The Chinese New Year begins today, February 17, starting the period ruled by the sign of the “Fire Horse”, symbolically associated with dynamism, transformation and courage.
Considered one of the most significant celebrations of the Asian cultural space, this festivity marks the beginning of a new zodiac cycle and is accompanied by a complex set of ceremonial traditions, rituals aimed at attracting prosperity, as well as the Lantern Festival, a manifestation that marks the end of the fifteen-day festive interval.
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Each annual cycle is linked to an animal in the Chinese zodiac, and this includes 12 signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig
Chinese New Year is celebrated between February 17th and March 3rd, marking the beginning of the period associated with the “Fire Horse”. The calendar, lunisolar and based on astronomical observations, integrates both the duration of the annual solar cycle and the sequence of lunar cycles, being used to establish the main traditional holidays in China and Taiwan.
Celebrated on a global scale, especially in communities with a Chinese cultural tradition, this festivity includes a set of rituals and customs passed down from generation to generation over the millennia.
According to traditions, a monster called “Nian” terrorized the villagers, attacking them at the beginning of each year. It is said that the being was afraid of loud noise, intense light and the color red. To protect themselves, people began to decorate their homes with red paper dragons, light lanterns and firecrackers, giving birth to a tradition designed to ward off bad luck and attract good luck in the new year. Nowadays, these customs have evolved, but they still retain their essence: the elimination of negative energies and the stimulation of prosperity.
The color red, the central element of the celebration, symbolizes luck, joy and protection against negative energies. Homes are decorated with red paper lanterns and dragons, and participants wear red clothing to attract prosperity and well-being.
The culmination of the Chinese New Year celebrations is the “Festival of Lanterns”, which takes place on the 15th and final day of the festivities on March 5, 2026. Called “Yuan Xiao Jie” in Mandarin, this event marks the end of the Lunar New Year rituals and celebrations, which span approximately two weeks. The festival commemorates the first full moon of the year, symbolizing the beginning and light, hence the meaning of the name: “Yuan” indicates the beginning and “Xiao” means “night”.
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