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THE Chinese New Year is officially here with revellers around the world breaking out in celebration of the Year of the Dog. But why is it the Year of the Dog and what animal sign were you born under?

When is the Chinese New Year 2018?

The Year of the Dog will officially started this year on the 23rd day of the 12-month Chinese lunar calendar.

This year the celebrations fell on Friday February 16, and kicked off a whole week of festivities, parades and merrymaking.

Unlike the Gregorian new year observed in the West on January 1, the Chinese New Year's date is dictated by the movements of the moon.

The new year typically falls between January 21 and February 20, and this the Year of the Dog will end on February 4 in 2019.

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Why is it the year of the Dog?

The Chinese lunar calendar is linked to the Chinese zodiac, represented by 12 distinct animals.

Every new year is marked by one of the 12 animals in a 12-year cycle around the calendar.

The current Year of the Dog is the second to last in the cycle and will be followed by the Pig zodiac sign in 2019.

Last year revellers celebrated the Year of the Rooster.

Babies born after February 16 this year will all born under the Dog zodiac sign, as well as those born after that date in 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 and 2006.

Those born under the dog are said to be loyal and honest companions with a kind disposition to others, though stubborn at times.

What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

There are a total of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, each with their unique characteristics.

The signs are:

Rat

Ox

Tiger

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Goat

Monkey

Roster

Dog

Pig

Unlike the Western zodiac signs, your Chinese Zodiac is derived from the year you were born and not the month of your birth.

According to ChinaHighlights.com, the 12 animals are fixed in their position in accordance with the Yin and Yang theory.

Chinese New Year throughout time
Mon, February 8, 2016
2016 is the year of the monkey festival and we take a look back at Chinese New Year throughout the years

The Chinese tour operator said: "The 12 animals were chosen deliberately, after many revisions.

The zodiac animals are either closely related to ancient Chinese people's daily lives, or have lucky meanings

China Highlights

"The zodiac animals are either closely related to ancient Chinese people's daily lives, or have lucky meanings.

"The ox, horse, goat, rooster, pig, and dog are six of the main domestic animals raised by Chinese people.

"The other six animals: rat, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, and monkey are all loved by the Chinese people."

You can see which zodiac animal is yours below:

Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960

Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961

Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962

Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963

Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964

Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965

Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966

Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967

Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968

Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969

Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970

Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971

How is the Chinese New Year celebrated?

Also known as the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year is a pompous national holiday celebrated up and down the country.

Traditionally locals will don red clothing from head to toe to symbolise a new beginning and to ward off bad fortune in the upcoming new year.

Thousands of ear-popping fireworks will ring out in the night skies and firecrackers will line the streets. The loud bangs are believed to spook away malevolent spirits.

Since China is the birthplace of gunpowder and fireworks, the impressive pyrotechnics are a proud part of Chinese heritage and culture.

According to legend, a group of Chinese men accidentally created the first fireworks after throwing hollow bamboo sticks filled to the brim with gunpowder into a fireplace, more than one thousand years ago.

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Chinese New Year throughout time
Mon, February 8, 2016
2016 is the year of the monkey festival and we take a look back at Chinese New Year throughout the years

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Chinese New Year 2018: Why is it the Year of the Dog? What new year animal are YOU?

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THE Chinese New Year is officially here with revellers around the world breaking out in celebration of the Year of the Dog. But why is it the Year of the Dog and what animal sign were you born under? The Year of the Dog will officially started this year on the 23rd day of the 12-month Chinese lunar calendar.

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this is an article about chinese new year

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this is an article about chinese new year

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(This article first appeared in The New Worker Newspaper, No: 1781 - 7.2.14 - Page 10)

This weekend saw the annual Chinese New Year celebrations usher in the Year of Horse in and around Gerrard Street, that area of Soho known as London's Chinatown. In the Chinese lunar calender the New Year is counted as the 4712 th since the rule of the legendary figure known as the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi). Whatever the actual historicity of Chinese civilisation, archaeology confirms that it is ancient. The celebration of the Chinese New Year has spread out of China and into the international community, making it a truly multicultural affair. It is a time of old ritual now used in a modern context to facilitate psychological and physical renewal. Its widespread appeal is confirmed by the thousands that gathered before 10am on a cold Sunday morning at the beginning of February, to witness the parade that initiated the celebrations, to be followed by dragon, unicorn and lion dances up and down the streets. What used to be limited to Gerrard Street is now spread out into Soho proper, and from there into Trafalgar Square, and what used to take an hour or two, now takes up most of the day. This is the general area of London (lived in) and frequented by Karl Marx in the latter half of the 19 th century.

The Police presence is always strong during Chinese New Year, but crime always remains small, despite the crowds. People from every conceivable ethnic group attend and are brought together in the celebration of what amounts to the looking forward to prosperity and good fortune for the year ahead. To this end, corporate business has its foot in the door. When families arrive in the general area they are met by a bewildering array of stalls selling all kinds of articles from food and drink, to balloons and toy horses, etc. A mobile telephone company was giving out colourful flags on wooden sticks to children who then ran around waving them. The flags said in Chinese characters 'Sun Lin Fai Lok!' (新年快乐), or 'Happy and Joyous New Year', and above this message was the name of the mobile telephone corporation in big letters! Small children ran around acting as free advertising for a brutal and ruthless capitalist business entity that does not care about their well being whatsoever. The parents looked on seemingly mindless of the exploitation unfolding in the name of celebration, that was being perpetuated (with their agreement) by big businesses using their children as commercial fodder.

The UK Labour Party was up to its usual tricks. It had a stall with information in both English and Chinese languages, hoping to recruit British born Chinese people to the Labour cause. The UK Labour lurched dangerously to the right of the British political spectrum under Tony Blair and has never recovered. In London, however, and amongst ethnic minorities such as the Chinese, Labour presents a false image that implies that it is in political accordance with the Communist Party of China, which it certainly is not. Labour has no intention of repealing the anti-Union laws, or turning back the Tory cuts to the Welfare State, the NHS, or the Education system. Toward the mainstream British electorate, the Labour Party panders to the Tory Press and treats the ordinary British Worker as some kind of error or illness in the system. This is not surprising when it is considered that Clause Four has been removed from the Labour Party's constitution, breaking the direct link with Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto. Chinese people are intelligent and should not fall for the Labour Party's misleading political rhetoric. Only the UK Communist Party can lead the people and mirror the success of the Communist Party in China. In this way Chinese New year can be raised out of the feudal conditions that created it, and used to create a truly progressive and advanced Socialist society.
Posted by Adrian Chan-Wyles (PhD) on 08/02/2014
https://thesanghakommune.org/2014/02/08/uk-labour-party-up-to-its-old-tricks-on-chinese-new-year-2014-4712/

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UK Labour Party Up to its Old Tricks on Chinese New Year (2014-4712)!

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Labour has no intention of repealing the anti-Union laws, or turning back the Tory cuts to the Welfare State, the NHS, or the Education system. Toward the mainstream British electorate, the Labour Party panders to the Tory Press and treats the ordinary British Worker as some kind of error or illness in the system.

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This ia a photo of chinese new year