For those of you that didn’t know it, we are currently in the middle of the Chinese New Year. I thought it would be a good idea if we all knew a little bit more about the history of this long celebrated holiday.


As most know, the Chinese New Year is made up of a twelve-year cycle. Each year represents a different animal. The animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. With this year being the year of the monkey.


Now, unlike the western calendar in which New Year is always January 1st, the Chinese New Year runs on a lunar cycle. So depending on the cycle of the moon for any given year, New Years day can be anywhere from late January to mid February.


One of the major differences between the eastern and western New Years is that unlike the western, the Eastern New Year is a two-week celebration. And it is also a time to reconcile differences with the people in your life which have done you wrong.


Every year the two-week celebration ends with the festival of lanterns. This usually involves music, fireworks, and a traditional dragon, or lion dance.


As I said this is but a brief history on a holiday which is many millennium old. If this intrigues you, I recommend you do more research on your own to better your knowledge.