Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is a celebration of the Chinese Lunar Calendar that cycles every 12 years. Each year is represented by a different Zodiac animal. It’s the Pig’s year to shine in 2019.

Year of Luck and Success…for Some

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2019 is a great year to make money and invest. It is also the year to bring friendship, and joy into your life. However, if you were born under the year of the Pig (1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007), this may be a rough year for you. Chinese culture suggests bad luck or misfortunate to those fellow Zodiac Pigs, especially financially.

A Quarter of the World Celebrates

Chinese New Year is the World’s 6^th most celebrated Holiday. And is the most celebrated holiday in China and other Asian Countries.

New Year, New Date

The Chinese calendar follows a lunar cycle, rather than the more traditional solar cycle, so the date changes each year. It typically falls between mid-January and mid-February. This year it falls on February 5.

Weeks of Celebrations

The celebrations start February 4 and continue for 15 days. The festivities end on Lantern Festival, which is February 19. During this time most of the country gets a break from work and school. Schools are out for a month during Winter Break and employers allow between 7-12 days off work.

Gotta Get Home

Families are expected to celebrate together, making travelling home a must. Nearly 3 billion people travel by plane, train or bus to spend the Holiday with loved ones.

No Cleaning or Showering

Sweeping your home and taking out trash for a month before the festival is thought to bring you bad luck. Showering is also off limits on New Year’s Day, for fear of washing away good fortune. The day before celebrations begin is cleaning day. It allows you to sweep away the bad luck to welcome the good.

Fireworks for All

Chinese New Year is the largest use of Fireworks in the world. Most families set off some type of firework display themselves, while cities have large displays to celebrate. The biggest shows are typically held on New Year’s Eve.

Seeing Red

In Chinese culture, red symbolizes happiness, wealth and prosperity and is thought to ward off evil spirits while bringing good luck. Because of this, most New Year’s decorations are red. Red lanterns, costumes, street lights, and paper cuttings can be seen in homes and across villages and cities.

Everyone Ages

In China, everyone becomes a year older with the New Year. There are two types of ages, the “nominal” age and the “real” age. Your real age is the day you were born, and the nominal age changes with the New Year. Both are acknowledged and often used interchangeably.

Celebrations are also held in a few major cities throughout the U.S. So grab some lucky bamboo, or a bonsai tree from your local English Gardens store, and celebrate your good fortune with the Year of the Pig.