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OPINION
ISSUE 9 | 13th FEBRUARY 2023 ¦ UNIVERSITY EXPRESS
LUNAR NEW YEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR AND THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING
Here are some examples of some positive traits that each zodiac animal represents. Rat: Quick-witted, kind and adaptable. WRITES BELÍNE CHAN | OPINION EDITOR Ox: Reliable, determined and strong. Tiger: Brave, courageous and confident. For most countries around the world, New Year is celebrated from December 31 st Rabbit: Empathic, kind and trustworthy. to the 1st of January, but for many Asian Countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Dragon: Lucky, imaginative and enthusiastic. Korea, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia (among others), they celebrate the New Year Snake: Intelligent, organised and attentive. according to the Lunisolar Calendar. Rather than following the Gregorian calendar Horse: Energetic, ambitious and loyal. (which relates to the patterns of the Sun, i.e., a solar calendar), the Lunar Calendar Goat: Calm, gentle and charming. tries to correspond to the phases of the moon, which entails a period of 12 lunations. Monkey: Sociable, optimistic and smart. The Lunar New Year is also known as The Spring Festival, as the festival celebrates Rooster: Hardworking, confident and honest. the arrival of Spring. The Lunar New Year does not take place on the same day each Dog: Helpful, timid and trustworthy. year as it falls after the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. Therefore, the Pig: Generous, caring and passionate. holiday is always celebrated between January and February. This 2023’s Lunar New Year started on the 22 nd of January, and this is a holiday that is celebrated continuously for a few weeks. Unlike the zodiac signs that countries might be used to in the west such as Pisces, Sagittarius, Cancer etc., the Lunar Calendar follows the Chinese zodiacs, which are followed by Japan, Thailand, China and many other countries also. These zodiac signs are represented by 12 animals : Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every person is ‘assigned’ a zodiac animal, correlating to the year they are born in. For example, if you were born in the year of 2000, your Chinese zodiac sign is the Dragon, or if you were born in 2003, yours is the Goat. These zodiacs correlate to the Lunar New Year as the cycle of the 12 zodiacs is repeated, and every year a different animal is represented. This year, it is the year of the Rabbit, which symbolises longevity, good fortune and peace. People often believe that their zodiac sign is closely related to their horoscope, personality, and love compatibility, which is determined by their birth year.
There are many other traits, meanings and stories behind these zodiac signs, so it is without a doubt that Chinese zodiac signs hold great importance to the Chinese culture and Lunar New Year. Because there are so many countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year, I will discuss some customs that relate to the Chinese and Korean celebration of it. Food is an important aspect of Lunar New Year as it brings family together. The meals can hold a symbolic meaning which will then pull through throughout the year. For Chinese New Year, fish is an important part of the meal as it symbolises wealth and prosperity. Other meats are also eaten such as duck, chicken and pork. Dumplings, rice, longevity noodles, fruit, spring rolls and rice balls are also important foods eaten to celebrate the New Year. Although different areas throughout Korea can have their own special dishes, in general, Koreans will have rice, soup, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit and vegetables as part of their New Year (Seollal) celebration. Tteokguk (which is Korean rice cake soup) wishes good fortune and wealth (it is important to note that different regions in Korea have different ingredients for their soup, such as dumpling soup, or rice cake and dumpling soup, and soups with other meaty ingredients). Japchae noodles (Korean glass noodles), Galbi-jjim (Korean braised pork) and Bulgogi (beef grilled on a barbeque) are also popular dishes eaten during the celebration. Some other customs during the Chinese New Year include the wearing of red clothes (for happiness, good fortune, wealth and to ward off bad luck), ancestor worship, red money pockets, fireworks and festivals. Other customs during Seollal are ancestor rituals (Charye), visiting family, playing traditional games, sebae (where you bow to your elders and receive money) and hanbok wearing(traditional Korean dress).