Fun Facts about Chinese New Year!

This festive date is in January or February, around the Chinese solar term meaning the ‘Beginning of Spring’, so it is also named the ‘Spring Festival’ as it marks the end of the coldest days in mainland China. People welcome spring as it brings along harvesting and planting, new beginning and fresh starts.

Just as western zodiacs, there are 12 Chinese zodiacs as well, but certain animals are the symbol instead. They start a new zodiac every year ranging from rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Those are the symbolic animals in the Chinese zodiac sign.

And 2020 is the year of rat!

3) Red envelopes

Many of the cultures out there, children received a gift for holidays. But it’s a little bit different in Chinese New Year. The children instead received a red envelope, also called red packets that include money. This money is supposed to help transfer fortune from the elders to the kids. They can also be given between bosses and employees, co-workers, and friends.

It is like a national birthday and it doesn’t matter when you were born. For kids, it means they are able to do things on their own. This was the age most people went with until recent times. But it’s still common nowadays or used interchangeably. If you’re particular about it, make sure you ask!