{"id":2655,"date":"2023-01-18T13:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T18:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=2655"},"modified":"2025-05-29T22:13:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T02:13:19","slug":"chinese-lunar-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/chinese-lunar-new-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Lunar New Year 2023 – Year of the Rabbit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

China’s Spring Festival<\/strong> – Chun jie<\/em> (\u6625\u8282)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chinese festivals are based on the traditional lunar calendar. The Chinese New Year, known as the Spring Festival or chun jie<\/em> (\u6625\u8282), is the year’s most important festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The holiday marks the end of the coldest days of winter and the anticipation of spring and fresh beginnings. It is also the time to pray for a bountiful harvest season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire family is present, and a great deal of preparation is involved in cooking special foods that have a symbolic value. Dumplings, jiao zi<\/em> (\u997a\u5b50), are considered lucky and will be a part of the northern Chinese meal. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A southern household will have a multi-course banquet with more meat served than usual. Fish balls represent a reunion, and eating turnips will bring good fortune. The traditional New Year\u2019s cake, made with sticky rice and brown sugar, is also served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family stays up through the night to watch fireworks which will scare away demons and bad luck. Households are brightly lit and fragrant with incense. This incense is burned to welcome the return of the gods that left heaven at the end of the previous year. Gifts such as paper money, tinfoil shapes, and fruit are prepared for New Year\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Interesting Facts about the Lunar New Year – Spring Festival<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Sunday, January 22, 2023, starts the Lunar year 4721.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When is the Lunar New Year? The date for Chinese New Year changes each year as it is tied to the Chinese lunar calendar. The first day of Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, typically ranging between January 21st and February 20. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring Festival ends 15 days later on the first full moon of the new lunar year with a celebration known as the Lantern Festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s believed that people born in a given year will have the personality traits of that year’s animal. Rabbits are known for their elegance and good manners; they are refined and sensitive and have a keen sense of beauty. They are also known to be peaceful, kind, and gentle. They are also believed to be lucky in love and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was I Born in the Year of the Rabbit?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you were born in 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, or 2023, you are a Rabbit. According to Chinese astrology, your zodiac sign year is considered to be a lucky year for you. To make the most of this year, Rabbits are encouraged to wear something red or pink, such as red socks, underwear, or jewelry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famous People Born in the Year of the Rabbit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some famous people born in the Year of the Rabbit include Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, Whitney Houston, Blake Lively, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Frank Sinatra, Quentin Tarantino, and Tiger Woods.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"2023
Chinese Zodiac Animals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

3. Spring Migration, or Chunyun,<\/em> is the world\u2019s largest annual human migration.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with Americans who return home each year for Thanksgiving dinner, the most important tradition of the Spring Festival is the family reunion. Nearly everyone tries to spend New Year\u2019s Eve dinner with their parents. Most working-age Chinese live in the cities while their parents often still live in rural villages, leading to a mass migration of epic proportions. Chinese make nearly 3 billion trips by train, plane, boat, car, and bus during the Spring Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Everyone Turns One Year Older on New Year\u2019s Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to the traditional Chinese system of age counting, or x\u016bsu\u00ec <\/em>(\u865a\u5c81), a person\u2019s age is calculated by the number of lunar years or portions of years they have been alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, a baby born in November 2020 would turn 4 on Chinese New Year\u2019s Day 2023 because it would have been alive during four lunar years\u2026the Years of the Rat (2020), Ox (2021), Tiger (2022), and Rabbit (2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. How to Say “Happy New Year” in Mandarin Chinese<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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x\u012bn ni\u00e1n ku\u00e0i l\u00e8<\/em>  (\u65b0\u5e74\u5feb\u4e50)<\/strong> – Happy New Year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ch\u016bn ji\u0113 ku\u00e0i l\u00e8<\/em>   (\u6625\u8282\u5feb\u4e50) <\/strong>– Happy Spring Festival! –  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

g\u014dng x\u01d0 f\u0101 c\u00e1i<\/em>  (\u606d\u559c\u53d1\u8d22)<\/strong> – Wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

gong hei fat choy<\/em>  (\u606d\u559c\u53d1\u8d22)<\/strong> – Wishing you great happiness and prosperity (in Cantonese)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x\u012bn xi\u01ceng sh\u00ec ch\u00e9ng<\/em>  (\u5fc3\u60f3\u4e8b\u6210)<\/strong> – May all your wishes come true.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Want to get the pronunciation right? Try a Free Pimsleur Mandarin lesson<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video for more New Year’s Greetings…<\/p>\n\n\n\n