The new lunar year falls on 12 February this year when we say goodbye to the year of the rat and usher in the year of the ox.
Here is a quick guide to the 15-day celebration of the New Year / Spring Festival and all that it entails.
Year of the Metal Ox
On February 12, 2021, the Year of the Ox begins.
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Although you’ve heard of the 12 year old Chinese Animal Calendar, which is represented by 12 different animals, it’s actually much more complicated.
A year is not just categorized according to its zodiac sign. There is also a complex sex-agent cycle – a combination of one of ten heavenly stems and one of 12 earthly branches.
For example, February 12 is the beginning of the xin chou years, according to the sex agent cycle. “Xin” represents the celestial trunk for the element metal, while “chou” is the earthly tax symbol for ox, making it the year of the metal ox.
We asked Thierry Chow, a feng shui master in Hong Kong, to share her thoughts on what this means for the coming year.
“The year of xin chou will strongly emphasize the yin metal element,” she says. “The metal element represents everything that sparkles from jewelry to the needle of a syringe, so we can see a greater emphasis on industries related to metal in 2021.
“The ox, in Chinese culture, is a hard-working zodiac sign. It usually indicates movements, so hopefully the world will be less static than last year and get going again in the second half of the year. ‘
Many people take the 60-year calendar very seriously and believe that each person’s birthmark will be affected differently by the year’s heavenly tribes and earthly branches. The calendar therefore plays an important role in making big life decisions for the coming year, such as whether they should get married or start a business.
A panda cub plays with ox ornaments in its enclosure at the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve in Sichuan Province in China.
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Followers believe that luck for each of the Chinese zodiac signs largely depends on the positions of the Tai Sui – the stars directly opposite Jupiter.
If your zodiac sign conflicts with Tai Sui – also known as the Grand Duke of Jupiter – in a particular year, you may face disruption.
“People born in the Year of the Ox will face their ‘Ben Ming Nian’ – your own zodiac sign year,” says Chow. “So there will be more changes and instability in general.”
People born in the year of the goat will face Tai Sui (Ying Tai Sui) this year, “which means there has to be a big change ahead of them,” Chow says.
That said, followers believe there are ways to improve your happiness.
“Some people will resolve their clashes with Tai Sui by participating in celebrations, such as getting married or going to more positive events,” says Chow.
But the feng shui master quickly reminds us that this is only a general overview of what the year means for each zodiac. In Chinese geomancy, each person’s birthday card consists of a wide variety of elements, such as the day and time of their birth, which means they can communicate a little differently with the year.
Moon-New Year preparations during Covid-19
Moon New Year decorations in Bangkok, Thailand.
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The pandemic has forced many to change the way they celebrate lunar new year.
In response, some tourist sites offer free access for those who are forced to spend the holidays away from their families. Meanwhile, companies have launched tools for people to have a “cloud moon new year” that offers everything from virtual markets to conference tools for online reunion dinners.
No matter how you celebrate, there are many preparations to make if you want to follow the Lunar New Year rulebook.
It all starts about a week before the new year.
On the 26th day of the last lunar month – February 7 this year – festive cakes and puddings are made. The word for cakes and puddings is “gao” in Mandarin or “go” in Cantonese, which sounds the same as long, meaning improvements and growth for the next year.
The major cleansing is done on the 28th day, which is on February 9 this year.
Moon-New Year fortune banners are hung on the 29th day, February 10th.
On February 12, the year of the Metal Ox begins.
ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP / AFP via Getty Images
Normally, lunar New Year festivities will be held during the last days of the lunar year, selling most of the trinkets and flowers for the new year. But due to the pandemic, many cities reduced or canceled their festivities.
The year usually ends with a big family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 11 this year.
The menu is carefully selected to include dishes associated with happiness, including fish (the Chinese word for it sounds like the word for ‘surplus’), puddings (symbolizing progress) and foods that look like golden blocks (like dumplings) .
After the festival, families will stay awake at midnight to welcome in the new year.
The whole festival lasts 15 days
Peach blossom trees are displayed for sale along a street in Hanoi before the New Year – or Tet, as it is referred to there.
MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP / AFP via Getty Images
Although many Western countries refer to the Lunar New Year / Spring Festival holiday as Chinese New Year, keep in mind that it is celebrated not only in Chinese communities around the world, but also in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea.
Countries that observe lunar new years often offer three to seven days of public holidays, but celebrations are only completed on the 15th day of the first lunar month, also known as the Lantern Festival. (Lunar year in 2021 lasts from February 12 to February 26.)
Families usually have different rules and traditions, but most will bless each other with kind words like ‘san tai gin hong’ or ‘shen ti jian kang’ (wish you good health).
During normal times, when people are not locked up, they are expected to visit family members and friends during the festival – except for the third day of the month. Day three of the new lunar year (which falls on Valentine’s Day this year) is called chi chewing, or red mouth. It is believed that more arguments will probably take place on this day so that people will visit temples and avoid social interactions.
Red banners with auspicious words and texts are hung on the 29th day of the last lunar month.
SAM YEH / AFP / AFP via Getty Images
There are many other rules and superstitions associated with the Moon New Year. For example, do not wash or cut your hair on the first day of the new year. The Chinese character for hair is the first character in the word prosperity. Therefore, it is washed or cut off as your fortune.
You also want to avoid buying shoes for the entire lunar month, as the term for shoes (shark) sounds like losing and sighing in Cantonese.
During the festival, hosts will prepare treats and snacks for their guests. Married couples are expected to hand out red packets of money to children and unmarried adults to congratulate them.
The seventh day (February 18) is allegedly the day on which the Chinese mother goddess Nuwa created mankind and is therefore called renri (the people’s birthday).
Different communities in Asia will serve different birthday food on that day. In Malaysia, for example, people enjoy yeesang, or a “prosperity push” of raw fish and shredded vegetables, while the Cantonese will eat sweet rice balls.
On the 15th day of the festival, many people go out to admire lanterns.
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The highlight comes on the last day (February 26). In ancient Chinese society, it was the only day young girls could go out to admire lanterns and meet boys. So it was also called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Nowadays, cities around the world still hold massive lantern exhibitions and fairs on the last day of the festival.