Chinese new year comes on the first day of the Lunar calendar, which changes every year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. This year, it was celebrated on Friday, Feb. 12 when more than 1 billion people around the world rang in the year of the ox.
The lunar calendar rotates every year between the different Chinese zodiac signs and repeats itself every twelve years. Since there are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac sign, the previous “year of the ox” was in 2009.
Since it is the most celebrated holiday in the continent of Asia, over a billion people around the world share or spend it with friends and family. Since it is arguably ten times bigger than America’s Thanksgiving, it consists of festivals and parades across cities in East Asia, including: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore…etc. All over these city streets or Chinatowns, you can often find people dressed in extravagant dragon dance attire and luminaries hung between buildings accompanied by sounds of firecrackers.
The year of the ox symbolizes a transitional period, but it’s also an earnest, honest, and hardworking sign. Those who are born with this zodiac (2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937) will receive luck and fortune. As for the rest of us, this year symbolizes progress, something we can see as a good sign regarding the pandemic which started in 2019. This year will bring success to those who follow the path of their true selves and will hopefully teach us how to return to a sense of normalcy after the chaos we’ve gone through.
We can also look forward to a year from now when we will ring in the year of the tiger next February which will bring an influx of positivity and passion. Whether you are born in the year of the ox or are lucky to hold a different Chinese zodiac sign, this year is sure to be a better one!
