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51黑料 Celebrates... Chinese New Year
Posted 29/01/25
29 January 2025 : Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival in other East Asian countries and around the world) is a vibrant celebration of Chinese culture and heritage, uniting families and communities in a spirit of renewal and hope.
Celebrations to usher out the old year and bring forth the luck and prosperity of the new one often include the meticulous cleaning of homes to banish bad luck, fireworks and firecrackers, and the use of the lucky red colour - in clothes and decorations - that takes centre stage.
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What is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year is an annual 15-day festival celebrated around the world that begins with the new moon and occurs sometime between 21 January and 20 February according to Western calendars. Festivities last until the following full moon.
It is widely seen as the most important holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world; however, it is not only celebrated in China, but also in Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, to name just a few.
In many cultures, each year is also associated with an animal from the zodiac. In 2025, Chinese New Year marks the transition from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Snake.
How is Chinese New Year celebrated?
Prior to the start of the holiday, households are thoroughly cleaned to rid the area of the previous year鈥檚 bad luck, making the home welcoming to good luck in the coming year. The days or weeks leading up to Chinese New Year are also when communities begin to decorate with red - fresh red paint on the doors of businesses and homes, red paper cut-out decorations and red lanterns etc. Red is the colour of joy and good fortune in Chinese cultures. The first week is typically celebrated with visits to friends and family, with special traditions designed to bring good luck. During the first days of听Chinese New Year, younger family members (typically unmarried adults or children) may begin receiving bright red envelopes (hongbao) full of money. The second week ends with the Lantern Festival on the evening of the 15th day of the lunar month.
Other celebrations include:
- Paying respects to ancestors and seeking blessings for the year ahead by, for example, lighting incense at a local temple
- Lion and dragon dance troupes that help to usher in the New Year and expel evil spirits
- Preparing traditional foods, such as dumplings (symbol of wealth) or spring rolls (signifies the coming of spring)
- Attending local festivities 鈥� this year, the Chinese New Year festival, organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) and taking place in central London on 1 and 2 February, features colourful floats and the largest gathering of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe. To find out more about this event, visit:
- Sharing cultural stories and legends, such as the story of Nian, a mythical beast that terrorised villagers until they discovered that it was afraid of the colour red and loud noises, can teach children about courage, teamwork and the power of community
For more information:
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Firework / Lantern Safety
The last event held during Chinese New Year is called the Lantern Festival, during which people hang glowing lanterns in temples or carry them during a nighttime parade.
Chinese sky lanterns have also become a popular part of the Chinese New Year festival celebrations. In the last few years, a number of local authorities have banned the use of Chinese lanterns due to concerns over littering, fires, pollution and the dangers to wildlife from spent lanterns. Check with your Local Authority to confirm if lanterns are prohibited. Alternatively, visit the to find out which councils have banned sky lanterns. Despite their previous popularity and continued legality, lanterns have fallen out of favour in the UK. To put it simply, attitudes are changing towards a product which can create a potential fire risk for miles downwind and which will leave a dustbin sized bag to slowly degrade somewhere.
Advice and Safety Tips
If you do continue to use sky lanterns, try your best to do so safely:
- Only responsible adults should use lanterns
- Two adults are required to correctly launch each lantern
- Adults should not be under the influence of alcohol or any substance that could affect their level of responsibility
- Make sure there are no flammable materials near the sky lantern launch site
- Don鈥檛 launch near roads or within 5 miles of any airport
- Consider wind directions and don鈥檛 launch if the wind takes the lantern towards vegetation, thatched properties or built-up areas
- Don鈥檛 launch in strong winds - a lantern should not be launched if winds are 5 mph or more
- Do not attempt to launch damaged lanterns. Be aware that writing messages on paper can cause damage
- Support the lantern gently as it inflates fully, it will eventually feel lighter and start to rise. Do not attempt to throw the lantern skyward, allow it to rise with support only
For more information:
