There are so many resources on the web to learn about the Lunar New Year. Here are a few to get you started.
Credits: Special thanks to Jennifer Starkey, Research Services Librarian, Case Western Reserve, for permission to adapt some of the text in this guide. Unless otherwise noted, all images are from Britannica ImageQuest.
Lunar New Year marks the first day of the lunisolar calendar based on the cycles of the moon. This year it occurs on February 12, 2021 and begins the Year of the Ox, as determined by the Chinese Zodiac. Lunar New Year is also called Spring Festival because it occurs between the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox. Also known as Chinese New Year, the holiday is celebrated by over a billion people in many different countries and goes by different names and traditions. It is still the most important festival in several Southeast and Northeast Asian countries including Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore, especially among those of Chinese descent. Lunar New Year marks the ending of the old and the beginning of the new year. It is on the first day of the first lunar month. In the Gregorian calendar we follow, the festival falls somewhere between January 21 and February 19.
"People born in the Year of the Ox are strong, reliable, fair and conscientious, inspiring confidence in others. They are also calm, patient, methodical and can be trusted. Although they say little they can be very opinionated. They believe strongly in themselves, but are also stubborn and hate to fail or be challenged. Although they do not lose their temper easily their anger can become explosive and impulsive. They are serious, quiet and not naturally sociable, which can make them dull. Ox people have a great deal of common sense.
Ox Years: 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021" - Source: Victoria and Albert Museum
