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I think I am strong like an ox because I work hard and never give up. This takes great motivation and strength, that is what makes me an ox this year. This Lunar New Year I wish to have a more optimistic view through my daily actions and words, it would benefit myself and those around me greatly!

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I think I an as strong as a ox because I don't give up, even in hard challenges or situations. Never give up even if you are not likely to succeed! Go Catch your Dream! and Dream Big! Remember You are Beautiful, Strong, and Loved :D
My wishes this year is for everyone to be happy and positive! :)
Also to get the covid over with. ;-;

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Learn how to say Happy New Year in Chinese. 

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Learn how to say Happy New Year in Chinese. 

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This is a video of Hong Kong's beautiful fire dragon  dance!

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This is a video of Hong Kong's beautiful fire dragon  dance!

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See Hong Kong's Dazzling Fire Dragon Dance | National Geographic

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Here are some interesting Chinese New Year Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

This new year celebration is also called Lunar New Year and celebrated also as Spring Festival. It is celebrated in January or February in many countries around the world, especially in countries with larger Asian communities.

Next year, the first month of the new lunar year will start according to the Chinese calendar on 22 January 2022.

Many countries celebrate the new year according to the Chinese Calendar and not only to our calendar which is the Gregorian calendar starting on the 1st of January.

Lunar New Year is an important public holiday for many countries including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In many other countries, Chinese communities celebrate in the city's 'Chinatown' districts.

In some countries the festivities for the Lunar New Year also might have special names, such as Tet is the name for the Vietnamese celebrations.

What is Chinese New Year?

This important date on the Chinese calendar has been celebrated for many centuries. During the festivities ancestors are honoured and traditional ceremonies are held where people get together and welcome the new year with customs that shall bring good luck, good fortune, wealth, prosperity and happiness.

The spring festival festivities for the new year take 15 days in most countries. The new year is often celebrated with dragon dances, lion dances, gift exchanging and fireworks. It ends typically with lantern festivals on the 15th day of the first calendar month. See below an image from the Pingxi Sky Festival which is celebrated in Taiwan every year to end the new year's festivities.

The Chinese Calendar

The Chinese calendar is about one month behind our (so called Gregorian) calendar as it has between 30 and 50 more days per year. And the Chinese zodiac calendar has a cycle of 12 years. The calendar was started on astronomical observations of the moon's phases.

Each year a Chinese zodiac animal is the symbol for the year.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

Look again at the listing of animals! They always come in the same order, so 2021 was the year of the ox, 2022 the year of the tiger and 2023 is the year of the rabbit

Which animal will it be in 2024? (We share the answer at the bottom of the page under 'Resources')

Lunar New Year Wishes

People wish each other good luck, happiness and wealth for the new year. The words used most in good wishes are: happiness, wealth, prosperity, prosperous, auspicious

' Gong Xi Fa Cai' means 'Have a prosperous new year'

Most common are the Mandarin words: Gong Xi Fa Cai (try to pronounce it as Gong-she-faa-tsai) and the Cantonese: Gong Hey Fat Choy (pronounce it as: Gong Hee Faat Choy). Both wishes mean: Wishing you a prosperous new year.

Typical Chinese New Year Food

People eat 'auspicious food' during the new year period. For many, this means fish dishes. A fish is a symbol of good luck, wealth and healthy life.

Dumplings are traditionally eaten during the festivities. These little round rice flour balls are often filled with vegetables. Mandarin oranges, dried fruit and even sweets are seen as lucky food. Candy boxes and little round shaped biscuits symbolising gold or fortune are served everywhere.

And make sure your plate is never empty, as this would be seen as your luck has run out. Food is often prepared up to a week before, so one must not use a knife or fire for cooking on New Years day, as cutting with a knife for many would symbolise ill luck.

A popular food are long noodles that symbolise good fortune as well as a long life.

A typical new year's dish is Yusheng. This raw fish salad with rice or long noodles is eaten during by many during the festive period.

Many eat Yusheng on the seventh day of the new year. The dish is a symbol for wealth and longevity, this fish salad is usually served in a huge dish in the middle of a table, where family members and friends toss the noodles in the big bowl together and then eat.

Lunar New Year Traditions

Dragon dances and lion dance festivals will usher in the new year in many cities. Some families may even invite a dance troupe into their homes as well.

Firecrackers are lit as these shall bring good luck and fortune. However, due to security reasons, firecrackers are banned in many areas nowadays and official fireworks displays are held instead.

On the second day of the new year, families will visit each other and hand over little gifts. And sometimes even the family dog gets a gift too!

Gifts are handed money or little tokens in 'red packets' or little red envelopes as these symbolise prosperity and happiness. Married family members hand red envelopes (called hongbao in Mandarin) with money to others to show their goodwill and give blessings for the new year to the other family members.

Children sometimes get oranges, sweets or coins. Always make sure to give an even number of gifts or in the amount of money. So always at least two mandarins, two packets or two coins. And the number eight is considered an especially lucky or auspicious number.

The bright colours and especially red colours are seen as a lucky symbol. Red decorations, lanterns and colourful symbols can be seen everywhere. These shall attract luck and prosperity for the year to come.

Many people dress mainly in red coloured clothing for the festivities. Often people also buy new clothes to show that a fresh beginning is celebrated with the new year. In the Mandarin language, the word for 'red' has the same sound as the word for 'prosperous'.

Chinese New Year Customs | What to do and what not to do

There are some rules when observing Chinese New Year. For example, scissors and brooms are banned to stay in the cupboards on the first day of Lunar New Year. These tools are considered to create bad luck for the year to come and brush away the good luck. So better keep scissors and knifes and brooms out of sight and out of action on this day!

Do not wash or cut your hair on the first days of the Lunar New Year. This would be seen as a sign of washing and cutting away good luck.

