The Lunar New Year 2023 is celebrated by the East Asian communities between January 21 and February 20 of this year. It is one of the biggest celebrations in the Asian diaspora and is considered a fresh start to life and a new chance for attaining happiness, prosperity, and betterment.
This year’s Lunar New Year began on January 22 and the celebrations would last for 16 days since the start of the new year. Each year is represented by one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. This year is considered as the year of the rabbit.
Previous to this the Lunar New Year was celebrated as the year of the rabbit in 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, and 1927. The animal rabbit is the luckiest one in the animal the 12 zodiac animals. It is viewed as a sign of tranquility and endurability.
The other zodiac signs that would be lucky in 2023 are tigers, oxen, and snakes.
The Lunar New Year marks the advent of a new lunar year and the beginning of the spring season. The occasion is known by the name the Lunar New Year as the dates of the celebration are set based on the phases of the moon.
What Exactly Is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is the beginning of the lunar calendar, a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the phases of the moon; or the lunisolar calendar, a calendar that is the combination of the lunar and solar calendars.
A solar calendar means a calendar set based on the equivalently the apparent position of the Sun relative to the stars, or dates in indication to the season.
It has the status of a secular holiday across the cultures of East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The holiday has prominence in the religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Details about the occasion being observed and celebrated could be found in ancient written myths and folk traditions.
How Did The Lunar New Year Come Into Practice?
Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, an imperial dynasty of ancient China, approved the Lunar New Year calendar in 104 BCE.
The beginning of the year was sanctioned to be fixed on the day of the first new moon that comes after the sun enters sign 11 of the solar zodiac; also referred to as the second new moon after the winter solstice.
This day was the first day in the solar term and was known as the day that begins the spring season.
Earlier the day was commonly called “new year’s day”, the “first morning of the year”, the “first day” (yuan ri), or the “beginning of the first month” (yuan zheng).
Lunar New Year – Zodiac Animals
The Lunar New Year 2023 has 12 zodiac animals. The 12 zodiac animals are the ones that represent each of the 12 years in the cycle.
The 12 zodiac animals are:
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
The Chinese terms for the branch or animal are:
zi is the rat, chou is the ox, yin is the tiger, mao is the rabbit, chen is the dragon, si is the snake, wu is the horse, wei is the sheep or goat, shen is the monkey, you is the rooster, xu is the dog, and hai is the boar or pig,
2023 is celebrated as the year of the rabbit, and the next year 2024 would be the year of the Dragon. The previous year 2022 was celebrated as the year of Tiger, which began on Feb 1, 2022, and ended on Jan 21, 2023.
Other than the zodiac animals the calendar is based upon 10 heavenly stems. Each of the stems represents any one of the five elements of Taoism, water, fire, earth, metal, and wood. According to this, the year 2023 could be said as the Water Year or the Year of the Water Rabbit.
The people who take birth this year, that is in the year of the water rabbit, are said to be possessing qualities and habits of creativity, sensitivity, and reflexivity. They would also be experts when it comes to negotiation or diplomacy or both. The people would be peace lovers avoiding criticisms, arguments, and change.
The people would be affectionate to those around them and would form close relationships and would remain loyal.
The Lunar New Year 2023 is also considered as a year to let go and move on from things and unpleasant memories. People are supposed to use it to declutter their life and move ahead to growth and progress.
It could be also viewed as an opportunity to try their hands at new things and experiment with themselves and to learn and explore new things.
The notable individuals who previously been born in Rabbit year are Albert Einstein, the world-renowned scientist, Michael Jordan, a gifted basketball player, Frank Sinatra, a popular singer, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Drew Barrymore, and Angelina Jolie, the notable Hollywood artists, and Tiger Woods, the professional golfer.
Lunar New Year 2023, The Year Of Rabbit
The zodiac animal rabbit is the fourth animal according to the Chinese Zodiac. The animal is considered as a symbol of mercy, grace, good luck, and beauty.
The Chinese consider quietness, relaxation, contemplation, and fluidity as the characteristics of rabbits.
The rabbit is an animal that is commonly used to symbolize the moon in Chinese culture. In ancient times, the people of China had a belief that there was a rabbit living on the moon. The rabbit was called the Jade Rabbit or the Moon Rabbit and was considered as a companion to the Moon Goddess who would always be young.
