Lunar New Year 2024: The Year Of Wood Dragon

You might have heard about the New Year that is celebrated on the 1st of January, but do you know what the Lunar New Year is and when and how it is celebrated? Well, in this article, we will be discussing the Lunar New Year 2024 or the Chinese New Year in detail. While we have already celebrated the Western New Year, the Lunar New Year is yet to come. 

Moreover, the Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, which is celebrated for 15 long days. This festival is celebrated according to the Chinese calendar, which is known as the Lunisolar calendar. This is a unique combination of lunar and solar elements that depend on the observation of the Sun’s location in the sky and the phases of the Moon. 

Lunar New Year 2024 Date and Day

• Lunar New Year 2024: 10th February 2024 (Saturday) 
• Chinese New Year 2024 animal: Dragon (Symboloses good luck, strength, and also the male element Yang) 

What is Lunar New Year? 

While people around the world celebrate New Year on 1st January, the people of China and other Asian countries celebrate New Year on the first new moon. This festival is especially celebrated and famous among the Chinese community and all the other countries that fall under the influence of Chinese culture, such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Vietnam, and Korea. 

Moreover, the lunar new year is celebrated for 15 days, starting from the new moon day to the full moon day. It is one of the most significant festivals that is celebrated among the Chinese community. This festival is celebrated with great auspiciousness as it’s believed that it welcomes new beginnings, good luck, abundance, prosperity and blessings. 

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Importance of Wood Dragon Year 2024 

According to the lunar new year 2024, this year is known as the Wood Dragon Year (Longnian 龍年). In Chinese culture, the twelve zodiac signs are represented by the names of the 12 animals, which are rat, 0x, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cockerel, dog and pig. However, every year is represented by particular animals and in 2024, it’s the year of the dragon which represents strength and good luck. 

Moreover, according to Chinese astrology, they also have the basic five elements that revolve around the 60-year cycle, including the 12 animals and 5 basic elements that are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. However, in 2024, it has been represented as the element Wood, which is why it is referred to as the year of Wood-Dragon. Therefore, the 2024 Chinese zodiac will also be dragon wood. So, people born in Dragon Year (Longnian 龍年) are blessed with qualities such as intelligence, success and good luck.

Also Read: Lunar Eclipse 2024 

Significance of Firecrackers and Red Clothes on Lunar New Year 

During the lunar new year, the significance of hanging red banners known as Hui Chun (揮春), which are bright red and gold in colour. Along with that, people burst firecrackers, and special fireworks are witnessed. People are seen wearing red coloured clothes on the Chinese New Year. All this has a special significance in that people relate to the ancient mythological tale of Nian, a monster with sharp teeth and horns. It is believed that during ancient times, a monster, Nian, went to the nearby village to disrupt the village and harm people. 

However, while all the people were hiding in their homes trying to save themselves from the monster, an old man stood still, bursting crackers, wearing a red cloth. The monster got frightened and went away, leaving the old man harmless. To everyone’s surprise, the old man survived without being injured or harmed by Nian, the monster. Therefore, since that day, people have started wearing red clothes, bursting firecrackers and hanging red banners as decorative items. Since then, this was added as part of a celebration to ward off evil and start the new year on a positive note. 

How is the Lunar New Year celebrated? 

The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and vibrant energy. This is the time of the year when Chinese people welcome spring season as a new beginning, and in many countries, this festival is also declared as a public holiday. 

1. Cleaning and decorating homes 

People clean their homes and decorate beautifully to welcome positivity and ward off negative energy from their homes. The most popular thing to do on the lunar new year is to decorate homes with flowers, couplets, Chinese knots, New Year pictures and papercuts on windows. 

2. Wear New Clothes 

Like any other festival, during the lunar new year, people also buy and wear new clothes, especially red coloured clothes. On this day, people wear traditional Chinese attire, where women wear cheongsam, and men wear the Tang suit, which is a men’s jacket with an upturned collar.

3. A big fat family Dinner 

In Chinese tradition, it’s believed that all the family members should sit together to celebrate this special day. All the members sit together to eat the family dinner together. Some of the special food items prepared on this day are Sticky rice, whole fish, long noodles, Dumplings, Mandarin oranges and tangerines. All these food items symbolise good health, prosperity, longevity, abundance and success in life. 

4. Receiving Hangbao from elders 

All the young members of the family greet and take blessings from all the elderly members of the home. They receive a red and gold-coloured envelope with money, which is given out as a blessing to the young members of the family. 

5. Bursting Firecrackers and witnessing fireworks 

On this day, lighting firecrackers is considered auspicious as it’s believed to threaten the monster Nian and ward off evil energy. The vibrant light of fireworks is believed to add shine and liveliness to individuals’ lives. 

6. A special Parade 

During the Lunar New Year, people celebrate by organizing a special parade to welcome the new year. A 25-meter-long dragon is a significant part of the parade, and it is considered a lucky symbol. People throw money into the dragon’s mouth, and the dragon tries to catch it. Additionally, the parade includes children representing all 12 animals of the Chinese calendar.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

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