It’s the 12 months of the Dragon within the Chinese language zodiac − related to luck, knowledge and success

Amongst China’s conventional holidays and celebrations, none ranks greater in significance than the Lunar New 12 months (農曆新年). Also referred to as the Spring Competition (春節), or just Chinese language New 12 months, it marks the start of the yr in keeping with the standard lunar calendar.

The Lunar New 12 months often begins someday between late January and mid-February. In mainland China, official celebrations final for seven days as a public holiday. This Lunar New 12 months, which falls on Feb. 10, is the 12 months of the Dragon.

I’m a scholar of Chinese religious history and culture who was born in a 12 months of the Dragon. What fascinates me probably the most is how the celebrations are a reminder of the longevity and vibrancy of conventional Chinese language tradition.

Meals, items and celebrations

At its core, the Lunar New 12 months is a celebration that brings the household collectively. Preparations begin every week prematurely and embody cleansing and adorning the house, in addition to purchasing, particularly for items and provisions, and meals preparation.

A central occasion is the household dinner on the eve of the brand new yr. The choice of dishes varies, reflecting household customs and native culinary traditions. Usually it consists of dumplings, spring rolls, muffins, fish and pork dishes. There may be additionally a good quantity of consuming, particularly conventional wines or liquor. Most of the dishes are assigned symbolic meanings. For example, dumplings are given the form of gold ingots to invoke luck.

Different customs related to Lunar New 12 months celebrations embody the giving of red envelopes containing cash, often by elders to youthful family members. The purple shade, which can be featured prominently in Lunar New 12 months decorations, symbolizes prosperity and luck.

Historically, households and native communities burn firecrackers to mark the brand new yr and beat back monsters. In keeping with legend, the origin of the observe goes again to a narrative a few monster called Nian, who’s believed to have been inflicting nice hurt to some villages. In response, the villagers are mentioned to have set off explosions to scare off the monster, and the observe caught on. Nonetheless, extra lately the Chinese language authorities has been cracking down on this conventional observe on the grounds of its being harmful and polluting.

12 months of the Dragon

Historically, the dragon is an auspicious symbol of power and energy. It’s also related to luck, knowledge, success, safety and masculinity. In pre-modern China, it was related to imperial rule and was prominently featured on the first Chinese flag, initially instituted by the Qing dynasty in 1862. To at the present time, a dragon picture is commonly used to represent China itself.

Due to the dragon’s auspicious associations, dragon years are inclined to deliver upticks in fertility charges. Contemplating China’s present shrinking inhabitants and deepening fertility disaster, some are expressing hope for a baby boom throughout the coming yr, as sure mother and father could also be motivated to deliver dragon kids into the world.

In keeping with the Chinese language zodiac signs, annually within the lunar cycle is related to a selected animal. It is a 12-year cycle that repeats itself. Thus, there are 12 animals, every related to a yr within the cycle: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, canine and pig.

Among the many fashionable myths in regards to the origins of the Chinese language zodiac is one a few great race initiated by the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven, with a purpose to measure time. Because the rat gained the race, it got here to be listed first among the many 12 animals of the zodiac. The order of the opposite 11 animals mirrored their remaining place within the race. Every of the 12 zodiac animals got here to symbolize sure traits believed to form the personalities of people born in these years, with the dragon usually thought of to be probably the most auspicious of all.

Origins of the lunar calendar

Historically, the Chinese language have adopted their native lunar calendar, which is predicated on observations and measurements of astronomical phenomena. Whereas trendy China adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912, conventional festivals such because the Lunar New 12 months nonetheless observe the outdated lunar calendar.

The origins of the lunar calendar might return to the daybreak of Chinese language civilization, historically related to the legendary Xia dynasty, mentioned to have dominated from 2070 to 1600 B.C. The origins of the Lunar New Year celebrations are additionally not fully clear; some students consider they doubtless return to the rule of the Shang dynasty, which lasted from 1600 to 1050 B.C.

Religiosity and Lunar New 12 months galas

Whereas the Lunar New 12 months is mostly centered on the theme of household bonding, spiritual observances are additionally an integral a part of the festivities. These embody home rituals related to fashionable Chinese language deities, such because the Kitchen God and the God of Wealth. Members of the family additionally make choices and have interaction in different rituals associated to ancestor worship. Generally, these embody meals choices and the burning of incense at house altars.

Throughout this era, many individuals go to Buddhist or Taoist temples, in addition to different locations of worship. They interact in conventional types of piety, together with providing incense and praying for good luck and fortune.

A contemporary factor in ushering within the Lunar New 12 months is watching the New 12 months’s Gala, a preferred selection present that options singing, dancing, comedy and drama. It first aired in 1983, and ever because it has been broadcast countrywide by CCTV, the nationwide TV broadcaster. It’s the most-watched television program on this planet, with an viewers that may attain as many as 700 million viewers.

Largest human migration

In current a long time, China has skilled drastic demographic adjustments, particularly the migration of large rural populations into massive city facilities.

Moreover, China’s one-child policy has had far-reaching results on household buildings and, consequently, on conventional customs and observances.

Millions of rural children live with their grandparents or kin whereas their mother and father work in faraway cities. Consequently, the Lunar New 12 months brings in regards to the largest human migration on this planet, as college students and migrant staff do their greatest to get again to their households.

Throughout this era, trains, buses and planes are filled with vacationers, and tickets should be booked properly prematurely. That also remains the case this yr, regardless of China’s gloomy financial outlook.

Celebrations exterior China

The Lunar New 12 months can be celebrated in different components of Asia, together with Vietnam and Singapore, in addition to in East Asian communities the world over. Normally, these celebrations have some distinctive options or assume native character. For example, in Vietnam, the place the competition is named Tết, there may be the preparation of assorted native dishes, together with parades and public performances.

Within the U.S. and Australia, the place there are substantial ethnically Chinese language populations, Chinese New Year festivals and parades are held annually. A few of them function the standard dragon dances, which spotlight the communal side of Lunar New 12 months festivities.

Over the centuries, the approaching collectively for the Lunar New 12 months celebration has remained an essential a part of the cultural heritage for Chinese language households, connecting the previous to the current, wherever they occur to be.

That is an up to date model of an article first published on Feb. 1, 2022.