Chinese New Year is frequently mistaken for just a festival of fireworks and red lanterns. However, it is one of the oldest, most magnificent celebrations of time, nature, and renewal in the world. We are sure you are not ready to read what we have for you.
Chinese New Year, celebrated in late January or February, marks the lunar calendar’s transition into spring and symbolizes renewal, prosperity, and harmony through traditions like family reunions, adorable red decorations, ancestral rituals, and seasonal festivals.
To fully understand Chinese New Year, one must consider more than just the dates and decorations. It is important to explore its ties to nature, family, mythology, and rigid yet dynamic traditions that continue to hold a huge space in modern celebrations around the world.
The Chinese New Year and its Essence
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is related to the lunisolar Chinese calendar and not the Gregorian calendar. Its time depends on the new moon that comes between late January and mid February.
This makes the festival fall on the last days of winter and on the first days of spring. But did you know that this change and the transition of the season is what the Chinese New Year wishes to teach?
Back then in ancient China, people’s survival was very much dependent on farming. Spring was the symbol of life coming back to the earth, getting ready for planting crops, and abundance after harsh winters.
To celebrate the New Year at this time was not only symbolic, it was also logical. It was really about a fresh start of the agricultural cycles and human effort, thereby, connecting deeply and directly to nature’s rhythms.
Spring is the season of balance, revival, and mutual love between humans and nature. Hence, Chinese New Year is no longer just a change of date but a coming back to life of the season.
Securing Chinese Yuan beforehand or using a dedicated multicurrency card ensures you can seamlessly partake in customs like gifting red envelopes (hongbao), enjoying festive feasts, and wishing your loved ones prosperity in the new year.
Family Reunions and the Emotional Understanding
Chinese New Year is defined by reunions, China follows and preaches the collectivist culture from its core, prioritizing emotions. Families travel long distances to return home, making it the largest annual human migration in the world.
It is the reunion dinner on New Years Eve that stands for unity, continuity, and gratitude. Everyone gets together and shares delicious meals, standing for how the festival serves the people’s social and emotional need for togetherness, rather than merely being called a festival.
The Cultural Meaning of the Lunar Calendar
The Chinese lunar calendar is based on phases of the moon, which was initially used for farming, ceremonies, and for daily routine. Each month starts with a new moon, and the New Year is on the first new moon of the lunar calendar.
That is the reason why Chinese New Year changes every year and why it still seems to be a very natural day compared to the strictness of 1st January. The festival takes its time to come, it lasts fifteen days and ends with the Lantern Festival.
And mind you, the time during the Chinese New Year is not hurried, it is slow and peaceful; loaded with beautiful traditions.
Festivities, Fireworks and the Symbolism of Red
Throughout the Chinese New Year red is the most prominent color, it represents good fortune, joy, and safety from evil. People decorate their houses with red couplets, lanterns, and paper cuttings that have wishes for prosperity, good health, and long life.
These adornments are not random. Every expression and figure has a deep significance, which is mostly based on mythology.
The red color is thought to keep evil spirits away, a belief that can be traced back to ancient times and even to Nian, a red and ferocious monster who was said to be afraid of noise and bright colors.
Red envelopes or hongbao, are mainly given to kids and unmarried people to bring them luck and keep them safe. The cash inside is considered to be of less value than the very giving, which is a symbol of the giving of luck and good wishes.
It is an intergenerational family custom that explains hierarchy, love, and passing on. The elderly provide, the juniors get, and the respect is like a calm breeze that goes both ways.
Nowadays, there are also red envelopes for sending money through the internet, but the true essence lies when you’re with the people you love, nonetheless the internet still captures the heartfelt intent behind the tradition.
Chinese New Year is the time when you’ll fall in love with fireworks and firecrackers. Their use is not limited to the celebration only; what stands behind this celebration is the belief that it helps to get rid of evil spirits and bad luck.
The custom is based on a very old belief that sound, light and movement were the means by which the balance was restored in the world. Even in contemporary times, people believe that the fireworks wash away the negativity around them.
Zodiac Animals and Cycles of Time
Chinese New Year is definitely warm but interesting as well. It is related to one of the 12 animals of the zodiac which is a cycle that keeps repeating and has an impact on characteristics, fortune, and fate.
These creatures are not only astrological signs, but they also signify the past myths, ethics, and even are based on the natural world and human behavior.
The zodiac animal cycle is the notion that the world operates in a round way rather than a straight one. It is said that life goes on in cycles, not in a direct way, which is the main idea of development, coming back, and change instead of ending.
For seamless travel, gifting, or festivities, consider using a reliable currency exchange service to secure Chinese Yuan (CNY). You can easily check live rates and plan your budget using a CNY to INR converter, ensuring you step into the new cycle with both cultural insight and financial ease.
Celebrations
The core values of Chinese New Year are the same, but the traditions differ from one region to another.
You’ll see the North of China enjoying dumplings because they are a sign of riches, whereas the South of China indulges in chewy rice cakes which are a symbol of growth and lifting up.
Chinese communities all over the world love to follow the same traditions but they make them more suitable for their surroundings and a combination of the old ancient traditions with the new and contemporary richness.
Whether it is Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or San Francisco, the main idea of the Chinese New Year is still very much the same.
Today, Chinese New Year is not only celebrated in the homes and within families only but also in public places. There are festive events like parades, lantern festivals, and cultural shows held in different cities with people coming from all over the world to attend them.
So, even though the festival has become more visible, it is still very much about the family, being together and sharing the comfort of the new start together.
But wait, travel during this time also rises dramatically. A large number of international tourists plan their trips in such a way that they are able to witness celebrations of the Chinese New Year.
This calls for preparing beforehand, which includes taking care of travel arrangements and currency exchange. We bet you are thinking how complicated it might get when forex is involved. Let BookMyForex handle this while you calculate the number of bags you should pack.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
