Lunar New Year

The Chinese new year, also referred to as the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, is based on the lunar calendar which follows the monthly cycles of the moon's phases. This holiday falls between January 21 and February 20. Each new year represents a fresh start and is also associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. These include: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

Years of the Horse include 2038, 2026, 2016, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942. People born in the Year of the Horse are known for being energetic, independent, cheerful, and social, with traits like enthusiasm, quick wit, and a love for freedom.

Festivities begin on the evening before the first day of the first lunar month and continue for the next 15 days, when the moon is full. The last day of the holiday is celebrated with the Lantern Festival.

The Chinese New Year is not only an important holiday in China, it is also celebrated in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, North Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brunei. Although these countries follow the same calendar, traditions in each of these countries vary. In Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, the new year is celebrated from April 13 to 16.

• "Guo Nian Hao" (pronounced gor nee-an how) means Happy New Year!
• More than 2 billion people worldwide will celebrate the Lunar New Year, approximately 20% of the world's population.
• The Lunar New Year is considered the "largest annual human migration" in the world since millions of people travel home to celebrate with their families.
• Each animal in the Chinese Zodiac is said to have certain characteristics and personality traits that a person born in that year would also demonstrate.
• London, San Francisco, Sydney, New York, Vancouver, and Los Angeles have the largest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia.
• Foods typically eaten include spring rolls, dumplings, noodles, steamed fish, or chicken and rice cakes. Each dish has a special meaning. For example, long noodles cannot be broken or cut because they are a symbol of long life.
• Red envelopes are traditionally given to children by their parents and anyone who is unmarried, even if they are 40 years old!

Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán, is one of the most important celebrations in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which usually has the date in January or February in the Gregorian calendar.

The Vietnamese people have a slightly different zodiac in which the ox is replaced by the water buffalo and the rabbit is replaced by the cat.