Happy Lunar New Year!
Saturday (February 10) celebrates Lunar New Year, a holiday rich in tradition and cultural significance for people around the world. The Lunar New Year begins with the second new moon that occurs after the winter solstice each year, and usually falls between January 21st and February 20th.
During this period, family and friends gather, eat traditional food, and pay respects to their ancestors. Many families and places celebrate with fireworks and parades featuring colorful dragons and lions.Gifts are exchanged, including traditional ones containing money hongbao, or “red envelope.” The celebration lasts 15 days and ends on the night of the next full moon, this year February 24th.
Related: What is the phase of the moon today? Phases of the moon in 2024
The origins of Chinese New Year are believed to date back to prehistoric times. The timing of the holidays is based on the traditional Chinese calendar known as the lunisolar calendar. The lunisolar calendar is based on the changing position of the sun in the sky and the phases of the moon.
Although China currently uses the Gregorian calendar for most civil and government purposes, traditional Chinese holidays, festivals, and other ceremonies are still based on the lunisolar calendar.
Chinese New Year is celebrated all over the world, but is most common in China and Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Considered the largest human migration each year, billions of people travel around the world during the Lunar New Year. In China, there is also a word called “Chunun” to describe the rush of travel. It is named after the Chinese term for the Lunar New Year celebration period, Spring Festival.
Like many Chinese compatriots, the Shenzhou 17 astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station celebrated the Lunar New Year. with a special treat Includes smoked fish, green onion pancakes, roasted duck, sticky rice cakes, tomato and egg soup, dumplings, porridge, mango and sesame buns, and fruit juice.
🎆🎉 As #ChineseNewYear approaches, let’s take a look back at the feasts that defined the space celebration. 😋🥟From smoked fish to sticky rice with lotus roots, cheese-filled rice cakes, and dumplings, the Shenzhou astronauts experienced the most unforgettable celebration ever.[📷/CMS] pic.twitter.com/wcfhloyTnRFebruary 8, 2024
The mission at Tiangong will not end until April 2024, so the crew of Shenzhou 17 will unfortunately not be able to return home to eat with their families.
Lunar New Year 2024 marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, which in many cultures is considered a particularly lucky year to be born. In fact, we are very fortunate that every 12 years of the Dragon, when the zodiac cycle repeats, a baby boom tends to occur.
The dragon is the only mythical creature among the animals of the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing good fortune, strength, intelligence, and fortune. The dragon also has deep cultural and historical meaning in China, sometimes serving as a symbol of emperors and empires in China’s rich 5,000-year history.