Lunar New Year in 2025 will be celebrated on January 29, marking the beginning of the 15-day Spring Festival. This year is associated with the Year of the Snake. Chinese New Year celebrates the start of a new year based on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Recognized as one of the most significant holidays in Chinese culture, it was added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list by UNESCO in 2024. This festival signifies the transition from winter to spring and is observed from Chinese New Year’s Eve (the evening before the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year. The first day of Chinese New Year falls on the new moon between January 21 and February 20.
Chinese New Year is rich with myths and traditions, historically a time for honoring deities and ancestors. Customs and practices vary widely across different regions of China. On New Year’s Eve, families come together for an annual reunion dinner. It is a tradition for families to thoroughly clean their homes to sweep away bad luck and welcome good fortune. Red paper-cuts and couplets with themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity often adorn windows and doors. Other common activities include lighting firecrackers and giving red envelopes with money.
The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals, each representing a year in a 12-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig (or Boar). This new year is also celebrated at UNBC by decorating the Global Lounge with beautiful Chinese lanterns and distributing sweet envelopes.
Happy Chinese New Year to all!
