If you\u2019ve read this blog over the years, you know that Chinese New Year is one of the many, many \u201cholidays\u201d that we always celebrated. This year, the Lunar New Year starts (today) on January 29 \u2014 and it will be the beginning of the Year of the Snake. If you\u2019d like to get technical, it\u2019s the year of the Wood Snake, and that only happens every 60 years. I\u2019m sure that you know that the Chinese calendar follows the Lunar calendar in which the calendar year is divided according to the phases of the moon. The Lunar calendar is a 532-year period over which both the lunar months and the days of the week return to the same point in relation to the solar year. In case you\u2019re interested, this is called a lunisolar calendar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The year begins on the day of the second new Moon after the winter solstice, and that always occurs in late December. That means that the first day of the Lunar New Year can occur anytime between January 21 and February 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year (2025) the second new Moon will occur \u2014 in China \u2014 on Wednesday, January 29, marking the start of a new lunar year. I should mention that China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, and special dates like wedding dates and the Moon phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though we usually refer to the holiday as the \u201cChinese New Year,\u201d China isn\u2019t the only country that observes it. A more universal name is the Spring Festival and it\u2019s the most celebrated, and longest, of all Asian festivals. It\u2019s observed by millions of people worldwide. Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines are among some countries that hold their own New Year celebrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s common knowledge that each Chinese year is assigned one of 12 animal signs, but each year is also associated with one of five elements. The 12 animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The five elements are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each year of the 60-year Chinese zodiac cycle is associated with one of the five elements and one of the 12 animal signs.\u00a0
Combining one of the elements with the zodiac sign adds a unique \u201cflavor\u201d to each year.
Here are the five elements and their associated traits:
Wood \u2014 Imagination and creativity
Fire \u2014 Passion and dynamic energy
Earth \u2014 Down-to-earth and pragmatic
Metal \u2014 Solidity and willpower
Water \u2014 Responsiveness and persuasion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was born in the Year of the Tiger, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, here\u2019s what the new year has in store for me:
Tiger \u2014 Some tension: avoid confrontation and focus on personal development.
I guess that\u2019s not too bad \u2014 I\u2019ll take it.
Happy New Year to everyone.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019ve read this blog over the years, you know that Chinese New Year is one of the many, many \u201cholidays\u201d that we always celebrated. This year, the Lunar New Year starts (today) on January 29 \u2014 and it will … Continue reading