The celebrations will last 15 days and will end with the lantern festival
Chinese new year of the rabbit
Fifteen days of celebrations to bid farewell to winter and the past year, welcoming the spring season with family and friends. The Chinese New Year is celebrated on 22 January, a solemn Asian tradition that welcomes the new year of the lunisolar calendar with parties and events.
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
Although China officially uses the Gregorian calendar, the traditional lunisolar calendar retains a ceremonial significance and so, every year, on the second new moon after the winter solstice (or more rarely the third), a new annual cycle begins, this year, begins on January 22nd.
The celebrations end with the lantern festival, during which families go out into the city streets with lit and colored lanterns in their hands to guide the auspicious spirits to their homes.
THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT
Chinese New Year goes hand in hand with the Chinese zodiac: each year is symbolized by an animal, for a total of 12 signs: Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig .
In addition to animals, each lunisolar year is associated with an element: fire, water, earth, metal and wood.
Chinese New Year this year falls on January 22 and marks the beginning of the year of the Water Rabbit, which will be succeeded by the Wood Dragon in 2024.
THE LEGEND OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC
There are several legends about the origin of the Chinese zodiac. The most interesting would also explain the hatred between cat and mouse.
It is said that the Jade Emperor, ruler of Heaven and earth, decided to visit the Earth personally and, surprised by the wonderful creatures that lived there, decided to take 12 of them with him. However, the cat, the most beautiful of all animals, asked the mouse to inform him about the day of meeting with the heavenly emperor. The mouse, jealous of the feline’s charm, decided to keep quiet. So the cat didn’t show up at the appointment and the rabbit was chosen instead of him. Fascinated by the celestial creatures, the ruler decided to assign each one a calendar year. For this reason, the cat is not among the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Chinese New Year, January 22 begins the year of the rabbit
