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The Chinese New Year, the most important day in the Asian calendar, starts this 2022 on February 1. This traditional festivity lasts 16 days and is not only celebrated in China, but in different countries of the world.
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This celebration is marked by the Chinese lunar calendar and not every year begins on the same day or date. The margins between which it moves are between January 21 and February 20. For this 2022, the Asian community says goodbye to the year of the Ox, to welcome the year of water tiger, the king of all beasts that scares away bad luck.
Countries where Chinese New Year is celebrated
In addition to China, this traditional festival is celebrated in countries such as: Singapore, South Korea, North Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
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1. Singapore
During the celebration of Chinese New Year, Singapore is completely transformed and the China Town district – the epicenter of the party – is decorated with Chinese ornaments and lanterns. In the city, markets are organized where different dishes of Chinese cuisine are sold.
Also, Singapore becomes the venue for various festivals, shows and performances. Among the most important is the Chingay parade – the largest in Singapore – which consists of popular dances and boat races.
2. South Korea
The Seollal or Korean New Year, is a holiday that marks the beginning of a new year in the lunar calendar, just like the Chinese New Year. During this celebration, many Koreans return to their home cities and towns to celebrate rites such as Charye, where tea and food are offered to the ancestors of each family, as a sign of respect for their ancestor. In addition to visiting relatives, on this date they tend to wear new clothes or wear hanbok, which is the traditional Korean costume.
Another Seollal custom is the act of Sebae, which involves children and younger people visiting their elders and kneeling in front of them dressed in traditional costumes to wish them a Happy New Year. This bow is usually rewarded with money by the elders, which is given in a silk bag with traditional designs.
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3. North Korea
The Chinese New Year in a country like North Korea could only be celebrated openly in 1989, when the festival was restored in order to preserve and pass on the ancestral tradition.
People in North Korea, as well as in the South, prepare a Charye ancestral rite table, perform Sebae, bow to elders, and wish each other luck. However, a relatively new custom has emerged: North Koreans offer flowers and pay respect to the statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Although the North Korean government has held national events for Lunar New Year’s Day instead of January 1 since 2003, many North Koreans still perform ancestral rites on January 1, as they are more accustomed to celebrating the new year under the solar calendar.
4. Hong Kong
It is important to note that Hong Kong throws one of the biggest parties to welcome the New Year. Preparations begin well in advance at the colorful flower markets that spring up all over the city a couple of weeks before the new year.
Within the celebrations, two events take place that mark the arrival of the new lunar year: The New Years Parade and Fireworks. The Parade takes place the night of the first day of the year, the fireworks the next day.
The city is covered in red and gold, the traditional colors of good luck. Lanterns decorate every corner and lion dances appear from every corner.
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5. Malaysia
The Chinese New Year in Malaysia, it is a national holiday, due to the fact that a quarter of the total population is of Chinese origin. The celebration begins with an open house concept that is widely practiced. Not only private houses open their doors to friends, but the leaders of the country also organize open house parties where every local person or tourist can attend.
During the following days, rituals are repeated such as: decorating streets and houses with duiliano -a couple of parchments with poetry-, giving away red packages with money, visiting families and, of course, watching fireworks.
On the last day of celebration, the old custom of Chap Goh Mei is performed which is followed by some modern variations. Single women throw tangerines into the sea with their cell phone numbers written on it and single men catch these fruits and try to find their destiny.
6. Vietnam
In Vietnam the holiday is called Tet Nguyen Dan and is better known by its abbreviated name of Tet or “Vietnamese Lunar New Year”. This festival is also considered the celebration of the first day of the spring season. The Vietnamese celebrate the renewal and purity of both man and nature. In addition, special meals for Tet are usually prepared and houses are cleaned. There are other customs such as visiting friends’ houses on the first day of the new year.
Attendees of the Tet Festival in Vietnam enjoy Chinese musical and dragon processions, traditional dances and firecrackers. At night there are usually fireworks shows, especially in the largest cities in the country, such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
The traditional thing in most places that celebrate the Chinese New Year is that many families take advantage of those days to take a vacation, travel and celebrate with their loved ones.
