Welcome to the Year of the Tiger and the first day of the Lunar New year.
But what does that actually mean? The Lunar New Year is a calendar cycle based on the 12 moon cycles for the year. Rather than being celebrated on January 1st, Lunar New Year falls on the first new moon of the year which is typically late January or early February. This new year is celebrated primarily by those in East and Southeast Asia and is often called the “Chinese Lunar New Year.”
So, why the year of the tiger? This is based on the Chinese Zodiac that has 12 animals that represent a year. There is a lot of fascinating lore and history behind the Chinese Zodiac, including different elements for each year of an animal. (We highly recommend taking the time to look into it!) As well as a number of traditions that families partake in, including visiting relatives, having large feasts, entertainment, and for kids, the gifting of red envelopes full of money. This year happens to specifically be the year of the Water Tiger, which occurs every sixty years.
How do you find out your Chinese Zodiac? It’s as easy as googling your birth year to find out!
Is there deep meaning to it being the year of the Tiger? Many believe the qualities tied to the tiger will signify a more uplifting and hopeful year. The tiger is the third symbol of the Chinese Zodiac and is known for its fiery passion, daringness, and fearlessness, so perhaps we can see a year of hope if we all go in with such qualities.
The Lunar New Year is not a single-day celebration, in fact, the activities tend to last for a full week to even two weeks! We recommend you put on red—the color signifying good luck and prosperity—and find a celebration near you. There’s normally a huge parade filled with extravagant costumes, impressive dances and performances, fireworks, and best of all, delicious food.
新年快乐! Gōng xǐ fā cái! Have a very happy Lunar New Year from all of us at ABI!