Happy Chinese New Year 2022

Year of the Tiger

Chinese New Year’s day, 農曆新年的第一天 or 初一 ) this year falls on Friday, 1st February 2022. I would like to wish you and your family a Happy Chinese New Year – the Year of the Tiger!

Chinese New Year, which is also known as Lunar New year or the Spring festival, is one of the most important celebrations for many decedents of Chinese families all over the world. It signifies the beginning of spring, and the start of new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

The celebration goes on for 15 days. Most of the household will be decorated in red to signify and enhance the energies of luck, happiness and prosperity.

This is also the time where most families would be travelling back to their hometown to celebrate with their families.

There will be huge celebrations throughout the Chinese community for 15 days, with the lighting of firecrackers and much food. People enjoy the reunion dinner with the family and amazing traditional feasts with family and friends throughout the 15 days of Chinese New Year. The festivity will be celebrated with lion dances as well as street parades or in private homes.

On the first day of Chinese New Year, we will give our children (the unmarried ones) a red packet each to wish them good luck, good health and prosperity for the new year. Then we will proceed with a sumptuous breakfast and the younger generations will proceed to pay respect to the elderly relatives and to wish them a Happy and Healthy New Year.

So how are you celebrating Chinese New Year this year?

With the current Covid19 pandemic happening throughout the world, many people living overseas are unable to travel to be with their families to celebrate. However, that does not mean we can’t celebrate locally with our own family and friends.

We can celebrate because traditions travel with people! So no matter where you are in the world, you will never lose touch of your roots; so everyone can still continue to share their culture with their children and friends in their own ways.

If you are active on social media, you can already feel the Chinese New Year’s joy and spirit being shared among friends and families. Many are sharing images of their traditional new year cakes and sweets, Chinese New Year decorations while continually communicating with each other.

Even right now while I am writing this blog post, there are already many families starting to stock up on the baking ingredients for cakes and cookies or already asking friends and families to make for them their beloved Chinese New Year snacks.

So no matter where we are in the world, we can still keep up with the traditions and share our culture and traditions with our own families and friends in our adopted home country, and so enjoy Chinese New Year together.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Chinese New Year. May the year of the Tiger bring you and your family happiness, health and prosperity.

Here are a few articles I wrote in previous years about Chinese New Year:

> 5 common Chinese New Year rituals that we still practice

> Why are Traditions and Cultures Important to Families?

>Traditional Chinese New Year Steamboat the Australian way

> Why is it important to share your culture and traditions with the next generation?

> The ritual of giving and receiving red packets during Chinese New Year

> How to keep up the Chinese New Year traditions with your young family living in a new country?