THE Chinese New Year festival is celebrated across the globe by over one billion people.
Also known as Spring Festival and Lunar New Year, here are the key dates for 2023.
Chinese New Year 2023 key dates
The Chinese New Year lasts for 16 days, starting from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival.
In 2023, the New Year lands on Sunday, January 22, and it is the year of the Rabbit.
It is the year of the Wood Rabbit - the first since 1975.
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The next Wood Rabbit will be in 2035.
As a public holiday in China, people get seven days days off from work starting on January 21 until January 27, 2023, according to China Briefing.
Each day of the festival has a name, including days for prayer, visiting relatives, setting off firecrackers, and preparing for the Lantern Festival.
Here are the key dates:
- January 21 - Chinese New Year's Eve
This is often viewed as the most important celebration as it includes the family reunion dinner, and staying up until midnight.
- January 22 - New Year's Day
New Year's Day is spent visiting family, and giving presents.
- February 5 - Lantern Festival
This day marks the end of the Chinese New Year when lanterns are lit and hung, and people watch dragon dances in the street. It is not a public holiday in China.
How do people celebrate Chinese New Year?
Millions of people celebrate Chinese New Year across the world, bringing a period of colourful decorations and feasting.
The event is usually celebrated with parades and performances, with people in traditional costumes and plenty of fireworks.
It is also a time for prayers for good fortune in the year ahead.
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In line with the introduction of the spring season, people plant harvests and eat lavish feasts.
Noodle soup is the traditional meal of choice as the noodles are believed to bring luck.
Communal hotpots are also a popular option for a feast as they are thought to represent the reunion of family members around the table.
The Lunar calendar has 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs and as 2023 will be a year of the Rabbit, decorations related to rabbits will be commonly seen.
People deep clean their homes before the New Year as it is bad luck to sweep your home on the day itself in case good luck for the year is swept out of the house.
Money and presents are also given and received in red envelopes and packaging to ward off evil.
It is a seven day public holiday in China.
Businesses and schools shut down during the New Year period - like they do in the UK over the Christmas period - and many factories have a two-week shutdown.
Beyond China, families in Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea and South Korea also celebrate the event.
It is widely believed that more fireworks are set off across the world for this festival than any other.
How will Chinese New Year be celebrated in 2023?
Chinatowns across the world will be decorated for the annual event.
London is famous for its Chinese New Year parade, with festivities hopefully going ahead in 2023 after being cancelled in 2022.
Manchester's Chinatown will, for example, host a full day of family-friendly activities from January 21-29, including lion dancing, Chinese dancers, street food stalls and Chinese arts and crafts.
Even though there has been a spike in coronavirus cases in China, the government has not imposed stringent travel restriction measures for the 2023 Chinese New Year as it did two years ago, where travellers were required to take PCR tests and self-isolate for a specified period.
Families will get together for the celebrations to share gifts, and cook a feast for the important family dinner.
