugar. It is believed that by doing this the Kitchen god will report good things about the family and will bring more blessings and fortune for the family. In a ceremony after dinner the image of the kitchen god are burned. The burning of the image sends the kitchen god to heaven and a new image of the kitchen god replaces the old one for the year.
Western New Year Influence on Traditional Chinese New Year
Traditionally many Chinese people will head over to temples to pray hours before the start of the Chinese New Year. It is believed that if you go and pray at a temple you will be blessed with Good luck and Good Fortune for the New Year. Part of the tradition involves praying and lighting essence and incense which chase away “Bad Karma and Bad Spirits” clearing the air. Traditionally fireworks were also used to chase away these bad spirits and karma on the evening before the “Chinese New Year” starts.
In modern parts of China the Chinese New Year is now celebrated with Western World influences, in past years more and more Chinese will celebrate New Year’s having a big party with friends, family and loved ones.
Chinese Zodiac Symbols
| Animal | Branch | New Year dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鼠 Rat | 子 Zǐ | February 19, 1996 | February 7, 2008 | January 25, 2020 |
| 牛 Ox | 丑 Chǒu | February 7, 1997 | January 26, 2009 | February 12, 2021 |
| 虎 Tiger | 寅 Yín | January 28, 1998 | February 14, 2010 | February 1, 2022 |
| 兔 Rabbit | 卯 Mǎo | February 16, 1999 | February 3, 2011 | January 22, 2023 |
| 龍 Dragon | 辰 Chen | February 5, 2000 | January 23, 2012 | February 10, 2024 |
| 蛇 Snake | 巳 Sì | January 24, 2001 | February 10, 2013 | January 29, 2025 |
| 馬 Horse | 午 Wǔ | February 12, 2002 | January 31, 2014 | February 17, 2026 |
| 羊 Goat | 未 Wèi | February 1, 2003 | February 19, 2015 | February 7, 2027 |
| 猴 Monkey | 申 Shēn | January 22, 2004 | February 8, 2016 | January 27, 2028 |
| 雞 Rooster | 酉 Yǒu | February 9, 2005 | January 28, 2017 | February 13, 2029 |
| 狗 Dog | 戌 Xū | January 29, 2006 | February 16, 2018 | February 3, 2030 |
| 豬 Pig | 亥 Hài | February 18, 2007 | February 5, 2019 | January 23, 2031 |
You can read more about the Chinese New Year on
: This table are from the Wikipedia site on the Chinese New Year
The Year of the Dragon:
From all the animals in the Chinese Zodiac the Dragon is the only “fictional animal” in the Chinese Zodiac. The Dragon brings a special kind of fortune with it and many Chinese people will wait to have babies in the “year of the dragon”.
Year of the Dragon Chinese New Year:
If you want to check to see if you were born in the “Year of the Dragon” you can check the table below. In the table below you can find out if you are a “Dragon” and also see what type of Dragon you are:
| Chinese New Year Start: | Chinese New Year End: | Dragon Type: |
| 16 February 1904 | 3 February 1905 | Wood Dragon |
| 3 February 1916 | 22 January 1917 | Fire Dragon |
| 23 January 1928 | 9 February 1929 | Earth Dragon |
| 8 February 1940 | 26 January 1941 | Metal Dragon |
| 27 January 1952 | 13 February 1953 | Water Dragon |
| 13 February 1964 | 1 February 1965 | Wood Dragon |
| 31 January 1976 | 17 February 1977 | Fire Dragon |
| 17 February 1988 | 5 February 1989 | Earth Dragon |
| 5 February 2000 | 23 January 2001 | Metal Dragon |
| 23 January 2012 | 9 February 2013 | Water Dragon |
| 10 February 2024 | 28 January 2025 | Wood Dragon |
Chinese New Year 2012 Celebrations in the US
If you would like to experience some of the Chinese Culture you may want to head down to China Town to experience the most important holidays for the Chinese first hand. The Chinese New Year Celebrations will be celebrated in cities like Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco and New York. Immigrants from China will celebrate the Chinese New Year in the UK, United States, Canada, South Africa and Australia.
