February 5, 2019

Happy Chinese New Year!

February 5 is the Chinese New Year! Known in China as the Spring Festival, this national holiday is a time for reuniting with family and setting off fireworks. Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year (similar to a Western Christmas), when people start buying presents, decoration materials, food, and clothing. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year, when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck, and doors and windowpanes are given a new coat of paint, usually red. Traditional pork dumplings are usually consumed on this holiday.

Each year is given a different animal of the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs; 2019 is the Year of the Pig! While not the smartest of the Zodiac animals, the pig is said to bring luck and wealth.