Chinese New Year 2024 and the Ancient Lunar Cycle

During the Lunar New Year, people in Singapore flock to Chinatown in the center of the city to indulge in Chinese culture. The streets and stores are decorated in vibrant red with a focus on the animal of that year. In 2024, it is the Year of the Dragon. Thousands of Chinese lanterns light up the streets, attracting thousands to its stores each year. You can even purchase these lanterns in an attempt to not waste them away once used, making for a nice decoration for your home. You will get the chance to fill your bags with Chinese goods in preparation for a New Year to remember, buying gifts, decoration, and traditional Chinese food to feast on with the family. Parades and stage performances are also commonplace, with the dragon or lion dance holding up Chinese traditions and folk stories for the whole family to enjoy, accompanied by an impressive firework display over the waterfront.

In Malaysia, about 25% of the population is of Chinese descent, which can only mean that the Chinese New Year is a big deal. Chinatown, located in the center of Kuala Lumpur, is the heart of the festival, dressing up its stores with the color red. In fact, pretty much everything is colored red to warn off the infamous beast named Nian. Chinese lanterns line the streets to light up the busy markets, providing a huge variety of Chinese and Malaysian cuisines, traditional and new, a delight for any food lover. Sharing many of the Chinese rituals, staying at home with the family is one of them. However, a Malaysian tradition is to share a giant platter of traditional food, with each dish on the platter representing well-being and prosperity. The whole family performs a toast and begins to mix all the food together, symbolizing unity and luck for the coming year. Red letters are also popular. Receiving a red envelope usually means there is money inside. 88 Malaysian ringgit represents good luck. However, 4 ringgit in the local language sounds like death and is perceived as bad luck!

Japan and Chinese relations go back a long way, and the fact they are neighbors has meant a lot of their cultural heritage overlaps along with their populations. With many of Japan’s citizens sharing descendants with China, there is much cause for celebrating the Chinese New Year. In 1873 Japan adjusted its calendar to the Solar-based Gregorian calendar. However, Japan still makes big efforts, showing support for the Lunar New Year celebrations they once shared with China. Around the end of January to early February, you may bear witness to a big clean-up operation, when families celebrating the event begin to clean their houses, in an attempt to dust out any evil spirits that may have accumulated over the previous year. It also signifies a new beginning. The Japanese love a good parade too! With dancing dragons and lions, firecrackers, and streets dressed in red, it is a 15-day celebration everybody can enjoy.

China’s connection to South Korea is very strong, with centuries of shared culture. It comes as no surprise that they follow some similar ritualistic practices. The earliest records show the South Koreans would celebrate the Chinese lunar calendar as far back as the 7th century. However, in 1945, Japan’s influence over the region saw them adopt the Gregorian solar calendar, only to be shifted back to the traditional Lunar calendar thanks to public opinion in 1989. South Korea has somewhat branched away from the Chinese New Year, rather calling it their own. The holiday gives family members the chance to come together for the three days of celebration, performing an ancestral ritual called Charye and exchanging gifts and red envelopes filled with money. It is custom to dress in traditional hanbok clothing that is only worn for special events such as these. The Zodiac animals are a tradition shared by South Koreans and the Chinese. South Koreans believe that Budda let all the animals of the world into South Korea, but only 12 turned up, and were given the honor of naming each year! One fascinating South Korean custom is to build a house made of dry firewood called a Moon House, which is then set alight to warn off evil spirits and grant wishes.

The UK is home to almost half a million Chinese, establishing massively popular cultural hubs such as Chinatown in London and Manchester. With such an influx of Chinese influence, their food and medicine play an important role in a multicultural society. This influence and popularity point to a highly anticipated Chinese New Year, which is felt right across the country, with major cities like London, Manchester, and even Liverpool fighting for recognition as Europe’s biggest Chinese New Year celebrations. People of the UK indulge in all things Chinese, celebrating with a Chinese takeaway, perhaps cracking open a fortune cookie. Chinese lanterns are seen everywhere, and with a celebration propped up with an array of fireworks, it’s an impressive sight. Chinese families will look forward to their time shared together, perhaps even making the trip back to China to visit loved ones and sharing gifts and red envelopes filled with money!

The city of San Francisco, California is home to the oldest Chinese New Year celebration dating back to 1858 when a parade filled with Chinese drums, firecrackers and dragon dances dominated the streets. Today the celebration is not just a parade, but a week-long party sprouting from the city’s Chinatown. Decorations flood the streets in a vivid red, the sounds of beating drums and smells of authentic Chinese food will make you question where you really are. With 5 million people in the US identifying as Chinese, it is a titanic event. The city claiming the biggest celebration is New York, with nearly every borough hosting its own party the entire city seems to come alive waking the dragon! The main event is held in Manhattan’s Chinatown where performances and parades make for an engagement that attracts thousands of tourists each year.