For approximately 1 billion people around the world, Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is one of the most important holidays of the year.
It is celebrated in East and Southeast Asian cultures, with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean groups among those participating.
The New Year is frequently celebrated across several days, rather than simply one, as it is on the Gregorian calendar. The Lunar New Year will begin on February 1st, 2022.
The celebration began as a time for feasting and honoring home and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors, and was tied to the lunar calendar.
There are many legends surrounding the Lunar New Year’s origin. The most common one claims that the festivities began to frighten away a beast known as “Nian” (which means “year” in Chinese) who haunted cities and villages each spring, attacking people. People used firecrackers and red paper to frighten Nian, because he was afraid of loud noises and the color red.
The New Year usually begins with the first new moon, which occurs between the end of January and the beginning of February. The first 15 days of the lunar calendar’s first month until the full moon.
2022 marks the year of the Water Tiger. In China, the tiger is regarded as the king of all beasts. The Tiger is a symbol of strength, and bravery in the Chinese zodiac and due to the Tiger’s auspicious signs, 2022 is set to be a prosperous one.
Your Component Diversity Committee would like to send our best wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year. We wish you all the best of health and success for the year ahead!
In Solidarity,
Your Component Diversity Committee