All over China, businesses and shops are closed. People are at home for a vacation, and praying for good luck. You are looking at the result of February 14h- 2010′s Chinese Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival. This year, the year of the Tiger begins, ending the Year of the Ox. But this day varies, seeing as it is the second new moon after the Winter Solstice (which occuries around December 12th).
But how did this Chinese National Holiday begin? Well, according to legend, Buddha asked all the animals to come to meet with him. So 12 animals came- the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Buddha rewarded them by naming a year after each of them, and so the tradition began.
If you were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986 or 1998, you were born in the year of the Tiger. Buddha said that whatever year you were born in, your personality reflects those of your animal. So if you were born in the year of the Tiger, you are said to be courageous, brave, unpredictable, and loving. You also get along with Horse and Dog personalities.
The Chinese New Year is celebrated and honored with fireworks and parades filled with dragon dances. Families gather to feast together and spend this highly important day with those who they love. Celebrations are amazing- with dancers, animals, and wonderful costumes. People dress as lions if they celebrate the lion festival, a popular way to put on a show. But the biggest celebration is the one that marks the end of the 15-day New Year season- the Lantern Festival. This is when thousands of lanterns of all sorts of colors and patterns shine everywhere around China.
