Chinese new year

The Chinese New Year is an annual celebration that celebrates the New Year, whose date is variable because it is based on the lunar calendar. This year is held on February 12th.

Each new year is represented by a specific animal, this year is represented by the ox. It all starts with the story that Buddha invited living beings to celebrate the Chinese New Year, however, only 12 animals showed up for the party. So, as a tribute, he assigned an animal to each sign of the Chinese zodiac. They are: rat, ox, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, monkey, rooster, goat, pig and dog. Each animal rules a lunar year, different from the western solar year. Therefore, the Chinese New Year is not celebrated on the first of January, as it is in most countries.

According to Chinese astrology, the Chinese New Year 2021 animal exerts an influence in our lives and the ox symbolizes discipline, loyalty and resilience. In other words, in order to achieve your goals, in the year to come you will need to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. The energies linked in the constitution of the ox symbolize overcoming factors, work and a certain effort in the commitment to daily achievements, where dedication is a virtue that will play a fundamental role.

This great festival lasts 15 days and is intensely lived in China, the result of cultural and religious traditions, superstition and symbolism. The implementation has several stages, each one must be strictly respected as it is believed that these practices bring a better new year, with luck, health, money and prosperity.

Some of the customs of the Chinese people at this time of year include tidying and cleaning the house, cutting hair, closing accounts, making offerings and making altars to the house gods. It's also time to gather the family for the last dinner of a cycle that closes to start another. During celebrations, fireworks are launched to scare away evil spirits and the main wishes for the New Year are written on rice paper and placed at the door, with the rest of the New Year decoration, always red and gold.

The Lion Dance, Dragon Dance and the Lantern Festival are events that take place during Chinese New Year celebrations. Lion dance is a form of traditional Chinese dance in which participants imitate the movements of a lion wearing an animal costume. This dance is accompanied by gongs, drums and fireworks representing a “rain” of good luck.

Dragon dance is also a traditional Chinese dance like the lion dance. This is more common and more frequent in festive celebrations. The Chinese use the term “Dragon's Descendants” as a sign of ethnic identity. This dance includes dragon puppets, made to order, made of cloth and wood and are manipulated by a team of people. They carry the dragon with poles in the center of the attraction and perform choreographed movements to drums and music. The show's traditional movements symbolize the historical roles of dragons. Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which is reflected in their qualities, including power, dignity, fertility and wisdom.

The Lantern Festival is iconic with thousands of paper lanterns thrown into the sky, often with written messages, prayers and wishes. Throwing these lanterns symbolizes letting go of misfortunes and receiving merit, an important concept in Buddhism. If you throw a flashlight correctly, it is believed that your wish will come true, and it is also important to watch the flashlight until it disappears, for better luck. If it burns while in full view, it is considered very bad luck. This festival is the closing celebration of the Chinese New Year.