What is Lunar New Year of China? Know for UPSC

Relevance of Lunar New Year of China for UPSC

What is Lunar New Year of China?: Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important among the traditional Chinese festivals. Lunar New Year of China is in news because many surveys from across the world are associating it with rise in Covid 19 infections in China. For UPSC CSE Purpose this topic ‘Lunar New Year of China’ covers Prelims Specific Current Affairs and UPSC Mains’ GS1: Art and Culture.

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Why Lunar New Year of China is in News?

• What is the Issue?: According to various epidemiologists and Covid 19 related Surveys, the Covid situation in China is exploding and will become erratic in January due to the Lunar New Year/Chinese New year.
• When Is Chinese New Year 2023?: Chinese New Year 2023 will fall on Sunday, January 22nd, 2023.

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What is a Lunar New Year?

• Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China and a major event in some other East Asian countries.
• Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.
• It was traditionally a time to honor deities and ancestors, and it has also become a time to feast and visit family members.

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Brief History of Chinese New Year

• The history of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back to about 3,500 years ago.
• Chinese New Year has evolved over a long period of time and its customs have undergone a long development process.
• According to legends, a beast named Nian would come on Chinese New Year’s Eve to devour villagers, livestock and crops. To protect themselves from the mythical creature, people would put food in front of their doors, hoping that Nian wouldn’t harm anyone after consuming it.
• One night, people say, they saw Nian get scared of a child dressed in red clothes. Ever since, they have been hanging red lanterns and spring scrolls with couplets to keep the beast away for another year.
• People would even greet each other by saying “Gong Xi Fa Cai,” or “Congratulations,” on New Year’s Eve to scare away the mythical beast. For the same reason, the Nian dance or the lion dance is performed every Chinese New Year’s eve.

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Why Is Chinese New Year Celebrated?

• First, legend states that the Chinese New Year stemmed from an ancient battle against the Nian (‘nyen’, which sounds the same as ‘year’ in Chinese), a terrifying beast that showed up every Lunar New Year’s Eve to eat people and livestock.
• To scare away the monster, people displayed red paper, burned bamboo, lit candles, and wore red clothes. These traditions have been continued until the present time.
• Second, it is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

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What decides the date of Chinese New Year?

• The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar.
• The date changes every year but is always somewhere in the period from January 21st to February 20th.

How Long is Chinese New Year?

• Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival.
• This year also, the first 7 days are a public holiday, from January 21st to January 27th in 2023.

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What is the 2023 Chinese Zodiac Animal?

• Each Chinese year is associated with an animal sign according to the Chinese zodiac cycle.
• 2023 is the year of the Rabbit, specifically, Water Rabbit.
• The sign of Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope.

How Chinese celebrate Lunar New Year?

Regional customs and traditions vary widely but share the same theme: seeing out the old year and welcoming in the luck and prosperity of a new year. The main Chinese New Year activities include:

• putting up decorations,
• offering sacrifices to ancestors,
• eating reunion dinner with family on New Year’s Eve,
• giving red envelopes and other gifts,
• firecrackers and fireworks, and
• watching lion and dragon dances.

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Importance of Red Colour in Chinese Culture

• Colours play a significant part in Chinese culture as they represent various qualities and ideas that were formed thousands of years ago and have retained their significance over generations.
• Usually a part of folklore, these colours help us connect with our immediate environment.
• The Chinese consider red an auspicious colour.
• They include it as their primary celebratory colour, which makes it more than just a shade symbolising the Lunar New Year.
• The colour red in the Chinese zodiac is very important because it symbolises prosperity and good luck.

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Some FAQs on Lunar New Year of China

Q. Chinese New Year is celebrated for how many days?
Ans. Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival.

Q. What is the Lantern Festival of China?

Ans. The 15th day of the Chinese New Year is marked by the Lantern Festival, signifying the end of the Spring festival. The celebrations are held at night with red lanterns displayed across towns and children carrying them in parades.

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