the chinese new year

 happy chinese new year!

lanterns/lampions: symbolising the wish for a bright future

the 12th of february, 2021, marked the transition from the year of the rat to the year of the ox. while our calendar is determined by the movement of the sun, many cultures determine years by the moon; using lunar calendars. since traditional chinese culture used the lunar calendar, the chinese new year is the lunar new year. however, in 1912, the chinese government decided to retire the lunar calendar and, since then, they've used the gregorian calendar; starting on january 1st. however, the chinese new year celebrations still take place according to the traditional lunar year. 

in chinese culture, and especially around the new year, the colours red ( symbolising happiness) and gold (symbolising wealth) are significant.

chinese traditional door decorations

here's a really interesting resource which describes the history and origins of the chinese new year celebrations in some more detail.