After you’ve made your New Year’s resolutions on January 1, gather fortune and good luck to help you maintain your goals during Chinese New Year on February 5. Also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, it is a 15-day celebration to mark the beginning of the lunar year, reunite with family and start fresh. The holiday traditionally ends with the Lantern Festival, when people send paper lanterns with wishes written on them into the sky.
Lunar New Year is celebrated all over the world, however, the traditions vary slightly. Here are some common traditions to let go of the bad luck in your life and welcome good luck in the New Year:
- Wear new clothing for a fresh start.
- Place red decorations in your home for protection against bad luck.
- Don’t sweep or throw away garbage! Clean the day before the New Year to make room for good luck.
- Refrain from arguing or swearing.
- Eat dumplings and spring rolls.
And don’t forget about the Chinese zodiac! This year is the Year of the Pig. If this is your zodiac animal, you are probably an energetic and lovable person. You work hard and enjoy life to the fullest—something we should all try to do this year!
Happy New Year! 新年快乐! (xīn nián kuài lè!)
