Articles and Stories

January 26, 2017

This year, the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year starts on the 28th of January and will end on the 15th of February 2018. It is also called the Spring Festival.

The Chinese zodiac changes every 12 years; it is influenced by the sun and the moon. That day is always around February 4th. This year the year of the Chinese Red Fire Chicken starts on February 3rd. It is the date when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac. That means the Chinese Lunar New Year is not the first day of the Red Fire Chicken Year.

If a child is born on January 28, 2017, then that baby is still born in the zodiac sign of the Monkey, which started on February 8, 2016, and not in the year of the Chicken.

Another important aspect of the Chinese lunar year is whether it is a Yin or Yang year. The five Element (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) play a role. The year 2017 is a Yin year, which is ruled by the element of fire. The five elements are also connected to five colors – White, Black, Green, Red, and Brown; fire is connected to the color red. That is why this year is called the Red Fire Rooster.

Even though China uses the Gregorian calendar for official business and most other purposes, the Chinese calendar is still used to celebrate the traditional festivals.

The first lunar moon each year is celebrated with family and friends, food, colorful decorations and fireworks in China and around the globe. To symbolize happiness, houses are decorated with mandarin oranges and lotus flowers. Red envelopes with money inside are given to younger family members and friends for good luck.

An interesting fact is that the Chinese term for the zodiac rooster applies to the farm fowl of either sex.