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All you need to know about Chinese New Year 2023

On Sunday, January 22, 2023, Asia will celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of 2023, also known as New Year 4721. This will mark the start of the Year of the Rabbit and the conclusion of the Year of the Tiger.

The Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year festival, also known as Spring Festival, has been observed in China for countless years. It is based on a complex calendar that employs the lunar (Moon cycle) and solar (Earth’s yearly orbit around the Sun) to determine dates.

It is also related to Jupiter’s orbit. In actuality, the astrological roots of the Chinese Lunar New Year lie at the heart of the holiday’s customs. Here is all the information you need to know on the Chinese Lunar New Year of 2023, and the fascinating astrological underpinnings of this annual celebration:

What is it?

In China, the Lunar New Year is the most significant holiday. People of Chinese heritage celebrate it worldwide, but it is also observed in other Asian nations, such as Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and of course, the Philippines.

Each year, well over a billion people celebrate Lunar New Year with parades, fireworks, and the handing out of angpao, which are red envelopes containing cash.

When is it?

As mentioned previously, this year, it occurs on Sunday, January 22, 2023. So, I’m sure you’re wondering: how is the Chinese Lunar New Year’s date chosen? The second New Moon following the December solstice is usually when the Chinese Lunar New Year officially kicks off.

The new moon will determine the precise date of the Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday, January 22, 2023, as the December solstice fell on Wednesday, 21 December 2022, and the next new moon fell on Friday, December 23, 2022.

How long is it?

Between a new moon and the next full moon, two weeks constitute the Chinese Lunar New Year. Thus, it starts on January 22, 2023, and concludes with a lantern celebration on February 5, 2023, the day the full “Snow Moon” rises.

What animal year is it?

The rabbit is the Chinese New Year’s animal for 2023. The Chinese Zodiac, or “circle of animals,” which is based on the Moon and follows a 12-year cycle, assigns an animal sign to each year. Jupiter, whose orbit around the Sun lasts around 12 years, also orbits the Sun.

However, there is another cycle that lasts for 60 years and is made up of the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The “Year of the Water Rabbit” returns in 2023 after a 60-year absence. 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2011 are recent “Rabbit” years.

Chinese Lunar New Year and the Moon

Chinese Lunar New Year is based on a calendar based on the lunar cycles, as its name indicates. The dates of significant occasions and festivals, including the Chinese New Year, are determined by the lunar calendar. A lunar year is a cycle of 12 Moon orbits around the Earth, each lasting 29 days and totaling 354 days in total.

But if that were the case, Chinese New Year would occur every 354 days. Every year, the dates would move ahead. It is a lunisolar calendar since the Moon is solely utilized to determine when the New Year falls in reference to the Sun. It is therefore connected to the Sun and Moon equally.

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