Happy Chinese New Year! I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating the Chinese New Year several times in the past with my Market America family and it is by far one of my favorite events. It’s an incredible time celebrating family and good luck for the future – an amazing tradition. If you don’t know much about this time of year, here are five facts about the Chinese New Year!
It’s the Year of the Horse! 5 Facts About the Chinese New Year
- The Chinese New Year is a 15-day festival, which begins with the first new moon and ends on the full moon each January
- People wear red during the Chinese New Year, which is a significant color to symbolize a prosperous and happy future. Small red envelopes called lai see are also exchanged, and they hold money inside as a sign of good luck.
- 2014 marks the Year of the Horse! According to a source, “the spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people’s ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able,”
- Homes are cleaned spotless at the end of December will all cleaning products put away before NYE. Any cleaning done on New Year’s Day is believe to sweep away good fortune.
- The Chinese New Year is a family-centered celebration with lots of traditional foods including nian gao cake, steamed rice pudding, long noodles and dumplings.
