Lunar New Year is a 2-week major traditional festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian cultures, marking the first day of the lunar calendar. It typically falls between January 21 and February 20, depending on the cycles of the moon. The holiday symbolizes the end of winter and the arrival of spring, ushering in renewal, prosperity, and good fortune.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated in different parts of the world and in different cultures. Most notably, in today's popular culture, the Lunar New Year is often associated with China or the Chinese New Year. In China, people celebrate with family reunions, feasting, giving red envelopes with money, and more. The Lunar New Year celebrations conclude with the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the new year. It's a time for good fortune, fresh starts, and symbolic foods like dumplings and fish.
The Chinese zodiac is a system of twelve animal signs that are used to represent each year in the Chinese calendar. Each animal is associated with specific characteristics and traits, and each year is linked to one of these animals.
The Lunar New Year is often associated with the Chinese Zodiac because of China's heavy influence on the festival. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.
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In Thailand, Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Thai-Chinese community with family feasts, ancestor offerings, lion dances, red decorations, firecrackers, and lively festivities, especially in Bangkok's Chinatown.
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Imlek, celebrated by the Chinese Indonesian community, is an official public holiday in Indonesia. It includes prayers at temples, family feasts, and dragon or lion dances.
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Tết Nguyên Đán (Tết) is Vietnam’s biggest holiday. Families clean their homes, prepare special foods like sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh tét), and honor ancestors.
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Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian Lunar New Year, focusing on family, honoring elders, and preparing traditional dairy and meat dishes. People greet each other with a ceremonial scarf called a khadag.
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Seollal is a major holiday in South Korea, marked by family gatherings, ancestral rites, and traditional games
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