Celebrating the Lunar New Year | Origin of the zodiacs

By Thea Kapteyn ’23 and Nadya Poisac-Nguyen ‘23

The Lunar New Year is one of the most important and celebrated holidays in many Asian countries. It marks the arrival of spring and the new year on the lunisolar calendar.

The holiday is often referred to as the “Chinese New Year,” however the “Lunar New Year” is an inclusive term, as many countries other than China celebrate the new year according to the lunisolar calendar. Countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year include China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Singapore. Although traditions vary across countries, many facets of the celebration are shared between cultures.

The Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration with a wide range of festivities. The new year commences on the second new moon after the winter solstice, meaning it falls on a different day every year on the Gregorian calendar. For example, in 2023, the first day of the new year fell on January 22, and in 2025, it is set to begin on February 10.

Each year of the lunisolar calendar is distinguished by its representative zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac consists of 12 animals in order: the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2023 is the year of the rabbit, which marks the beginning of a year brimming with prosperity and happiness.

Story of the Zodiac

Long ago, the Jade Emperor orchestrated a race to provide the Chinese people with a measurement of time. The Emperor invited every animal to compete in the race, but when the day came, only thirteen species arrived.

Those thirteen included the Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Sheep, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, Rat, Cat, and Pig. The Emperor rewarded the animals that were willing to participate with a year in the calendar, while the race results would decide the order of the zodiacs.

At the front of the pack was the Rat and the Cat. The two were once friends, but their relationship had since turned sour. The race offered an opportunity for revenge which the Rat was eager to take advantage of.

Intersecting with the last segment of the race was a river, and although the Rat and the Cat were the most cunning of the thirteen, they were also the least capable swimmers. In light of this predicament, both animals decided to ride on top of the Ox to cross the rushing water.

The Ox agreed to carry the two animals across the river, but moments before crossing the finish line, the Rat pushed the Cat off of the Ox’s head and into the river. The Rat reigned victorious and became the first zodiac, while the Cat was unable to complete the race and subsequently had its placement in the zodiac rescinded.

The Ox followed closely behind the Rat and came in second place, while the tiger finished the race shortly after in third place. The Rabbit could be heard in the distance hopping from stone to stone, but when the Rabbit neared the end of the race, it slipped and fell onto a log which it eventually rode to the finish line, obtaining fourth place.

The well-respected Dragon came in fifth, which was a shock to the Emperor because of its ability to fly, but the Dragon explained it made a stop in order to aid a few villagers.

Following the Dragon, the Horse made its way to the finish line, but before crossing, the Snake slithered out from beneath the Horse’s feet and spooked the animal. The Snake took advantage of this opportunity and finished in sixth place, followed shortly after by the Horse in seventh.

Following the Horse, the Rooster, Sheep, and Monkey, helped each other complete the race by constructing a raft. When they reached the shore, the Sheep came in eighth, the Monkey in ninth, and the Rooster in tenth.

Claiming the eleventh spot in the zodiac, the Dog made its way across the finish. The Dog’s tardiness was to blame for its placement in the zodiac, despite it being one of the faster creatures of the initial thirteen. Lastly, coming in twelfth, the pig crossed the finish line after taking impromptu naps on the course.

*Chinese zodiacs, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons*

Depending on the year you were born, one of the twelve zodiac animals correlates to your Chinese zodiac sign. When finding your zodiac sign, be conscious that the rotation to the subsequent zodiac falls on a different day each year, so for accurate results, find the day the new year began on the year you were born.

Click through the slideshow below to learn more about each of the twelve zodiacs and what personality traits can be attributed to your sign.

Celebrations by Country

China

The Lunar New Year is one of the most anticipated celebrations in China, with festivities lasting around a month. The legend behind holiday traditions lies within a tale of a monster named Nián (年/year). Thousands of years ago, the demon stormed into the villages of China, attacking townspeople during the first day of the new year.

The townspeople quickly found that nián had a fear of bright lights, loud sounds, and the color red. In an effort to ward off the demon, the townspeople lit fireworks, set off firecrackers, wore red clothing, and hung red decorations.

Since then, celebrations of the Lunar New Year revolve around similar traditions, adorning houses with red decor, viewing lion and dragon dances, and gifting money in red envelopes called hong bao (红堡).

