Are you ready for a new year? Let’s hop to it. It’s time for the Year of the Rabbit!
People welcomed 2023 on January 1. But there’s another new year on the calendar. January 22 is New Year. It’s also called Chinese New Year. In the Chinese calendar, each year has an animal sign. This year’s is the rabbit!
More than 1 billion people celebrate Lunar New Year. The date is based on the Moon. The holiday is especially important in Asian nations. Those include China, South Korea, and Singapore. In Vietnam, the holiday is called Tet.
There are many ways to mark the moment. Fireworks burst. People hang lanterns. People often give gifts of money in red envelopes. There are also parties and parades. One traditional dance is a lion dance. Two people share a lion costume!
Around the world, temples are decorated. Markets are selling rabbit products. There’s a rabbit light sculpture in Thailand. And in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, divers did a lion dance underwater!
People eat meaningful foods for the holiday. Stories say certain dishes will help in the year ahead. Dumplings and spring rolls are meant to bring . Spring rolls look like bars of gold! And sweet rice balls called tangyuan are for family togetherness.
There is sure to be a lot of family togetherness in China. Many people there are traveling freely for the first time in years. Officials had strict rules for COVID-19. But they eased up. Now, more people can visit their families.
So, what does the Year of the Rabbit hold? Some people believe the rabbit is the luckiest sign. Here’s hoping you luck out!
Updated January 19, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
