More than a billion people are about to ring in the Lunar New Year – and the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit. As the name suggests, the Lunar New Year is based on a calendar that uses both the cycles of the Moon and orbit of the Sun. Celebrations for the new year will end on February 5 with the Lantern Festival.
Celebrations in (and outside) China
The Lunar New Year has been celebrated in China for thousands of years, but other countries welcome the new year with their own traditions. Businesses and government offices close in China for seven days.
The event is also observed in Mongolia, Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia -Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. It is also greatly celebrated in Cambodia even though it is not an official holiday there.
Vietnam has its own zodiac – which does not include the rabbit – so it celebrates the arrival of the Year of the Cat.
In Malaysia, the 15th day is called Chap Goh Mei. This is when young, single women throw oranges – with their name and contact number written on it – into the sea in hopes of finding a partner.
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A time for edible celebrations
The days are filled with bountiful feasts. People indulge in foods that are symbolic, either in appearance or word association.
One dish traditionally found on Lunar New Year is steamed fish. It is customary to eat the middle part of the fish, and leave the head and tail for the next day. Which is the first day of the new year. This act symbolises the previous year’s surplus flowing into the new year.
Dumplings and spring rolls represent wealth, and are thought to resemble silver ingots and gold bars. Tangerines and oranges are symbols for good luck. Its pronunciation of their Chinese root words sound like the Chinese word for success.
In Malaysia and Singapore, yee sang is popularly eaten to get the celebrations under way. It is made of shredded fruit and vegetables and topped with raw fish (usually salmon). The dish is placed in the middle of the table.
In South Korea women usually spend days preparing food for the festivities. A common dish is ddeokguk (spicy soup of rice cakes) and songpyeon (sweet rice cakes shaped like half moons).
What is the Chinese Zodiac?
The Chinese Zodiac is made up of 12 animals. It starts with the rat and runs through to the pig. This is seen as the most important in understanding people, their wealth and love lives. The animals of the Zodiac, symbolises a deep connection with China’s ancient cultural heritage and each one holds a unique place in the nation’s mythology and customs.
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What Animal Am I?
Each zodiac animal also has a raft of lucky colours, numbers and directions. Each person’s prospects for the year are also influenced by the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood and metal.
- Rat…1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
- Ox…1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
- Tiger…1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
- Rabbit… 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
- Dragon… 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
- Snake… 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
- Horse… 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
- Goat… 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
- Monkey… 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
- Rooster… 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
- Dog… 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
- Pig… 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Lunar New Year traditions
Cleaning is partly symbolic. This represents removing bad luck from the previous year – but is also practical. People may also hang sparkling lights outside their homes, and decorate the place with kumquat trees, peach blossom or bamboo shoots.
The colour red symbolises happiness and good fortune. Many children welcome the new year by couting how much money they made from red envelopes gifted during the celebrations. The money inside needs to be denominated in an even number – 8 is the luckiest number, but 4 should be avoided as it is associated with death.
Setting off fireworks is also practiced, even though, in some countries, they are banned.
Traditional games, like the tile-based strategy game, mahjong, is also played during the holiday. The region’s casinos also notice good business during the new year.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has wished the Government and people of China well for the Lunar New Year and Annual Spring Festival.
My dear brothers and sisters from China and all Chinese communities around the world: I wish you all a happy Lunar New Year and a prosperous Spring Festival 2023…On behalf of the Government and People of South Africa, I wish the Government and the people of China, including here in South Africa, a happy and fulfilling time of goodwill, celebration and friendship, as you renew the bonds between friends or reunite with family during this period
President Ramaphosa also noted the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between South Africa and People’s Republic of China in 1998.
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Things to know about the year of the Rabbit
- People born in the year of the Rabbit are thought to be vigilant, quick-witted and ingenious.
- Chinese people believe that what you do at the beginning of the year affects your luck for the rest of the year. People often stay up to wish their family and friends after midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve.
- The Chinese New Year is predicted to be optimistic.
- The Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch and the hours of 5-7AM. The Rabbit is yin.
- Rabbit men are said to be extraordinarily polite and avoid conflicts. And Rabbit women are said to be social and thoughtful.
SOURCES – ABC NEWS, AL JAZEERA, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, CHINESE NEW YEAR
