When is Lunar New Year, how it's celebrated and why is 2024 the Year of the Dragon?
If you thought the new year was already full in swing, you've got some more fireworks headed your way, Tennessee.
The Lunar New Year will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10 this year amid an already busy week of events, including the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. Here is all you need to know about the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations next month.
What is the difference between the Lunar New Year and the Chinese New Year?
The two holidays are technically different as Lunar New Year refers to many different cultures celebrating the new year according to the lunar calendar while Chinese New Year refers to the customs that the Chinese people specifically celebrate. While some traditions for the holiday may vary from country to country, the holiday is celebrated on the same day for all countries that observe the lunar calendar.
What countries celebrate the Lunar New Year?
The only countries following the Lunar New Year are located in eastern Asia. These countries are China, Bhutan, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.
What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 2024?
In the Chinese Zodiac, there are 12 animals. Each has its own attributes and characteristics. These 12 animals coincide with the lunar calendar in a 12-year cycle.
2024 is the year of the dragon. Previous dragon years are 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012. The next year of the dragon will be in 2036.
People who are born in the year of the dragon are seen as ambitious, confident and adventurous. These people are known to have excellent leadership qualities. The dragon has represented good luck, justice and prosperity in Chinese history.
2023 was the year of the rabbit. People born in the year of the rabbit are seen as caring and attentive to details. These people are likely to follow the rules.
The zodiac of 2025 will be the snake. Snakes are intelligent, perceptive and confident. It is said that people born in the year of the snake love with their entire hearts.
The order of the Chinese Zodiac is:
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit (in Vietnam, the rabbit is replaced by the cat)
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig
Do all countries celebrate Lunar New Year in the same way?
Every country has its version of a celebration to take place during the first few days of the new year. As most countries have festivals and parades to celebrate, we have focused on the different traditions some of them have.
In China, the new year is traditionally celebrated by family members gathering around a big table to have a dinner called Nian Ye Fan. Incense is burned to worship ancestors, and young family members are given pocket money in a red envelope, called Hong Bao, from older family members.
Known as Seollal, people in Korea celebrate the new year by gathering with families to pay respects to their ancestors. The most common foods eaten for the new year are rice, soup, meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables. The Korean people will also play games like GoStop and Yut Nori along with card games.
In Vietnam, the new year is known as Tết and is seen as a time of renewal. Like most other countries, the new year is seen as a time of family gathering. North and South Vietnam each have a traditional dish for the new year. In the north, people eat Bánh Chưng, and in the south, people eat Bánh Tét. Both dishes have sticky rice, mung beans and pork wrapped in green leaves.
Why do some countries in Asia have the new year on a different day?
Only five countries in the world do not follow the Gregorian Calendar. This is the calendar used by the majority of the world today. Of those five countries, none of them are in East Asia. Countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year still follow the current Gregorian Calendar but base their holidays and festivals on the Lunar Calendar.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: When is Lunar New Year 2024? Why is it the Year of the Dragon?
