Tag Archives: Chinese zodiac
The Year of the Rat Posted by sasha on Feb 5, 2020
Another Spring Festival has come and gone, and we are now in the Year of the Rat (鼠年 – shǔ nián). While it’s not exactly off to a great start thanks to the coronavirus, hopefully the year will take a more positive turn sooner than later. In this post, I’d like to focus on the…
The Year of the Pig Posted by sasha on Feb 5, 2019
Today is the most important holiday in China – the Spring Festival (春节 – chūn jié). Otherwise known as the Chinese New Year, it’s the start of a 15-day holiday full of interesting customs and traditions. According to the Chinese zodiac (生肖 – shēng xiào), we are now in the Year of the Pig (猪年 –…
An Intro to the Chinese Zodiac Posted by sasha on Feb 12, 2018
One tradition associated with the Spring Festival that almost everyone knows about is the Chinese zodiac (生肖 – shēng xiào), a 12-year mathematical cycle that relates each year to an animal. Of course, there’s an interesting story in Chinese folklore that explains the order of the animals: As the story goes, the gods decided to have a…
All About Spring Festival Posted by sasha on Jan 12, 2017
It’s an exciting time in China and Chinese communities around the world, as people are gearing up for the Spring Festival (春节 – chūn jié). Known to many as the Chinese New Year, this is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. The Spring Festival has a rich history as well as plenty of traditions…
The Lantern Festival (元宵节) Posted by sasha on Mar 5, 2015
Today is the 15th and final day of the Spring Festival, called 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié) in Chinese and the Lantern Festival in English. Check out some highlights from the Grand View Park in Kunming where elaborate lanterns are set up to celebrate this special day: 元宵节 – yuán xiāo jié Lantern Festival 春节 – chūn…
A Beginner’s Guide to the Spring Festival Posted by sasha on Feb 18, 2015
Chinese New Year is almost here, which means we’re about to say goodbye to the Year of the Horse and welcome in the Year of the Goat. This year, China will celebrate its New Year’s Eve on February 18th with the annual CCTV Gala, and plenty of fireworks will usher in the New Year that begins…
Chinese New Year Posted by sasha on Jan 30, 2014
The year of the snake is winding down as we get ready to enter the year of the horse. At the moment, millions upon millions of Chinese are cramming bus stations, highways, train stations, and airplanes in a mad rush to get home to welcome in the new year. This madness is known as the…