This Saturday, the Chinese community celebrates the transition to the new year.
Based on the lunar cycle, the day of Chinese New Year changes every year.
This year it runs from February 10, 2024 to January 28, 2025. Each year is associated with an animal from the twelve signs of the traditional Chinese zodiac.
An element among wood, fire, earth, metal and water is associated with it.
After the year of the water rabbit, 2024 is placed under the sign of the Wood Dragon.
The dragon is the only imaginary animal of the twelve signs of Chinese astrology.
It is a symbol of growth, creativity, prosperity, power and success.
According to Euronews, which cites the University of Washington, baby dragons are considered "charismatic, intelligent, confident, powerful and naturally lucky and gifted."
Associated with wood, this means it brings other qualities like strength, flexibility, cooperation, generosity and idealism.
Also read “Everyone is waiting for this moment”: how Lognes, the “city of the dragon”, prepares the Chinese New Year
To know your Chinese astrological sign, you must refer to your year of birth.
Each cycle is represented by an animal, the rat being the first, and it repeats every twelve years.
In this case, people associated with the sign of the Dragon were born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012.
Festivities for two weeks
The Lunar New Year is celebrated in several Asian countries where there is this second calendar system, such as Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, or the Philippines, but in the four corners of the world where there is an Asian community.
Like every year, this Chinese tradition gives rise to festivities and parades for two weeks.
China happily welcomed the Year of the Dragon, or the Year of the Loong, with wishes for fortune and success.
Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, Spring Festival signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events.
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— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 10, 2024
In Paris, these will take place in the Chinatown of the 13th arrondissement of Paris and in Belleville, the two main Asian districts of the capital.
The opportunity to discover the richness of Asian gastronomy.