Chinese New YearTime For Celebration!

What is Chinese New Year?

• Most important holiday in Chinese culture

• Thousands of years old• Winter Break & festivities

Who, What, & How

• Family gatherings• Time to welcome in the New Year• Rituals to bring in good luck• Myths and legends about how it started

The Story of Nian

Where & When

• “Spring Festival”

• Traditionally ends on the 15th day of the month on Lantern Festival

• First day of the Lunar/Chinese calendar

• Falls on different date every year

• Celebrated all over the world

Lunar Calendar• The phases of the moon• 12 lunations in a lunar year

(1 lunation ~ 29 days)• Lunar Year is about 354 days • Drifts away from seasons/

unpredictable nature• Second new moon after the

winter solstice • Western calendar

The Chinese Zodiac

• 12 year cycle• Rotates with 5

elements, a complete rotation takes 60 years

• Yin and Yang• Each animal carries

different characteristics• Significant in Chinese

Culture

The Race

2013!

• Year of the (Water) Snake

• February 10: January 1st of the Chinese New Year• Feb. 16 and 17: 31st 2013 Annual San Diego

Chinese New Year Food and Culture Fair