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The Chinese New Year celebrations officially begin today! The Year of the Fire Horse is upon us, and with it, a whole lot of passion and purpose! It's the fresh start we have all been waiting for!
As Chinese New Year celebrations kick off, you may have heard the phrase “kung hei fat choi” going around – here's what it means and how you can use it to mark the New Year.
What is the Chinese New Year?
In much of the Western world, we celebrate the New Year on 1 January in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. However, other ancient traditions keep track of time a little differently. In Chinese traditions, the New Year is marked by the lunar cycle.
The Chinese New Year coincides with the second New Moon after the winter solstice – in our calendar, that typically falls between 21 January and 20 February. This year that New Moon is today, 17 February. The New Year celebrations last for 15 days until the Full Moon.
It just so happens that the Lunar New Year also comes just before the spring solstice, which is a perfect time to take stock and refresh.
The new moon in Aquarius and a solar eclipse are bringing fresh start energy.
How is the Chinese New Year celebrated?
In Chinese tradition, New Year traditions include cleaning the home, hosting family and friends for dinners, donating to charity and giving gifts. At the beginning and end of the 15-day New Year period, you'll also see plenty of festivities – think lanterns, lights, fireworks and dragon dance parades.
What does “kung hei fat choi” mean?
“Kung hei fat choi” is the Cantonese phrase that loosely translates to “Happy New Year.” You may also hear “gong hei fat choy.” The direct translation is “wishing you great happiness and prosperity.” "Gong xi” is frequently used as a reply to the phrase.
In Mandarin, the phrase gong xi fa cai is also commonly used. Xin nian kuai le can also be used, translating to “Happy Chinese New Year."
Prepare to gallop straight into the Year of the Horse.
