Many of us may be ready to turn the page on the first month of 2017, but hundreds of millions of people around the globe are just now gearing up to celebrate the start of the new year.
We’re talking, of course, about Chinese New Year! Dictated by the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year annually begins on a date between the end of January and the end of February, with celebrations stretching two weeks out from the start date. This year, January 28th will mark the beginning of the year of the Fire Rooster and will see 2.98 BILLION journeys taken by Chinese people worldwide to be with their families for the occasion. For comparison, 49 million Americans travel to be with their families for Thanksgiving. Makes a half hour spent in traffic seem trivial, no?
The New Years celebrations serve as a time to reflect and be thankful for the year that has passed, to spend time with family, and to wish for a year of luck and prosperity ahead. In Chinese culture, the color red represents good fortune, and it is customer for adults to gift red envelopes filled with money to the youngest citizens. Additionally, it is customary to clean the home in the days leading up to the New Year celebrations, and to avoid such activities in the first three days of the year to avoid sweeping away any new good luck that may have arrived with the New Year.
These are but a few of the many Chinese New Year traditions. We encourage you to learn a little more about Chinese New Years celebrations here, the Year of the Rooster here, and to check out our Chinese New Year inspired (think red!) gifts here.
Here’s to good health, fortune, and prosperity for all in 2017!