Rabbits are also considered a symbol of longevity, a long and healthy life span, especially white rabbits. According to traditional Chinese culture, they believed that the white rabbit was the incarnation of Alioth, the brightest star in the Triones which is the constellation of seven principal stars.
Rabbits are also seen as animals that are brilliant, sharp, and intuitive as well as tenacious. The Jade rabbit prepares medicine for longevity by grinding herbs with a pestle and mortar.
A New Year that was celebrated as the Year of the Water Rabbit before this year was in 1963. Other recent years include rabbit was 1975 – Wood Rabbit; 1927 and 1987 both – Fire Rabbit; 1939 and 1999 both – Earth Rabbit; and 1951 and 2011 both – Metal Rabbit.
The Water Rabbit is expected to have the ability to turn around unfortunate events, in spite of their upbringing, according to the chinese new year
The Chinese zodiacs are set upon a system known as the Heavenly Stems and Branches system. This system is in coordination with one of the five elements
On a larger scale, the Chinese lunisolar calendar counts its years using the stem-branch system, a 60-year revolving naming system also known as the Chinese sexagenary cycle.
A year’s name is made up of two parts: the celestial stem and the earthly branch.The heavenly stem also known as the celestial stem is borrowed from a rotating list of 10 terms concerning the yin and yang forms the dual opposite forms existing in harmony, existing of five elements,
The five elements of the stem are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, and the Chinese terms are jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, and gui.
The five elements are in combination with the stem and form: jia for yang wood, yi for yin wood, bing for yang fire, ding for yin fire, wu for yang earth, ji for yin earth, geng for yang metal, xin for yin metal, ren for yang water, and gui for yin water
What Are The Celebrations For The Lunar New Year?
The Lunar New Year is being celebrated with high cleanliness and hygiene. The houses and premises have to be cleaned and kept neat and tidy before the advent of the new year.
After the house cleaning the doors are left open welcoming good luck to enter. It is said that on the day of the New Year, not even a single person in the house should pick up a broom in case of prosperity and good luck getting swept out.
Picking up a broom and cleaning or dusting with it on New Year’s day is considered inauspicious and could be a reason that would unfavorably affect the whole coming year. The purchases of all needed items and groceries have to be made in advance.
Even though there would be celebrations for the whole 16 days, only the first days have the status of a public holiday. That is until January 29 which started on January 22. The best aspect of the celebration will be the Lantern Festival on February 5.
On the occasion of the day of the Lunar New Year 2023, the houses and surroundings are to be celebrated and the color red should be seen and highlighted with tints of golden color. The colors red and gold are symbols of prosperity, wealth, and good fortune across Asian cultures.
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As it is observed in other many other occasions of winter solstice celebrations, the symbolic darkness of night, the yin, is kept aside by the light of lanterns, candles, and fireworks. Hundreds of man-made paper lanterns are hung all over the public areas in hope of bringing good luck to the new year. There are festival parades featuring with music and acrobatics, dragon dances, and other performances.
Red envelopes containing the symbols of wealth, currency notes, and coins would be exchanged. This exchange is made with a common theme of good luck. Children often receive red envelopes with lucky money. Offerings would be made to worship places and deities.
This is the occasion in which relatives and members of the family come and meet together for family dinners. The deceased members would be remembered and honored.
People could be seen vibrating with optimism and energy and greeting each other with warmth, love, and respect. The following days could be utilized to make visits to family and friends, the dear and near ones.
The festivities of the new year will go on for two weeks. The last days, day 15 and day 16 would be observed with lightning lanterns in and around the house; in the streets, and in other public places. The role of Asian cuisines as a prominent part of the New Year celebrations could not be left unmentioned.
A variety of sweet dumplings would be made and distributed. The dumpling is a sign of prosperity and good fortune. It is made in advance, wrapped up, and stored ate as the clock marks the arrival of midnight, the day of the new year.
Another cuisine dominating the dining tables is the long noodles which is a symbol of long life. The celebration would come to an end with cracking fireworks. The event of the special lantern festival marks the official end of the new year celebrations period.