Obelisk’s Top Ten Chinese New Year Facts
- Chinese New Year dates back 4,000 years
- The largest celebration outside of China takes place in London
- The Chinese use fireworks to keep evil spirits away – especially Nian, the New Year monster
- Red is the official colour of Chinese New Year. Look out for the lanterns
- The Dragon Dance – for many people the symbol of China – brings good luck to people, but after the dance is over the dragon’s head and tail are burnt
- At Chinese New Year, people give money to children, in envelopes called Red Packets
- The date for Chinese New Year changes each year but always falls between January 20 and February 21, depending on the Chinese Lunar Year
- 20% of the world’s population celebrate Chinese New Year – with 1.3 billion people in China enjoying a three-day public holiday
- The festival – especially the dinner on New Year’s Eve – is an opportunity to reconcile and reunite with people
- Each year, Chinese New Year has a symbol. In 2016, it is the Year of the Monkey.