The start of the Lunar New Year as Year of the Rabbit, one of the most significant celebrations in Chinese culture, occurs on January 22.
The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is filled with cuisine, family gatherings, and celebrations. It is not just observed in China, but it also brings together friends and relatives in numerous other Asian nations.
What can we anticipate from the upcoming year as we bid the Year of the Tiger farewell and usher in the Year of the Rabbit? Dr. Hongling Liang, a lecturer in Mandarin at the University of Glasgow’s School of Modern Languages and Culture, provided the information in a conversation with BBC Bitesize.
The Chinese New Year is what?
The start of spring is heralded by the Lunar New Year, which falls on the first day of the Chinese calendar. The beginning day of the year in Chinese culture is determined by the lunar and solar calendars that make up the traditional agricultural calendar. This indicates that although it usually occurs in January or February, the official date shifts every year.
Food is one of the most significant components of every Chinese celebration, and the Lunar New Year is no exception. Dumplings, which resemble chunks of gold and can indicate fortune for the upcoming year, are frequently eaten by people in the north. People in the south might be eating rice cakes in the meantime, which symbolise yearly increases in wealth. Fish is also essential to the Spring Festival banquet, with the word yú (鱼), meaning ‘fish’, possessing the same pronunciation as the Chinese words for affluence and abundance.
What stands for the rabbit?
Chinese astrology’s animal signs are believed to represent various personality attributes, much as the zodiac star signs. The rabbit represents people born in 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, and so on in the annual zodiac cycle.
The Year of the Rabbit represents a distinct energy, focusing on rest, calm, and thought, as opposed to 2022’s Year of the Tiger, which was regarded as a positive and dynamic energy.
“The rabbit is a really loving and clever animal,” said Dr. Liang. Although it may not be the strongest of the 12 animals, its charm and quickness draw positive traits like wealth, success, and partnerships.
According to Chinese tradition this year is “likely to be calm and gentle, bringing an energy that will help those looking for more of a balanced life,” explains Dr Liang.