Do not clean your house with a broom on the first day of Lunar New Year. Cleaning is a sign of swiping away good luck - so if one has to clean something away, then it must be done after dark.

Do not do laundry on Chinese New Year. Doing laundry means washing away of good luck and wealth.

Don't give gifts which are black or white in colour. Also do not give clocks or watches or shoes. Watches would mean that time is running out and shoes would mean that one could walk away from the friendship or relationship.

Don't give gifts in uneven numbers. Always give gifts in pairs such as two oranges or two coins.

Don't dress in white, black or dark blue during this time. Wear colourful clothing, especially red, orange, and yellow colours are appreciated.

Chinese Zodiac Signs

The Chinese distinguish between five types of each animal species in their zodiac according to the elements: fire, earth, metal, wood and water.

The Chinese zodiac signs will be combined with the five elements. There are five different specific animals such as the 'fire rooster' (2017) or the 'earth ox' (2009), 'metal/gold tiger' (2010), 'metal rat' (2020). 2021 was the year of the 'metal ox' and 2022 is the year of the 'water' tiger. 2023 is the year of the 'water rabbit'.

People are assigned a zodiac sign according to their year of their birth. And zodiac signs are said to show certain characteristics.

Special 'rabbit' characteristics would apply then for people born in the 'year of the rabbit': These people are considered as kind and alert, responsible and careful but also a bit weak and unstable. Rabbits in general are considered hardworking and persistent. 'Rabbits' are also said to be intellectual and can be found in many professions.

How to be a Lucky Rabbit?

Some things are considered especially auspicious in the Year of the Rabbit. Among these are:

lucky colours for the rabbit: blue and green, but also red, pink and purple

lucky numbers for the rabbit: 3, 4 and 6 - and any number combination thereof

lucky flower for the rabbit: jasmine

unlucky numbers for the rabbit: 1, 7 and 8

unlucky colours for the rabbit: brown and dark yellow

Are you or anybody in your family born in the year of the rabbit? The last 'rabbit' years were: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975 or 1963.

Chinese New Year - Resources

Cindy. "22 Facts About Chinese New Year you should know". China Highlights. Last updated 10 January 2023. Last accessed Accessed 20 January 2023.

Ruby Zhao. "2023 - Year of the Rabbit". China Highlights. Updated 20 January 2023. Accessed 20 January 2023.

Fefe Ho & Chloe Chiao. "Year of the Rabbit". Chinese New Year.net. Accessed 20 January 2023.

CNN World Gallery. "Photos: Lunar New Year 2020". CNN World. 23 January 2020. Accessed 20 January 2023.

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Chinese New Year - Answer to question in section titled 'Chinese Calendar': 2024 will be the year of the Dragon.
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Chinese New Year 2023 | Facts for Kids | Lunar New Year | Rabbit

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Happy Chinese New Year! 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit! Read our Lunar New Year facts for children & learn about Chinese New Year traditions and celebrations.

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1. Discover a new hobby
2. Visit a new place
3. Make new friends

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I wish to visit my grandparents, things start get better with covid, and I wish to stay healthy.

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Olivia K                         You can be as strong as an ox by trying your best everyday even when things get hard.

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Olivia K                         You can be as strong as an ox by trying your best everyday even when things get hard.

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You can be as strong as an ox by never giving up and always working hard at everything you do. This can become apart of your everyday routine to make you a stronger and braver person, even if all that means is that you do the challenge problem on your math homework. In order to be an ox I believe that you must believe in your abilities and always give your best.

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My wishes for the New Year are to get good grades, be nicer to my siblings, and try to bake more sweets.

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What makes me strong like an ox is that I work hard and power through assignments every single day. Even in my life outside of school, I strive to be as strong as an Ox. My wishes for the New Year are to get good grades, to be less stressed, and to just be better.

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I'm strong like an ox because I never give up no matter what. I work hard, have motivation, and always persevere!

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You can be as strong as an ox in your daily life. By never giving up, working hard, and persevering through challenges, your inner ox can shine through!

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I am as strong as an ox because I  preserve. I think its important to keep trying because if you give up, you will not get as far.

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The motivation to succeed and the support from my friends and family

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I think I'm strong like an ox because I word hard at everything I do and persevere through challenges. Its so easy to give up and say "I can't do this" , but with perseverance and hard work you'll get through it. This lunar New Year my goal is to help out around the house more.

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My wishes for the new year include keeping my grades up, spend less time on my phone, and to be more optimistic.

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I am strong like an ox because i work hard in everything i do and put everything I have into what i'm doing.

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I think I am strong like an ox because I work hard. I never think that I can't because I can. My wish to everyone is to say safe.

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I think I'm strong like an ox because I work hard everyday, and I never give up. My wishes are to everyone is so everyone can be happy.

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I can be strong like an ox because i can help people in need

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I am strong like an ox because I have worked through this hard year and pulled through. I wish that this new year life comes back to normal and that covid will dissapear.

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I hope for Covid to end,To finally be able travel and fish new places, and accomplish my goals

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I am strong like an ox because I always work hard and preserver to achieve my goals.

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Something that makes me strong as an ox is that I power through things that might not seem as easy to me. There are times where I want to give up but I power through it and not give up.

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I hope for covid to end,I hope to do well in school, and I hope to be truly happy

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Being strong like an ox is to work hard and never give up. This also means to work towards your goals and not let anything stop you.

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Being strong like an ox can be never giving up, and pushing through hard situations.

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I think that I am like an ox because I always give 100% with everything that I do.

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I am strong like an ox because I work hard and never give up.

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I hope for Covid to be better by the summer so we can all enjoy summer the most. I also hope for my family and I to stay healthy.

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I think I am strong as an ox because I am confident and I never give up