The Chinese New Year begins, the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year.
This year is governed by the Water Rabbit and
begins on January 22, 2023
.
The dragon is part of its best-known traditions and is surrounded by the wishes of good fortune and family union for the new times.
What the Year of the Rabbit means and how to celebrate it.
Chinese New Year Celebrations
The dragon is part of its best known traditions.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
The Chinese New Year celebrations
extend for four days
, both in the country and in small communities that inhabit around the world.
They are considered the most important days of the year, and holidays -the only ones of the year- usually represent a great mobility of people, since they take the opportunity to visit and reunite with their families.
"In some places sometimes they bring the celebration forward, and that is not right, because the Chinese year -this year- starts on January 22, so the celebrations are on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th all over the world", explains the astrologer Ludovica Squirru to Clarín.
"In China they celebrate big, not only to meet their relatives, but also because they deeply believe in the energy of the animal that rules the year and, in this case, the rabbit is a sign of great luck."
The Chinese New Year celebrations last for four days.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
But all the festivities -even the one that is celebrated in the Chinatown of Buenos Aires on this date- have one element in common: the
dragon
.
This is because he is considered a
protective
figure , and symbolizes the king of heaven.
As an example, Squirru Dari explained to this newspaper that even the emperors were called "dragons" to highlight the "powers" they had.
lunar new year
The Chinese calendar is based on the phases of the Sun and the Moon.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
The Chinese calendar is based on the
phases of the Sun and the Moon
, and is governed by the second new Moon after the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, beginning a new lunar year.
“In this case it is a 'blind year', because it started before what is the start of the second new Moon in China, which is February 5.
So sometimes when they're blind years, they say they're not that good, they're not that lucky.
But it will depend on how one has finished the Year of the Tiger, that is, if he did the homework that the Chinese say one must do”.
What does Ludovica mean by "homework"?
“Make everything clear, our personal life, relationships, be able to
pay debts
,
reconcile
with family and friends, be able
to order
the house and take out the old and what is useless, give what we can as gifts and charity, and think a lot in that change that is needed".
And the author of
Chinese Horoscope 2023: Water Rabbit
(Editions B) continues: "Sometimes you have to take a break between a year that ends and another that begins to empty yourself and put aside everything that is no longer useful. And that is a great exercise that can be practiced before January 22 ”.
Traditions suggest starting the year by doing deep cleansing.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
How to celebrate Chinese New Year 2023
Traditions suggest starting the year by doing deep
cleansing
, both inside, in our body, and outside, in the home.
For this reason, when it comes to celebrating, Ludovica suggests some ideas: do a dynamic
meditation
, with tai chi, with chi kung, or one of all the arts that have flourished in China.
Also, she says, you can do a
fast
.
“
The Chinese always try to empty themselves more than fill themselves
up in order to put their organism, ideas, thoughts, desires in order a bit.
And that is very important, ”she explains.
"In our western culture, the New Year is usually started - on January 1 - in an 'unconscious' way, the more you drink, the more you eat... Sometimes the consequences of this are paid the next day... Or for a whole week.
But it's good to relieve yourself, reconcile, project yourself, focus on what your wishes are for the New Year.
“The New Year is also a beautiful
renewal
, not only of the personal, sometimes of the look, of image changes, but also of what one has gone through for so many years.
Perhaps you have to put an end to a number of situations, jobs or coexistence.
And
starting a Chinese Year 'from scratch'
is great, because one already begins to
imagine a new life
”.
Rituals of the Chinese New Year 2023
Rituals of the Chinese New Year 2023. Photo: illustration Shutterstock.
In addition to smudge the house with sandalwood, to
drive away bad energy
, we can perform other traditional rites of abundance.
Any ideas:
Ritual of coins for savings and prosperity:
on New Year's Day we place two coins in a red bag.
The next day, we put in two more.
And the next time, we do the same thing again.
After a week we place the bag in a visible place and every day we add a coin to it.
Rice ritual:
for the Chinese, rice is the most precious food, carrier of numerous nutrients for life.
From Friday and for ten days, a tablespoon of rice can be placed in a pot.
On the tenth day, light a white candle next to the rice, perform an act of gratitude and then prepare it to later incorporate it into a meal.
Chinese New Year 2023 in Belgrano
Chinese New Year 2023 in Belgrano.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
On
Sunday, January 22, the 11th edition of BA Celebrates the Chinese New Year will take place
.
The Buenos Aires government informed that the festivity will take place in the Plaza "Parques Nacionales", Av. Figueroa Alcorta, between Sucre and Echeverría, from 12 to 18 hours.
The event invites you to celebrate and share the culture of this ancient town that on this occasion welcomes the year represented by the Water Rabbit.
There will be 50
gastronomic, craft and cultural stands
, where you will find traditional Chinese dishes, such as kung pao (spicy marinated chicken) or jiaozi (a kind of thin dough dumplings filled with minced meat or vegetables) and decorative objects , feng shui, clothing and much more.
There will also be calligraphy samples, tea ceremonies and talks on traditional Chinese medicine.
As is tradition, they warned that the
Dragon
will also be present , who will offer his
typical dance
to augur good fortune to all those present, accompanied by the Chinese Lions, martial arts exhibitions for adults and children, chi kung and tai chi.
Chinese New Year 2023: predictions for the year of the Rabbit for each sign
Chinese New Year 2023: predictions for the year of the Rabbit for each sign.
Photo: Illustration Shutterstock.
The astrologer gave Clarín some of her predictions for the year of the Water Rabbit for each animal in the Chinese zodiac.
Know what awaits your sign here.
look also
Chinese horoscope 2023: Ludovica Squirru's predictions for each animal
Lunar calendar 2023: all phases, eclipses and signs
Astrological X-ray of 2023: month by month, the main transits of the year
Mayan calendar 2023: how will the energies of the Galactic Mayan Synchronary be for the coming year
