Today colleagues are celebrating Chinese New Year. The date of Chinese New Year changes every year, but it always falls between 21 January and 20 February. It’s also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year and is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar.
The date is decided by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is based on cycles of the moon and sun and is generally 21–51 days behind the Gregorian (internationally-used) calendar. Chinese New Year is a new moon day, usually the second after the winter solstice.
2022 is a Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac, starting from 1 February 2022, and lasting until 21 January 2023. People born in a year of the Tiger are predicted to be brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident.
There are twelve Chinese Zodiac animals, each of which is linked to certain characteristics and elements, and they rotate each year. The twelve zodiac animals are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each has their place in the order of the 12 year cycle – places that were decided on a race! Read more about that race here.
What animal are you? Click on the image below to find out.
To celebrate, people enjoy fireworks and hang red lanterns. They also spend time with their family and friends eating, drinking and cooking. Red decorations are a common sight during Chinese New Year as it’s a lucky colour in China. Red envelopes are also sent to family and friends each year to mark the occasion.
More than two billion people celebrate the festival worldwide. It’s a national holiday in countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, North Korea and Taiwan.
Happy Chinese New Year to all colleagues celebrating!