Chinese New Year

The start of a new year on the Chinese Calendar, this year's February 16th is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. Every year is represented by a zodiac animal sign, and this 2018 is the year of the Dog.

Traditions

Chinese New Year (CNY) is usually celebrated on the second full moon after the winter solstice, and it lasts until the Lantern Festival 15 days later making it the longest celebration on the Chinese calendar. Traditionally these dates -each with a specific purpose- are for the honoring ancestors and deities, with special significance coming from myths and traditions of old, different customs evolved. In Taiwan, it is customary that families clean their homes thoroughly to sweep off ill-fortune and invite good luck in; windows and doors are decorated with paper cuts going in an array of colors, but predominantly red and yellow/gold, just like the tradition of gifting money in red envelopes meaning good luck. There's also the annual reunion of families on Chinese New Year's Eve, where everyone comes together for a hearty spread of plates, including pork, chicken, fish, and dumplings. When the clock hits midnight people come out to watch the fireworks and continue their soiree. No knives are to be used on the day itself to prevent injuries which would mean starting the year with bad luck, so most cooking gets done in advance.

Colors in Chinese culture

Certain values are attached to some colors culturally, which is why the use or the color red in CNY is so important. Red symbolizes good fortune and happiness, by using it to decorate homes they are bringing all of these values into their homes and starting the year right. Red is also strictly forbidden to use/wear in funerals because it symbolizes joy.
Yellow is considered the most beautiful and prestigious color because it was often used to adorn the robes of the ancient Chinese emperors, it symbolizes neutrality and good luck.

CNY is celebrated not only in China but in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mauritius and Australia. Although not a national holiday for the last two. Australia celebrates it because of the large population of Chinese immigrants that settled during the gold rush between 1950 and 1960. Mauritius, on the other hand, has a Chinese population of around 3% and they have contributed significantly to the life in Mauritius.

All pictures on this post were taken by myself. These specifically were taken at Zhao An Palace (昭安宮) in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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