MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 01: Partygoers dance and celebrate at Federation Square during New Year’s Eve celebrations on January 01, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
Asanka Ratnayake / StringerTomorrow is Chinese New Year, also also referred to as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. 2020 will be the Year of the Rat.
Some fun facts to know about Chinese New Year:
1. It marks the first day of the New Year - 4717 - on the Chinese calendar. But you might also hear it referred to as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.
2. The Lunar New Year will also be celebrated by Vietnam and South Korea tomorrow. And it's basically the most important holiday in those countries.
3. It's a different day each year. It's almost always celebrated during the second new moon after the Winter Solstice . . . usually between January 21st and February 20th.
4. Just like our horoscope has 12 zodiac signs with one for each month, there are 12 Chinese zodiacs as well, but the animal is for the entire year. Tomorrow begins the Year of the Rat. And next year will be the ox.
5. A couple things you're not supposed to do on Chinese New Year are: no sweeping or taking out the trash, because it's like sweeping wealth away and dumping out good fortune. And washing your hair supposedly washes away your good luck too.
6. On the other hand, some things that ARE ENCOURAGED are: lighting fireworks, wearing red, gifting people cash in red envelopes, and eating dumplings.
Gong hei fat choy!
