Lunar Year Basic Fast Facts
The Lunar Year Fast Facts details.
Edition
Lunar New Year Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Updated 1434 GMT (2234 HKT) December 15, 2021
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearCentral London: The British capital hosts the biggest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia. A highlight of the festivities is the new year parade that goes from Chinatown to Trafalgar Square.Hide Caption7 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearGyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea: Many shops and restaurants will be closed during the Lunar New Year but Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace in Seoul, will stay open with free activities for visitors.Hide Caption8 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearNi hao, Mickey: Disneyland Resort is hosting special celebrations at the Disney California Adventure Park from January 25 to February 17, 2019.Hide Caption9 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearAround the city, Sydney: The city’s iconic Sydney Opera House gets a red hue in honor of Lunar New Year.Hide Caption10 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearRaohe Night Market, Taipei: Although it’s not the biggest night market in Taipei (Shilin Night Market gets the title), Raohe Night Market offers traditional and intimate charm. The night market is also located next to Wufenpu, a maze-like wholesale market that offers fashion items at a bargain.Hide Caption11 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearAllas Sea Pool, Helsinki: Helsinki’s public sauna complex Allas Sea Pool provides the perfect backdrop for pre-Lunar New Year cleansing.Hide Caption12 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New Year Chinatown, San Francisco: As the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia, San Francisco’s Chinese quarter can be touristy the rest of the year but it’s the perfect place to enjoy Chinese New Year.Hide Caption13 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearNuanquan Town, Hebei province, China: Nuanquan Town — a small town in China’s Hebei province — puts on a unique and spectacular “firework” show every Lunar New Year. For centuries, blacksmiths have been throwing molten metal against a cold stone city wall to create sparks on the 15th day of the first lunar calendar month. It’s said that the activity was first invented by blacksmiths in the town who were too poor to buy real fireworks.Hide Caption1 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearLos Glaciares, Patagonia, Argentina: Lunar New Year falls within the best time to trek Los Glaciares National Park, part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Argentina.Hide Caption2 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearStudio City, Macau: This figure eight-shaped Ferris wheel is the perfect ride to begin a new year. Why? Eight is a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture.Hide Caption3 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearDitan Park, Beijing: More than 100 performers will dress as Qing emperor and imperial guards to take part in a reenactment of an ancient ceremony at the Temple of the Earth in Ditan Park in Beijing during Spring Festival.Hide Caption4 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearHanoi, Vietnam — Tet flower market: Known as Tet in Vietnam, Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in the country. Dodging motorcyclists while visiting a local flower market is part of the fun of celebrating the festival in Hanoi.Hide Caption5 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearSha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong: The Lunar New Year celebrations at the Sha Tin racecourse is one of the most popular race days in Hong Kong. Held on the third day of the Lunar New Year month, there are live performances and feng shui talks as well as the all-day horse races.Hide Caption6 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearCentral London: The British capital hosts the biggest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia. A highlight of the festivities is the new year parade that goes from Chinatown to Trafalgar Square.Hide Caption7 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearGyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea: Many shops and restaurants will be closed during the Lunar New Year but Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace in Seoul, will stay open with free activities for visitors.Hide Caption8 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearNi hao, Mickey: Disneyland Resort is hosting special celebrations at the Disney California Adventure Park from January 25 to February 17, 2019.Hide Caption9 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearAround the city, Sydney: The city’s iconic Sydney Opera House gets a red hue in honor of Lunar New Year.Hide Caption10 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearRaohe Night Market, Taipei: Although it’s not the biggest night market in Taipei (Shilin Night Market gets the title), Raohe Night Market offers traditional and intimate charm. The night market is also located next to Wufenpu, a maze-like wholesale market that offers fashion items at a bargain.Hide Caption11 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearAllas Sea Pool, Helsinki: Helsinki’s public sauna complex Allas Sea Pool provides the perfect backdrop for pre-Lunar New Year cleansing.Hide Caption12 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearChinatown, San Francisco: As the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia, San Francisco’s Chinese quarter can be touristy the rest of the year but it’s the perfect place to enjoy Chinese New Year.Hide Caption13 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearNuanquan Town, Hebei province, China: Nuanquan Town — a small town in China’s Hebei province — puts on a unique and spectacular “firework” show every Lunar New Year. For centuries, blacksmiths have been throwing molten metal against a cold stone city wall to create sparks on the 15th day of the first lunar calendar month. It’s said that the activity was first invented by blacksmiths in the town who were too poor to buy real fireworks.Hide Caption1 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearLos Glaciares, Patagonia, Argentina: Lunar New Year falls within the best time to trek Los Glaciares National Park, part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Argentina.Hide Caption2 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearStudio City, Macau: This figure eight-shaped Ferris wheel is the perfect ride to begin a new year. Why? Eight is a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture.Hide Caption3 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearDitan Park, Beijing: More than 100 performers will dress as Qing emperor and imperial guards to take part in a reenactment of an ancient ceremony at the Temple of the Earth in Ditan Park in Beijing during Spring Festival.Hide Caption4 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearHanoi, Vietnam — Tet flower market: Known as Tet in Vietnam, Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in the country. Dodging motorcyclists while visiting a local flower market is part of the fun of celebrating the festival in Hanoi.Hide Caption5 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearSha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong: The Lunar New Year celebrations at the Sha Tin racecourse is one of the most popular race days in Hong Kong. Held on the third day of the Lunar New Year month, there are live performances and feng shui talks as well as the all-day horse races.Hide Caption6 of 13
Photos: Best locations to celebrate Lunar New YearCentral London: The British capital hosts the biggest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia. A highlight of the festivities is the new year parade that goes from Chinatown to Trafalgar Square.Hide Caption7 of 13
(CNN)Here’s a look at which is celebrated in many countries in Asia. It is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Facts
February 1, 2022 – The year 4720 begins. It marks the first day of the New Year on the Chinese calendar. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated during the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
Lunar New Year festivities begin on the first day of the first lunar month on the Chinese calendar and continue until the 15th of the lunar month, when the moon is full.Chinese legend holds that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on New Year’s Day and named a year after each of the twelve animals that came.The animals in the Chinese calendar are the dog, pig/boar, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, and rooster.Also, according to legend, people born in each animal’s year have some of that animal’s personality traits.
Traditions
Each day of the fifteen day celebration has its own traditions, such as visiting in-laws or staying home to welcome good fortune. Families gather together for meals, especially for a feast on New Year’s Eve. Another tradition includes giving cash in a red envelope, called a “hongbao,” to children and single adults. Fireworks displays during Lunar New Year stem from a custom of lighting bamboo stalks on fire to ward off evil spirits.
Lunar New Year ends with the lantern festival, celebrated at night with displays and parades of painted lanterns. The highlight of the Lantern Festival is the Dragon Dance. Beautiful dragons made of paper, silk and bamboo are held overhead, and appear to dance as they make their way along the parade routes.