Chinese New Year is one of the most important celebrations in China. It is also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year because it is based on the Chinese lunar solar calendar. For 2022, the Chinese New Year holiday falls on February 1.

Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year) begins with the second new moon after the winter solstice (December 21).

This can happen on any date between January 21 and February 20.

Family banquets and outdoor shows feature fireworks and are often accompanied by dancing dragons. Major celebrations take place on New Year’s Eve and on the first day of the New Year.

Millions of people will travel through China – sometimes thousands of miles – to celebrate with their families.

People decorate their homes in red for good luck and children are given money in bright red envelopes.

The celebrations last for two weeks and end this year on February 15 with the Lantern Festival, which falls on the night of the full moon.

Since the 1990s, Chinese residents have been given a week off work for the New Year. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, in this period, people spend more than 820 billion yuan (£96 billion) on shopping and food.

Year of the Tiger
Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

This year is the year of the tiger. The children born in this year are said to be brave, competitive and strong.

The origins of the Chinese New Year celebration go back to the 14th century BC, when the Shang Dynasty ruled.

Its origins are rooted in legend. One of the stories says that a monster named Nyan “Sunnah” attacked the villagers at the beginning of each year. Nian was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. Therefore, people used these things to drive the monster away from them.

Since the dragon is a Chinese symbol of strength and good luck, in many regions of the country, a tall and colorful dragon puppet is displayed and danced in the streets, and this is one of the most prominent aspects of the celebrations.

The New Year is also an occasion for people to clean their homes well to get rid of any bad luck left over from the past year.