‘Year of the Dragon’: 10 facts about the 2024 Lunar New Year

Chinese New Year celebrations usually last 16 days

Chinese New Year is one of the most important and culturally significant holidays, celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm by Chinese communities around the world.

As the name suggests, this festival usher in the New Year in China. The date of Chinese New Year depends on the lunar calendar. In 2024, the festival will be held on February 10.

Here are 10 facts about the holiday.

• The date of the Lunar New Year is not fixed on the Gregorian calendar. Instead, it is determined based on the lunar calendar, which usually falls between January 21st and February 20th.
• Chinese New Year is also known as “Spring Festival”. It also marks the beginning of spring and the end of the biting cold.
• Each Chinese New Year has a zodiac sign, and there are 12 zodiac signs in total. Each zodiac sign is associated with an animal. They are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
• 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. The 2025 Lunar New Year will be the Year of the Snake.
• Chinese New Year celebrations usually last 16 days – from New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. This Lantern Festival is on February 24th.
• Traditionally, people welcome the Chinese New Year with a spectacular fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. There is a legend about this tradition. According to Chinese legend, people believed that on the eve of the Lunar New Year, a terrifying monster named “Nian” would appear and devour people and livestock. Loud explosions and bright lights are meant to scare away Nian and ensure the safety of the community. This tradition has been carried out for eons and has become an integral part of the celebrations.
• The same year legend is also believed to be the reason for the use of red in celebrations. This color was believed to help ward off evil monsters.
• Red is considered a symbol of prosperity, and red envelopes with or without money are exchanged among friends and family to signify good luck during the Lunar New Year.
• According to tradition, no garbage is taken out on the first five days of the Lunar New Year. This tradition stems from the belief that the garbage collected during this period symbolizes wealth and should not be thrown away. However, on the sixth day, a special cleaning ceremony is held and the accumulated garbage is dealt with.
• Some lucky dishes are also served during the celebrations. Dumplings, in particular, are associated with wealth and prosperity. Therefore, people believe that the more dumplings eaten during the Chinese New Year, the more prosperous the coming year will be.