Happy New Year!
Lunar New Year, ie. Today (January 22) marks the start of a new year in many parts of the world. Lunar New Year is widely celebrated throughout East Asia and marks the beginning of spring and the start of a new lunar cycle. The holiday usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. For that reason, the date varies from year to year compared to the fixed holidays of the Gregorian calendar, but it always falls in January or February.
This year, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac, which assigns years to different animals in a 12-year cycle. According to chinese new year dot net (opens in new tab)In Chinese culture, the rabbit is associated with the moon, probably because the shadow of the moon was once thought to represent the rabbit. China’s Yutu-2 rover, the Longest running lunar rover in historyIt gets its name from the Chinese characters for “jade rabbit”.
Connected: What is the phase of the moon today? moon phases 2023
While the Western zodiac is based on the constellations, the 12 animals that make up the Chinese zodiac do not correspond to a group of stars. Instead they are derived from animals found in the “Heavenly Gate Race”. (opens in new tab)“from ancient Chinese folklore and (approximately) assigned to the 12 divisions of the 12-year-old classroom (opens in new tab) Jupiter’s
The origin of the Lunar New Year is not well known, as it is believed to date back to prehistoric times. TimeAndDate.com (opens in new tab), The date of the Lunar New Year is determined according to the Chinese calendar, which is based on the changing position of the Sun in the sky and the phases of the Moon.
Most years in this calendar system, known as the lunisolar calendar, are between 353 and 355 days long. (Leap years occur between 383 and 385 days.) China uses the Gregorian calendar for most civil and government purposes, while the traditional Chinese calendar is used for holidays and festival dates.
The first lunisolar calendar in China was established during the Zhou dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC). During this period, the start of the new year was determined to be the day of the last new moon that occurred before the winter solstice. As various dynasties rose and fell throughout Chinese history, the calendar was modified and rewritten until it evolved into the Chinese calendar we know today. during the late Ming dynasty (opens in new tab) In the 17th century.
Today, the Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world with a variety of traditions. In China, families typically gather for 16 days of festivities filled with feasting, fireworks, and gift-giving. traditional gifts include hongbaoor “red envelopes,” which are usually filled with cash.
also sees holiday largest annual human migration (opens in new tab) on Earth, during which billions of people around the world travel to their ancestral homes to celebrate with family.
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