Find out all about the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit and how you can have fun celebrating!
Lunar New Year is one of the biggest international holidays with over 2 billion people around the world celebrating new beginnings. As it depends on the Moon, the date of the Chinese or Lunar New Year changes each year but is always sometime between 21 January and 20 February. The festival itself lasts for up to 16 days!
Every Lunar New Year is associated with one animal and its characteristics from the Chinese zodiac. There is a cycle of 12 years and 12 animals. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger which represents courage and leadership. Maybe you were born in the year of the Rabbit? Some previous Rabbit years include 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963!
People born in the year of the Rabbit are called “Rabbits” and are believed to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded, and ingenious!
The main traditions for Luna New Year include putting up decorations, offering sacrifices to ancestors, eating dinner with family on New Year’s Eve (31 January), giving red envelopes and other gifts, setting off fireworks and finally watching lion and dragon dances!
To celebrate Lunar New Year in York this year, the York BID, along with support from HSBC has decorated Parliament Street and St Helens Square area with red lanterns and there are banners on Davygate and Stonegate. Plus on Coney Street, there are two giant dragons with their long tails fluttering high up in the air!
There is also a 2-metre-tall giant but very friendly Rabbit on the corner of Rougier Street and Tanner Row. If you want to find it, you just need to follow the paw prints!
⭐️ The Chinese calendar is about a month behind the one we use as it has between 30 and 50 more days per year.
⭐️ There is a Chinese zodiac animal for each year
⭐️ The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
⭐️ ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’ means ‘Have a prosperous new year’
⭐️ Oranges, dried fruit and even sweets are seen as lucky food!
⭐️ Families visit each other and hand out little gifts – sometimes pets get gifts too!
⭐️ Gifts are put in little red envelopes – these symbolise prosperity and happiness
⭐️ Children get gifts of oranges, sweets or coins – there must always be an even number of gifts or even amount of money. Eight is considered especially lucky!
⛔️ You should not clean your house with a broom on the first day of Lunar New Year – cleaning is a sign of removing good luck. That sounds like a good reason not to get the vacuum cleaner out!
⛔️ Even better… do not do laundry on Chinese New Year – again it means washing away good luck and wealth!
With all that extra time, here are a few ideas for celebrating Lunar New Year with kids…
🎉 Make some decorations for your house or create a dragon mask. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest – check out our Mumbler Luna New Year with Kids board!
🎉 Create a delicious Lunar New Year banquet to enjoy as a family for dinner or enjoy a meal out in York
🎉 Exchange a small gift – make sure it’s in a red envelope!
🎉 Wear red! Red is a powerful colour in Chinese culture and symbolises good energy, wealth, happiness and protection!
🎉 Be kind! Start the year with positivity! Maybe one not just for Lunar New Year!
We wish every a happy Lunar New Year 2023 in York
