Lunar New Year 2022: the year of the Tiger

Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) is celebrated on this day, Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
Traditionally, Lunar New Year begins on the date of the second new Moon after the winter solstice, which always takes place in late December.
This means that the first day of the Lunar New Year can occur anytime between January 21 and February 20.

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2021 February 12 Ox
2022 Febryary 1 Tiger
2023 January 22 Rabbit
2024 February 10 Dragon
2025 January 29 Snake
2026 February 17 Horse
2027 February 6 Goat
2028 January 26 Monkey
2029 February 13 Rooster
2030 February 3 Dog
2031 January 23 Pig
2032 February 11 Rat

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The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which means that it is based on astronomical observations of the Sun’s position in the sky and the Moon’s phases.
This ancient calendar dates back to 14th century BCE, while the Gregorian calendar was introduced only in 1582!
The Chinese lunisolar calendar shares some similarities with the Hebrew calendar, which is also lunisolar, and it has influenced other East Asian calendars, such as those of Korea and Vietnam.
Just like traditional New Year according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1, Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year.
Interestingly, China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business too, but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, auspicious dates such as wedding dates, as well as the Moon phases.

Although this holiday has commonly been called “Chinese New Year” in the West, China is not the only country to observe it. Lunar New Year is the most celebrated and longest of all Asian festivals, and is observed by millions of people around the world.
Moreover, a number of other countries in East Asia, including Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, hold their own new year celebrations at this time.
China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết.
This holiday has ancient roots in China as an agricultural society. It was the occasion to celebrate the harvest and worship the gods and ask for good harvests in times to come.

How is Lunar New Year celebrated?
Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar, until the full moon arrives.
Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness.
In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will and good luck.
As with many winter solstice celebrations, the symbolic darkness of night is banished by the light of fireworks, lanterns, and candles.
Paper lanterns are hung by the hundreds in public areas, bringing good luck to the new year.
There are also dragon dances, performances, and festival parades with music and acrobatics.
The festivities continue for two weeks, finishing with a special lantern festival, which signals the end of the New Year celebration period.

Of course, much delicious food is made and served! For the New Year, it’s traditional to serve long noodles, symbolizing a long life.
Another popular dish for New Year is Chinese Dumplings, symbolizing good luck and wealth.
Traditionally, families wrap them up and eat them as the clock strikes midnight.
Among Chinese cultures, fish is typically included as a last course of a New Year’s Eve meal for good luck. Not by chance, in the Chinese language, the pronunciation of “fish” is the same as that for the word “surplus” or “abundance.” Chinese New Year’s meals also feature foods like glutinous rice ball soup, moon-shaped rice cakes (New Year’s cake) and dumplings (Jiǎozi in Mandarin). Sometimes, a clean coin is tucked inside a dumpling for good luck.

“Good Luck” is also a common theme of the New Year. Many children receive “lucky money” in red envelopes, and sometimes offerings are made to temples.
Moreover, people clean their homes and open their door to let good luck enter.
According to tradition, no one should pick up a broom, in case you sweep the good luck for the New Year out of the door!

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In 2022, we ring in the Year of the Tiger, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.
The animal designations of the zodiac follow a 12-year cycle and are always used in the same sequence.
People born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be courageous leaders brimming with self-confidence and enthusiasm, as well as notable generosity, natural ability to sympathize, and endless commitment to helping others.

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On a broader scale, the Chinese lunisolar calendar counts its years according to the stem-branch system, which is a 60-year rotating name system also known as the Chinese sexagenary cycle. By this, a year’s name actually contains two parts: the celestial stem and the terrestrial branch.

The celestial, or heavenly stem, is taken from a rotating list of 10 terms concerning the yin/yang forms of five elements:
jia = yang wood
yi = yin wood
bing = yang fire
ding = yin fire
wu = yang earth
ji = yin earth
geng = yang metal
xin = yin metal
ren = yang water
gui = yin water

The terrestrial, or earthly, branch is taken from a rotating list of the 12 animal names of the Chinese zodiac:
zi = rat
chou = ox
yin = tiger
mao = rabbit
chen = dragon
si = snake
wu = horse
wei = sheep/goat
shen = monkey
you = rooster
xu = dog
hai – boar/pig

So, putting the stem and branch terms together, the first year in a 60-year cycle is called jia-zi (Year of the Rat) as jia is the celestial stem and zi (rat) is the terrestrial branch. The next year is yi-chou (Year of the Ox), and so on. The 11th year is jia-xu, until a new cycle starts over with jia-zi.
The year 2022 is slated to be the year of the water tiger. The water tiger comes up every 60 years. The water tiger is action-oriented and represents strength, clearing away evil and bravery.

So, which Chinese Zodiac sign are you?
Don’t worry, If you were born before the Chinese New Year began for the year listed, then you were born under the previous Chinese zodiac sign.

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Rat (Zi)
Ambitious and sincere, you can be generous with your money. Compatible with the dragon and the monkey, while your opposite is the horse.
1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020

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Ox or Buffalo (Chou)
A leader, you are bright, patient, and cheerful. Compatible with the snake and the rooster, while your opposite is the sheep.
1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021

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Tiger (Yin)
Forthright and sensitive, you possess great courage. You have the ability to be a strong leader capable of great sympathy. Compatible with the horse and the dog, while your opposite is the monkey.
1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022

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Rabbit or Hare (Mao)
Talented and affectionate, you are a seeker of tranquility. Compatible with the sheep and the pig, while your opposite is the rooster.
1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023

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Dragon (Chen)
Robust and passionate, your life is filled with complexity. Compatible with the monkey and the rat, while your opposite is the dog.
1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024

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Snake (Si)
Strong-willed and intense, you display great wisdom. Compatible with the rooster and the ox, while your opposite is the pig.
1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025

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Horse (Wu)
Physically attractive and popular, you like the company of others. Compatible with the tiger and the dog, while your opposite is the rat.
1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026

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Sheep or Goat (Wei)
Aesthetic and stylish, you enjoy being a private person. Compatible with the pig and the rabbit, while your opposite is the ox.
1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027

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Monkey (Shen)
Persuasive, skillful, and intelligent, you strive to excel. Compatible with the dragon and the rat, while your opposite is the tiger.
1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028

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Rooster (You)
Seeking wisdom and truth, you have a pioneering spirit. Compatible with the snake and the ox, while your opposite is the rabbit.
1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029

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Dog (Xu)
Generous and loyal, you have the ability to work well with others. Compatible with the horse and the tiger, while your opposite is the dragon.
1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030

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Pig or Boar (Hai)
Gallant and noble, your friends will remain at your side. Compatible with the rabbit and the sheep, while your opposite is the snake.
1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

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Cultures celebrating Lunar New Year have different ways of greeting each other during the holiday.
In Mandarin, a common way to wish family and close friends a happy New Year is “Xīnnián hǎo,” meaning “New Year Goodness” or “Good New Year.
Another greeting is “Xīnnián kuàilè,” meaning, literally, “Happy New Year.”

Traditional greetings during Tết in Vietnam are “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới”, Happy New Year, and “Cung Chúc Tân Xuân”, gracious wishes of the new spring.

For Seollal, South Koreans commonly say “Saehae bok mani badeuseyo”, may you receive lots of luck in the new year, while North Koreans say “Saehaereul chuckhahabnida”, congratulations on the new year.

So, happy new year to all our Asian followers and not only! 😉