UpcomingHolidaysCont. LunarNewYear Celebrations

By: Addison Harold Grade 7

Most people celebrate New Years and New Years Eve but a lot of people also celebrate lunar new year, also known as Chinese New Year or the spring festival. The Lunar New Year started about 3,500 years ago. It was created in the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). Its exact beginning date is not recorded (yet).

Here are some fun and interesting facts about The Lunar New Year:

● Back when this celebration started they would hold sacrificial ceremonies

● In 1949 Chinese New Year was renamed the spring festival

● The festival represents the desire for a new life

● The date is determined by the lunar calendar

● The famous holiday was added to the calendar in 1912

● This holiday falls on a different day each year and it even lasts 15 days

● In china each year is linked with a different animal

● The day of the festival they clean their homes to get rid of “bad luck”

● Children receive red envelopes with money inside

● This one is very well known but, lion and dragon dances are very popular

● Fireworks are set off at midnight at the grand festival

● The holiday was created by all different gods

● It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring

● The Lunar New Year ends with the “lantern festival”

There's a lot of history behind the lunar new year but not a lot of people talk about the celebrations, the food, the dancing, the singing, and so on. It takes a lot of time and effort to set up the festival and they only have about 15-17 days to prepare. Once the celebration starts it's pretty much all chaos. It might be crazy but also super fun, there are parades that go by, food cooking around the towns and shopping centers and kinds of people coming to visit and celebrate with their family and friends.