February 1 2022 marks the Chinese lunar new year. Celebrations for the Chinese new year start on 31 January 2022 for 16 days to 15 February 2022. The Chinese new year is celebrated by more than 2 billion people worldwide and in China, people get 7 days off work from 31 January to 6 February. The Chinese new year introduces an animal from the Chinese zodiac and its attributes. The Chinese zodiac system has been used for over 2,000 years and remains central to Chinese culture. Many people use it to determine their future for the year. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac system which include, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig,
This Chinese new year is the year of the tiger; for the individuals who celebrate and follow this tradition, it means that anyone born in this year will share the characteristics of the tiger. These characteristics include vigor and ambition, daring and courageous, enthusiasm and generosity, self-confidence and a sense of justice and a commitment to help others for the greater good.
There are four main elements to the Chinese new year, these include the Little year, which takes place one week before Chinese new year and is a day of prayer and memorial. The second is new year's eve which is a day of reunions and gift giving. The third is the spring festival which includes 11 days of family activities, prayers and feasts. The fourth is the lantern festival which lasts for 5 days and celebrates family reunions and society.
Chinese new year is celebrated in the UK and London usually hosts one of the largest parties outside of China. Parades are normally held in Chinatown and Trafalgar Square, which include theatrical and colourful displays of lions, tigers and dragons. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the usual parades were postponed for the second year in a row and celebrations took place on social media this year.
Although the celebrations in London were muted this year compared to pre-pandemic years; people were still able to celebrate the new year in their own way. Huge amounts of traditional food and drink including spring rolls and dumplings were consumed over the festive period and firecrackers and fireworks were set off to mark the occasion.
