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Why we celebrate Lunar New Year and how to celebrate the year of the ox in 2021
Happy Lunar New Year from The Social Blend family! We wish you happiness, wealth and good fortune.
February is the shortest month of the year, but also one of the most exciting and eventful. The Social Blend family is super excited to help friends and family celebrate Lunar New Year, the biggest celebration or holiday in Asian culture. This massive holiday is filled with parties and traditions that portray happiness, warmth and wishes for a healthy and successful year.
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Why Is It Called Lunar New Year?
A lunar year is identified with 12 full cycles of the moon, which is roughly 354 days. The patterns of the sun and moon are regulated with a lunisolar calendar, so the dates of events slightly change each year. The Lunar New year signifies the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is traditionally followed by several east Asian countries; China, South Korea and Vietnam. Furthermore, this celebration is commonly known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. It typically lasts for 15 days, ending with the first full moon.
Bring In The Ox!
Besides celebrating the new moon on Lunar New Year, this holiday also celebrates an animal from the Chinese zodiac. Similar to horoscopes, the Chinese zodiac animals are distributed like a cycle and believed to help people understand each other’s personalities, careers, compatibility and fortune. This year we are celebrating the year of the ox. In Chinese culture, the ox is a valued animal due to its role in agriculture. It denotes the hard work, positivity and honesty that will be manifested in all of us in the coming 12 months. However, if you are born in the year of the ox, you may show some certain characteristics.
Men who are born in the year of the ox are reliable and trustworthy. They are people who are known to put their whole heart into everything they do and feel a great responsibility towards caring for their family. In contrast, their stubborn personality lets them stand their ground to defy anyone who tries to go against them. Furthermore, they may hold their own children to very high expectations.
Women who are born in the year of the ox are known to be calm and gentle. In addition, they think and react quickly. They are people that don’t really believe in fate, and rarely follow alternative options. Therefore, they are strong-headed and will always continue to walk to the path they have chosen to the very end; despite the struggles and hardships.
How to Celebrate Lunar New Year: Traditions and Superstitions
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of preparations for the Lunar New Year to carry the good fortune into the next year. Usually 10 days before the beginning of the new year, houses are cleaned to remove lingering bad luck. Traditional sweets and dishes are prepared to be served. On new years eve and new years day, families get together to spend time with each other and participate in religious ceremonies that honour ancestors. Furthermore, on New Year’s day, family members receive red envelopes that contain a small amount of money. This custom came from using coins to ward off the bad spirits. Traditional dances and fireworks continue throughout the days and a lantern festival is reserved for the last day of the 15 days of celebrations.
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There are also many superstitions to honour good fortune. Here’s some just to name a few:
Don’t cut your hair because it is believed that it represents severing connections during a time of family warmth
Payback your debts before the new year start otherwise it is bad luck
Wearing red will attract good luck
Avoid washing your hair on the first and second day because you are washing away the good luck
Don’t do laundry on the first and second day because it’s reserved to celebrate the water god
Lastly, it is believed to eat sweets to ensure a sweet year. With everything being said, we decided to make our Lunar New Year Box dedicated to the year of the ox, as well as some of the traditional items that represent this special holiday. This themed box is particularly special to us at The Social Blend because it reminisces some of the classic flavours we grew up with while living in an Asian household. We hope that you will taste the nostalgia and remember your fond memories as well.
Flavours: Dark Chocolate Orange, Taro Milk tea, Mango, Milk Chocolate, HK Milk Tea, Strawberry Crunch, Boston Cream, White Rabbit Exclusive and Lavender London Fog