The event which typically concludes the Lunar New Year is the Lantern Festival, otherwise known as Yuan Xiao Jie (元宵节). During Yuan Xiao Jie, people construct, decorate, and hang lanterns in temples or carry them during parades to symbolize self-growth in the new year.

*Lantern view, courtesy of* *Wikimedia Commons*

Japan

Though it is not an official holiday in Japan, many Japanese families celebrate the Lunar New Year. On Lunar New Year’s eve, families will gather together for a celebratory dinner.

New Year’s dinner commonly consists of dumplings and spring rolls, which are believed to bring wealth, and fish, which is said to bring prosperity. Sweet dumplings and desserts like sticky rice cake are also popular New Year’s eve treats.

In addition to family dinners, festivities also include a tradition called Shou sui. Shou sui is the practice of staying up as late as possible to bless your parents with longevity.

South Korea

Sebae (세배) is a tradition centered around filial piety, a Confucian idea promoting good values, morals, and respect for parents. Children dress in traditional clothing to wish their elders a happy new year by performing a traditional bow while saying saehae bok mani badeuseyo' (새해 복 많이 받으세요, “Please receive a lot of good fortune for the New Year”).

Elders reciprocate the message by gifting the children new year’s money known as pocket money or Sebaet Don. The money is kept in silk bags crafted with traditional designs, which are occasionally accompanied by words of wisdom.

Games are also a popular event in the Lunar New Year celebration. The traditional family game, yutinori, can be played with three traditional sticks and a cloth. The game’s purpose is to bring the family together through laughter and fun.

Traditions for men and boys include flying rectangle kites called Yeon, and playing a game called jegichagi. Jegichagi is where a light object is inserted and wrapped in a piece of fabric or paper and then kicked between players, similar to hacky sack.

*Sebaet Don, Courtesy of* *Wikimedia Commons*

Taiwan

Days before the new year, Taiwanese families orchestrate a top-to-bottom cleaning of their household, similar to spring cleaning in Western culture. “Get rid of the old to bring the new” is widely regarded as the main source of motivation behind such an intensive cleaning.

The New Year cleaning represents bidding farewell to the past year and embracing fortune and luck in the new year. However, it is critical that all cleaning is done before the New Year otherwise it is thought that your luck will be swept away.

In terms of house decor, families hang a set of couplet “red scrolls” at the main entrance of their homes. The red scrolls are displayed with depictions of various animals, especially mythical beings such as dragons. Short messages or poems are hung with the intention of bringing good luck and prosperity to the home.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is called Tết. Tết is the most celebrated and important holiday in Vietnam. This year, 2023 is the year of the Cat, instead of the Rabbit according to Chinese culture. Many festivities are held where people eat traditional food, play music, and view dragon dances that often take place in the streets.

Similar to Taiwanese culture, before Tết, Vietnamese families often devote time to cleaning their houses. This represents cleaning out the bad luck and making room for good luck in the upcoming New Year. Families will also clean their deceased family members’ shrines as the Vietnamese believe their family members’ spirits will visit them on the New Year.

Like the Chinese hong bao, the Vietnamese practice lì xì. Lì xì is where older relatives give younger children money while also wishing them good fortune and luck in the new year. Younger children reciprocate the good wishes for their older relatives.

Junior Eva Vu-Stern who is Vietnamese says “this year we just had a hot pot, and we did that for two days, which was really fun. Normally before COVID we might get together with one other family and have a hot pot, but we didn’t do this this year.”

“There’s a pot of soup basically in broth and you put different types of meat and vegetables in, and then you wrap it up with rice paper and other vegetables like cucumbers and carrots and almonds and stuff and it’s a fun communal way to eat a celebratory meal.”

Regardless of background, anyone can celebrate the Lunar New Year, and here are a few local places to do so:

The Lan Su Chinese Garden at 239 NW Everett St.

This 16-day festival features many martial arts and cultural performances, dances, and workshops. It begins with a lion dance and hosts a traditional lantern viewing.

The Chinese New Year Cultural Fair at the Oregon Convention Center

This celebration holds many activities and games along with a lion dance and Chinese folk dances. The fair performs martial arts demonstrations and traditional and contemporary cultural activities.

Lunar New Year Celebration at Milwaukie Community Center

The community center hosts free drum and cymbal performances, lion dances, and arts and crafts.

Lunar New Year Celebration at Washington Square

Washington Square mall has crafts, dance performances, and traditional stories. Shoppers can hang a red ribbon on the wish tree, which is believed to bring good fortune.